Ja chasing relay gold as Shelly eyes grand farewell

After picking up their first win in the women's 4x100 metres relay at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo with the quartet of Dahlia Duhaney, Juliet Cuthbert, Beverly McDonald and Merlene Ottey, Jamaica will be aiming for their second success on Japanese soil this weekend.

With five World Championship victories in the event -- second only to the United States' nine -- Jamaica is banking on a special send-off gift for Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in what will be her final appearance at these championships. Fraser-Pryce has been part of Jamaica's last four winning teams, tasting her first success in Berlin in 2009, before adding gold in Moscow 2013, Beijing 2015, and Doha 2019, the last time Jamaica stood atop the podium.

This time, Jamaica will be out to stop the United States from making it three in a row and a record 10th overall. Two years ago, the Americans won in a championship record 41.03 seconds, edging Jamaica, who clocked 41.28.

Although Jamaica finished third at the World Relays in May, behind Great Britain and Spain, and again placed second to the British at the London Diamond League in 42.50 seconds -- where Great Britain stormed to a world-leading 41.69 -- it will be a sharper and more dangerous Jamaican team lining up in Tokyo.

Leading the charge is the red-hot Tina Clayton, fresh from a personal best 10.76 seconds to claim silver in the 100m. She will be joined by twin sister Tia, who has a personal best of 10.83, Shericka Jackson -- fourth in the 100m with an equal season's best of 10.88 -- and veteran Fraser-Pryce, who clocked 11.03 for sixth in that final.

The United States, however, will present a formidable challenge, spearheaded by 100m gold medallist Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, who blazed to a championship record 10.61. She will be backed by fellow finalist Sha'Carri Richardson, who ran 10.94 for fifth, alongside Twanisha Terry and Kayla Whyte. Jefferson-Wooden only featured in the preliminary round when the USA struck gold in Budapest, but she, Richardson, and Terry combined to win Olympic gold last year in Paris. They will certainly fancy their chances of repeating that success.

Great Britain, buoyed by their world-leading time at the London Diamond League, will be brimming with confidence as they chase a maiden World Championships victory. Spain, France, and Germany also remain outside threats.

Still, all signs point to a straight fight between Jamaica and the USA. And with a well-rested Tia Clayton waiting to strike, Jamaica could well deliver Fraser-Pryce her fifth relay gold in a grand farewell to an illustrious career.