The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

EUROPEAN countries have a versatile résumé of success in athletics history and they look to continue that trend at the inaugural IAAF World Relays.

Countries across the continent should figure prominently on the medal podium as they prepare to challenge everything from the Americans and Caribbean nations in the sprints to the Africans and Middle Eastern athletes in the middle-distance events.

Over 150 athletes will represent 13 countries when the meet begins tomorrow at the Thomas A Robinson Stadium.

Men’s teams include Belgium, Spain, France, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, the Slovak Republic and Ukraine while France, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, Russia, Switzerland will field women’s teams.

British Athletics named a star-studded, 24-member team led by 400m world champion Christina Ohuruogu and World Indoor 60m champion Richard Kilty.

The Great Britain men’s 4x100m team of Kilty, Martyn Rooney, Danny Talbot and James Ellington have posted the top time of any European team this season with a 38.64s posted at the Florida Relays.

The women’s 4x100m team has posted the second fastest time in the world this year with a time of 42.91s, led by Bianca Williams and Asha Phillips who have posted two of the top 20 times in the world this year.

Team France will be led by 100m specialist Jimmy Vicaut, who is the only athlete at the World Relays, and one of just three this season who have surpassed the 10.0s barrier in the men’s century.

The French will compete in the 4x100m, 4x200m and 4x400m on both the men’s and women’s sides.

France and the Ukraine have posted the third and fourth fastest times on the top lists on the season thus far.

Belgium will field just one team at the event, a men’s 4x400m team made up almost entirely of members of the Borlee Family.

Twin quarter-milers Kevin and Johnathan Borlee made history at the London 2012 Olympics when they became the first pair of brothers to make an Olympic final in the same event and will now be joined by younger brother Dylan Borlee on the track in Nassau.

Poland will field an extensive team that will rival only the United States and Jamaica in number of events entered.

The Polish men’s team will enter into the 4x100m, 4x400m, 4x800m, and 4x1500m. They expect to be serious contenders in the middle distance events, led by Adam Kszczot and Marcin Lewandowski in both events. The women will participate in the 4x100m and 4x400m.

Romania’s women will provide a strong challenge to the African and Middle Eastern teams in the 4x800m and 4x1500m races while Switzerland’s women’s team will contest both the 4x100m and 4x200m.

With global access to the event, European fans will be able to cheer on their teams from anywhere in the world. There will be LIVE TV coverage, including Pan-Europe on Eurosport and, for the first time, the IAAF will stream one of its events via the following platforms:

In Europe, the stream is available via http://bit.ly/iaaflive and on the Eurovision Sports Live App: iOS - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/eurovision-sports-live/id833505517?mt=8 and Android - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.edgesuite.eurovision.livemanager

Furthermore, the IAAF, in partnership with Dentsu, who are the IAAF’s broadcasting partner for the rest of the world, will provide a stream on the “IAAF Magazine” YouTube channel.