MARCH 7 - AN ANNUAL sprint event featuring the United States and Jamaica, including double Olympic champion Usain Bolt, has been proposed.

 

The idea has been put forward by Doug Logan, the chief executive of United States Track & Field (USATF).

 

He has formally invited Jamaica to engage in a home-and-home series later this year that that will pit the two nations' sprinters and hurdlers against each other in head-to-head, team-scored competition.

 

The proposal comes on the heels of World Championship and Olympic competition in which American and Jamaican sprinters dominated.

 

At the 2007 IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Americans won the men's 100, 200 and 400 metrs, sweeping the longer race, as well as the women's 200m, both relays, women's 100m hurdles and men's 400m hurdles.

 

Jamaica won the women's 100m, as well as numerous silver and bronze medals.

 

All told, an American or Jamaican won 10 of 12 medals in the men's and women's 100m and 200m and went 1-2 in three of the four relay events.

 

At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, it was Jamaica in the driver's seat.

 

Led by Bolt, Jamaicans won the men's and women's 100m and 200m, including a clean-sweep in the women's 100m.

 

Bolt broke the world record in the 100m and 200m, and the 4x100m relay on which he ran third leg also broke the world record.

 

Jamaica won the women's 400m hurdles in Olympic record time with the US second, while Americans swept the men's 400m and 400m hurdles, won two medals in the men's 110m hurdles and took gold in the women's 100 hurdles.

 

Collectively, USA and Jamaica won 11 of 12 medals in the 100m and 200m; 16 of 18 in the 100m through 400m; and five of six medals in the 400m hurdles.

 

Logan has written to Teddy McCook, the president of the Jamaican Amateur Athletics Association, extending the invitation.

 

Logan said: "It was obvious to everyone that with the rise of your country's great sprinters and hurdlers, a compelling rivalry between Jamaica and the United States had developed.

 

"These competitions would offer a means to showcase our phenomenal strengths to the world, as well as offering each of our nations' fans the chance to see the very best competition track and field has to offer, on home soil."