KINGSTON, Jamaica - There is a strong possibility that Jamaica could win the 4x100m relay for the second consecutive Olympic Games when competition begins tomorrow at the Olympic Stadium.

Jamaica could be the first National Olympic Committee (NOC) to successfully defend its Olympic title in this event since the USA in 1976 and join the USA, Great Britain and the Soviet Union as the only multiple gold medallists in this event.

At three of the last four Olympic Games, the 4x100m relay has been won by the same NOC that won the men's 100m. That bodes well for the 100m champion at London 2012 Usain Bolt and Jamaica.

The USA has won 15 of the 22 editions but only one of the last four.

The nine medals at the last three Games were won by eight different NOCs. The USA is the only NOC to have won two medals during this period.

However, Great Britain could overtake the Soviet Union for outright second place on the all-time medal list for this discipline as both nations currently have seven medals.

If Great Britain wins this event it will be the fourth time an NOC wins this event on home soil and the first time since the USA won it at Los Angeles in 1984.