By Natalee Ruddock, Trackalerts.com writer
BEIJING, China – The count down for the 2015 World Championships in Athletics has began and again the sprint events are shaping up to be a Jamaica, USA showdown.
Both countries will have up to four representatives in the 100-metre races.
In the men’s 100 metres, global sprint star Usain Bolt is the defending champion and as a result has already secured a spot on Jamaica’s team. This means that Jamaica will have four representatives in the event at next year’s World Championships.
The Diamond event winners also received a wild card entry to the World Championships.
And American Justin Gatlin won the men’s 100-metre title at the just concluded Diamond League series. As a result the USA will have four representatives in the event in Beijing.
In women's 100 metres, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is the defending champion, while her Jamaican teammate Veronica Campbell-Brown won the Diamond Race. However, once the defending champion and the Diamond League winner are from the same country, only one of the athletes can take up the wild card spot.
In the past, Jamaica opted for the defending champion.
Jamaica will also has four runners in the men’s 200 metres because Bolt is the defending champion.
In the women’s 200 metres, both Jamaica and USA will be able to send four runners into the event, which has Shally-Ann Fraser-Pryce as the defender and American Allyson Felix, as the Diamond League winner.
