8 reigning champs in US team for Daegu

The United States submitted its final roster to the IAAF on Monday for the 2011 athletics World Championships, a team including eight reigning world title holders. The roster includes Allyson Felix, the reigning 200m world champion who will attempt a 200m-400m double at this year’s worlds in Daegu, South Korea, to be held from August 27-September 4. Felix won the 400m at the 2011 US national championships to become the first woman to win national titles at 100m, 200m and 400m in a career. In the 400m at Daegu, she will compete against Sanya Richards-Ross, the American record-holder in the 400m who will defend her world title in the event. Monday’s final roster included a couple of changes from last week’s preliminary squad, including the addition of Jessica Beard in place of the injured Debbie Dunn in the women’s 400m. USA Track & Field (USATF) spokeswoman Jill Geer said she had no additional information on the injury and neither Dunn nor her agent could be reached for comment. Dunn, third in the U.S trials, had been named to the American squad in both the 400 metres and the 4x400 relay pool. She won her world indoor title and helped the Americans win the 4x400 relay at Doha in 2010. Dunn, 33, will be replaced in the 400 by U.S. fourth-place finisher Jessica Beard, who was already in the relay pool. Keshia Baker will be Dunn’s replacement in the relay. USATF also said injured women’s steeplechaser Delilah DiCrescenzo had been replaced on the team by Stephanie Garcia. DiCrescenzo was third in the U.S. trials. Former U.S. 100 metres champion Mike Rodgers remained on the team pending a hearing on his positive test for a stimulant, officials said. The fourth-fastest sprinter in the world this year, he was selected in the 100 metres and 4x100 relay. Rodgers’ agent told Reuters on Saturday the sprinter had tested positive for the stimulant methylhexaneamine after mistakenly consuming an energy drink that contained the banned substance. His second or “B” sample is scheduled for testing today. An arbitration panel will determine his eligibility for the world championships.

Bolt leads Jamaican Worlds team KINGSTON: Reigning double world champion Usain Bolt heads Jamaica’s team for the 2011 athletics World Championships, a squad that inclues three more defending champions but not provisionally suspended Steve Mullings. Bolt, winner of the men’s 100m and 200m in world record times of 9.58sec and 19.19, in Berlin Germany two years ago, will be joined in Jamaica’s strong 50-member delegation by fellow defending champions Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who took the women’s 100m, women’s 400m hurdles champion Melaine Walker and Brigitte Foster-Hylton, the women’s 100m hurdles winner. Asafa Powell, who is still in search of his first global title in the men’s 100m joins Bolt in the event along with Yohan Blake. Other gold medal contenders include Veronica Campbell-Brown, who is vying for her first World Championships sprint double, 400m hurdles favourite Kaliese Spencer and 800m runner Kenia Sinclair. Nesta Carter is expected to be a medal contender in the 100m in place of Mullings, who returned a positive drug test sample at the Jamaican trials. At 400 meters, Jermaine Gonzales, Kerron Stewart, and Rosemarie Whyte are also very strong contenders. Isa Phillips, who ran 48.94 on the weekend in Germany to be the fastest Jamaican this season, was included at the last minute ahead of the third place finisher at the trials - Roxroy Cato, who had only the “B” qualifying standard. Phillips had finished fifth at the National Championships in June.