Day three of the Penn Relays has become an exciting day because it's when the professionals take their turn. While the event is largely centered on college and high school athletics, recently international track stars have been showing up for the USA vs The World relay events. Last year's field included the world's fastest man, Usain Bolt.
While Bolt did come this year, his Jamaican Men's squad fared just fine, capturing the men's 4 X 100 with a time of 38.33, just shy of the 37.90 record time they set last year. The Jamaican team featured the former world's fastest man, Asafa Powell, as well as Michael Frater, Nesta Carter and Steve Mullings.
The USA Red and USA Blue teams finished 2nd and 3rd. The Blue team featured US sprinter Justin Gatlin, who was the fastest man in the US before he was handed a four year suspension after testing positive for high levels of testosterone. The Penn Relays is the first major event in Gatlin's attempt at a comeback.
The USA Men did capture the 4X400 relay in thrilling fashion. The USA Red team was in a dead heat with the Bahamas after two legs, but strong legs from Bershawn Jackson and Angelo Taylor push the US men to victory with a time of 3:02.40. Taylor is a five time winner at the Penn Relays and said he was happy to put on a show.
"It's great preparation going into the season," Taylor said. "This is always the opening to my season and I know what the experience is like, how the crowds are, and how you want to put on a good show for the people. My coach and my trainer are really good and they always have me ready when I come here."
The USA women won an exciting 4 X 400 meter relay with the USA Red teams of Sanya Richards-Ross, Debbie Dunn, Allyson Fenix and Natasha Hastings bested their USA Blue counterparts with a time of 3:22.92. Fenix, who has run at the Penn Relays for five straight years, told Philly.com,
"That was a lot of fun. I haven't done much in sprints this year and I loved being part of this team."