By Shavaughn Moss NG Sports Reporter

Saint-Denis, France - Relay coordinator Rupert Gardiner has faith the women's sprint relay team will do well, even though they will be seriously challenged.

"The United States always has a good team and they just swept the 100 metres with Kelli White (winning gold) and Torri Edwards (getting silver), so that tells you they have two good sprinters right there," said Gardiner who likened the team the Americans should field to when The Bahamas had is fab-five "Golden Girls" Pauline Davis-Thompson, Debbie Ferguson, Chandra Sturrup, Sevatheda Fynes and Eldece Clarke-Lewis all running together.

That team won the gold medal at the 1999 Seville Championships, but did not defend that title in 2001 in Edmonton after Davis-Thompson and Clarke-Lewis both retired.

The US also has numerous other sprinters they can chose from to run a leg including Inger Miller and Chryste Gaines among others at these 9th International Association of Athletics Federations World Outdoor Championships in Athletics.

"Right now I think they're like us when we had our five girls," said Gardiner yesterday. "Then you have the Russians, the French are going to be a threat because they're home, but I have the confidence in our team that we'll do well."

All he wants is for the team to position itself in the final. Once they gt there, anything could happen.

Gardiner's team to run the first round has Timicka Clarke leading off to Sevatheda Fynes on the back stretch, to Christine Amertil on the curve, with Shandira Brown anchoring.

This order would allow Ferguson and Sturrup much needed rest and treatment. Ferguson competed in both the 100 and 200 metres but did not advance to the final of either event. Sturrup ran fourth in the 100 metres final.

"Debbie, Timicka, Christine and Shandira ran 43-seconds this year without Chandra and Sevatheda at CAC (Central American and Caribbean Championships) and they won, there, so I think as long as we run under 43 seconds, we'll be up to scratch and get to the final. Once we get there, we're capable of winning a medal. It may not be the gold medal, but we could get a medal, and if any of the teams mess up, our girls will get the gold," he said.

Gardiner's "A" team which he hopes to have to run only once, and that's in Saturday's final will be Clarke leading off to Sturrup on the back stretch, Fynes on the curve and Ferguson bringing the baton across the finish line.

The team commenced practise sessions on Tuesday without Ferguson and Sturrup. As of Wednesday, with no one running individual events, they concentrated on exchanges in preparation for Friday's heats.

Posted Thursday 28 August, 2003