Trinidad and Tobago's Richard Thompson in the 4x100m (© Getty Images)
Conventional wisdom would give a strong advantage to the European, African and Asia-Pacific squads, given that they’re comprised of national teams. But that in itself isn’t reason enough to simply rule out the Americas team, the defending champions.
Richard Thompson, Mike Rodgers, Kim Collins and Nesta Carter are all firmly set among the season’s 10 fastest men. Given ample time to practice their exchanges, they’ll prove a formidable quartet to beat.
But so will the European entrants, a national squad from Great Britain. James Ellington, Richard Kilty, and Harry Aikines-Aryeetey form three-quarters of the quartet that clocked 37.93 in the heats of the IAAF World Relays in May, and half of the squad that produced the identical time to take the European title in August.
Japan, who finished fifth in Nassau, will represent Asia-Pacific while a quartet from Nigeria – Egwero Ogho-Ogene, Rae Edwards, Obinna Metu and Mark Jelks, who took the African title in 38.80 – will represent Africa.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
