Brooks

One of the biggest disappointments of last year's Beijing Olympics was the failure of Jamaica's women's sprint relay team to win gold in the final.

The quartet of Shelly-Ann Fraser, Sherone Simpson, Kerron Stewart and Veronica Campbell was by far the best on show, but the team failed to get the baton around and had to watch as Russia pocketed the gold.

This time around the hope is that they will get the baton around and hit the line in a world record.

Overwhelming favourites

Jamaica's sprint quartet will fly into Berlin as overwhelming favourites not only to win but to break the German Democratic Republic (GDR) world record of 41.37 seconds set in 1985.

Like last year, the female sprinters are on fire. They will be without Olympic 100 metres silver medallist Sherone Simpson but three members of last year's 4x100 metres quartet, Fraser, Stewart and Campbell-Brown, are back and will be gunning to make up for last year's mishap. All three have clocked sub-11 seconds this year with Stewart, the world leader with 10.75, Fraser at number two at 10.88, and the defending 100-metre world champion, Campbell-Brown just behind at number four with 10.96 seconds.

With one of Sheri-Ann Brooks, Aleen Bailey or Simone Facey to join the three to make up the relay, it is possible that the team could become the first female team to go under 41 seconds in the event. With only Campbell-Brown set to double at the meet, this could be an advantage for the Jamaican team as Fraser and Stewart and possibly Brooks should all compete in the first round with only one change expected in the final, unlike last year when Stewart and Simpson were rested.

Like the men, Jamaica's women will be running against the clock, and once they get the baton around with no hitches, they should put their names in the record book.