Shelly leads strong Penn Relays team

Two-time Olympic gold medallist Shelly Ann Fraser- Pryce headlines a strong Jamaican team to the 2019 Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this weekend.

Fraser-Pryce and the reigning sprint double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson will team up with the Sprintec Track club pair of Gayon Evans and Natasha Morrison for the women’s 4x100m.

In the men’s equivalent, two teams will take part in the USA VS the World segment of the relay carnival. Former world record holder Asafa Powell, Julian Forte, Nesta Carter and Oshane Bailey will represent Jamaica Yellow, while Nigel Ellis, Kenroy Anderson, Jevaughn Minzie and Rasheed Dwyer will compete for Jamaica Green.

Olympic bronze medallist Shericka Jackson is down to run the women’s 4x400m relay with Stephenie McPherson, Christine Day, Janieve Russell and Anastasia Leroy. National record holder Rusheen McDonald, Demish Gaye, Fitzroy Dunkley and Anthony Carpenter will contest the men’s equivalent.

Leroy is on double duty as she will also run the sprint medley relay with Tiffany James, Verona Chambers, and Ronda Whyte.

President of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association, Warren Blake, says the teams will be using the event to prepare for the imminent World Relays in Yokohama, Japan, on May 12-13.

“The Penn Relays come right before the World Relays and gives our relay teams some needed practice and to perform in a competitive environment,” Blake said. “I think the teams we have selected are fairly good and should be able to compete with the Americans and perform well.”