Athletics Australia – News – Australia to take on world at Penn Relays

Flame athletes Sean Wroe, Lachlan Renshaw, Jeff Riseley and Ryan Gregson will combine as one for the Men’s USA v the World Distance Medley Relay at the time honoured Penn Relays this Saturday, April 30.

The oldest and most traditional event on the U.S track and field calendar, the Penn Relays have been held in Pennsylvania for 117 years with competition this weekend set to span four days before an audience of thousands.

Australia’s team, arguably the strongest we can offer, will join international teams from Canada, Morocco, Kenya and Ethiopia, with the local charge set to come from two American teams – America Blue and America White.

Leading out for three laps (1200m), Gregson’s inclusion to the green and gold squad is his first competitive hit out since being forced to withdraw from the Commonwealth Games with a stress fracture.

The Australian 1500m record holder after stopping the clock at 3:31.06 at the Monaco Diamond League, Gregson will pass the baton to Wroe, a dual Commonwealth Games medallist last year, who will run 400m before Renshaw takes to the track for two blistering laps.

The final leg will be run by the Australian 1500m champion Riseley, with the 2009 world championships representative set to run one mile.

Flying the American flag in the men’s distance medley relay are Nick Symmonds, David Torrence, Duane Solomon, Leo Manzano, Bernard Lagat, Russell Brown and two to be named competitors.

Lagat and Symmonds both opened their 2011 season Down Under last month, with Lagat taking victory in the men’s 5000m at the IAAF Melbourne Track Classic in a time of 13:08.43. Symmonds (1:45.09) placed second to 800m world record holder David Rudisha (1:43.88) in the two-lap event at the same meet.

Other international athletes taking to the track include Asafa Powell (JAM), Kenia Sinclair (JAM), Shelley-Ann Fraser (JAM), Walter Dix (USA), Angelo Taylor (USA) and David Neville (USA).

One of the first international hit outs for Australian athletes as they continue their build to the 2011 IAAF world championships in athletics this August, the Penn Relays will be held at the historic Franklin Field across the weekend.

Meanwhile in Japan, Melissa Breen (100m), Matt Davies (100m) and Linda Allen (triple jump) are all set to compete at a Hiroshima-hosted meet.

To be held later this afternoon, the Hiroshima Meet is the first of two in the land of the rising sun in the coming weeks, with 8 Australian athletes set to take to the track or field in Shizuoka on Tuesday, May 3.

Penn Relays
Franklin Field, Pennsylvania
Men’s USA v the World Distance Medley Relay
Saturday, April 30 – 4:10pm (Sunday, May 1 2011 – 6:10am AEDST)

Athletics Australia – News