REUTERS

Reigning double world champion Usain Bolt heads Jamaica's team for the 2011 athletics World Championships.

Kingston – Reigning double world champion Usain Bolt heads Jamaica's team for the 2011 athletics World Championships, a squad that inclues three more defending champions but not provisionally suspended Steve Mullings.

Bolt, winner of the men's 100m and 200m in world record times of 9.58sec and 19.19, in Berlin Germany two years ago, will be joined in Jamaica's strong 50-member delegation by fellow defending champions Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who took the women's 100m, women's 400m hurdles champion Melaine Walker and Brigitte Foster-Hylton, the women's 100m hurdles winner.

Asafa Powell, who is still in search of his first global title in the men's 100m joins Bolt in the event along with Yohan Blake.

Other gold medal contenders include Veronica Campbell-Brown, who is vying for her first World Championships sprint double, 400m hurdles favourite Kaliese Spencer and 800m runner Kenia Sinclair.

Nesta Carter is expected to be a medal contender in the 100m in place of Mullings, who returned a positive drug test sample at the Jamaican trials.

At 400 meters, Jermaine Gonzales, Kerron Stewart, and Rosemarie Whyte are also very strong contenders.

Isa Phillips, who ran 48.94 on the weekend in Germany to be the fastest Jamaican this season, was included at the last minute ahead of the third place finisher at the trials - Roxroy Cato, who had only the “B” qualifying standard.

Phillips had finished fifth at the National Championships in June.

The World Championships are to be held in Daegu, South Korea, from August 27-September 4.

Team

Men

Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell, Michael Frater, Yohan Blake, Nesta Carter, Marvin Anderson, Lansford Spence, Nickel Ashmeade, Mario Forsythe, Dwight Thomas, Richard Phillips, Isa Phillips, Jermaine Gonzales, Josef Robertson, Andrew Riley, Allodin Fothergill, Maurice Smith, Dorian Scott, Damar Forbes, Wilbert Walker, Jason Morgan, Leford Green, Dexter Lee, Dewayne Barrett, and Riker Hylton

Women

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Kerron Stewart, Jura Levy, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Sherone Simpson, Davita Prendergast, Novlene Williams-Mills, Shericka Williams, Patricia Hall, Kenia Sinclair, Shereefa Lloyd, Brigitte Foster-Hylton, Schillonie Calvert, Melaine Walker, Kaliese Spencer, Nickiesha Wilson, Korene Hinds, Kimberly Williams, Rosemarie Whyte, Ristananna Tracey, Aleen Bailey, Mardrea Hyman, Vonette Dixon, Indira Spence and Jovanee Jarrett. – Sapa-AFP