MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) - It was Usain Bolt unlike he has ever been seen before on the track - taking part in a mixed 4x100-meter relay.
The first edition of the Nitro Athletics series at Lakeside Stadium saw the Bolt All-Stars winning the night, with Australia claiming second in the six-team event on Saturday.
Bolt lined up in the second leg of the mixed relay against three other men and two female sprinters - Mariko Nagano from Japan and 16-year-old Riley Day of Australia.
With fellow Jamaican and former world record holder Asafa Powell running the opening leg for the All-Stars, Bolt was always going to get the baton in first place.
The gap was much bigger by the time Bolt handed off to Jenna Prandini, although Day was also impressive. But Bolt and his team easily won the event.
Bolt, the eight-time Olympic champion, has committed to competing in all three Nitro events over an eight-day period in Melbourne. The meet continues on Feb. 9 and Feb. 11 at the same stadium.
Also in the field are Bolt’s fellow Jamaican sprinter Michael Frater, Rio de Janeiro Olympics 400-meter hurdles champion Kerron Clement and American long jumper and sprinter Jarrion Lawson.
Teams from Australia, England, China, Japan and New Zealand, composed of 12 men and 12 women, are also competing in the meet.
Events include the mixed medley relays, sprints over 60 and 200 meters, the long jump and the elimination mile, where at the end of the first, second and third laps, the last-place runner is eliminated.
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