Many of the track and field heroes from the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens will be bringing their talent -- and medals -- to Franklin Field for the 111th running of the Penn Relays.
The world's best runners will be showcased in the "USA vs. The World" event, the opening event of the outdoor component of the Visa Championship Series.
In addition to being televised nationally on Saturday, the United States' finest will have the opportunity to win a share the $50,000 split among the top American runners.
Headlining the all-star event are the U.S. men's and women's 4x400-meter relay teams that captured the gold medal a mere eight months ago.
Leading the men's 4x400 team will be Otis Harris and Derrick Brew. The duo, along with teammate Jeremy Wariner, also dominated the 400m individual event in Athens. They swept the medals with Harris and Brew capturing silver and bronze, respectively, to Wariner's gold.
On the women's side, three of the four gold medalists from the 4x400 team will be on hand this weekend to defend their title. Dee Dee Trotter, Sanya Richards and Monique Hennagan will race against countries including Jamaica and Great Britain. Competition should be stiff, as Jamaica captured the bronze and Great Britain finished three seconds behind in fourth place in Athens.
"'USA vs. The World' is all about Olympic rematches," said Jill Greer, spokeswoman for USA Track & Field.
Certainly revenge will be on the minds of several countries and individual competitors as they enter the starting blocks on Saturday.
The silver medal-winning USA men's 4x100m relay team will have its first opportunity to eclipse the gold medal-winning Great Britain squad. Both teams are expected to be largely intact with Justin Gatlin and Coby Miller leading the USA foursome, which lost by a minuscule 0.01 seconds. Shawn Crawford, the opening leg for the 4x100 team, is also expected to participate in the challenge. Great Britain's strongest runners are Jason Gardner and Mark Lewis-Francis, the first and anchor legs from Athens.
This type of international rivalry fuels the competitive spirit of the Penn Relays. In track and field, outside of the Olympics and World Championships, nations rarely have the opportunity for head-to-head battle.
"No other event has this kind of country-against-country competition," Greer said. "That's what makes the Penn Relays so special. These athletes have the opportunity to wear their national colors."
Gatlin is the most versatile among the athletes committed to the Penn Relays as he is a threat in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay. He proved so last summer by adding 100m gold and 200m bronze to his silver medal in the relay. By winning the 100m in 9.85 seconds, Gatlin achieved the second-fastest Olympic time ever and claimed the distinction of "world's fastest man."
Crawford, Gatlin's relay teammate, accomplished an equally formidable feat as he took home the gold in the 200m and bronze in the 100m.
The U.S.'s sweep of all six medals in the men's 100m and 200m is a testament to their domination of the short distances, but the American men and women should not be overconfident.
"The U.S. typically has dominated, but Jamaica has been known to sneak in especially after Athens," Greer said. "Athens showed us you can never take anything for granted."
After the Olympics, the U.S. women's 4x100m relay team will definitely be wary of upsets. Baton exchange difficulties between the second and third runners led to the heavily favored Americans not even finishing the event in Athens, which was eventually won by the Jamaicans.
Lauryn Williams, a silver medalist in the 100m at the Olympics, guides that 4x100 women's relay team looking for retribution. Williams won the 100m at last year's Penn Relays as a member of the Miami team.
Also, 19-year-old 200m silver medalist Allyson Felix returns to the Relays after her 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams finished third and second, respectively, at last year's Penn Relays.
One change to this year's "USA vs. The World" showcase is the termination of the 4x200m relay in favor of a sprint medley, which will feature two 200m legs, a 400m leg and and an 800m leg.
"This is something that allows them to bring in some half-milers," Penn Relays director Dave Johnson said. "It televises as a much better race as well."
Alan Webb, who gained national fame for setting the high school record in the mile, will run the 5,000m Thursday night and could anchor the sprint medley on Saturday.
Added incentive for the professionals is an opportunity to run the qualifying time needed to participate in the 2005 World Championships from Aug. 6-14 in Helsinki, Finland.
"This is the first truly international opportunity," Greer said. "It's best to get it out of the way early."
