Friday, August 22, 2008 - 8:00 PM

The United States will conduct a post-mortem into a disappointing Olympic athletics performance that has seen US sprinters eclipsed by their Jamaican rivals, the chief executive officer of USA Track & Field said.

"Once the Games are complete we will be conducting a comprehensive review of all our programs," Doug Logan said in a statement.

It is the first time since 1976 that the United States have competed and failed to win a sprint title at a Games.

A miserable Games for a team that billed itself the world's best was highlighted by relay botches by both the men's and women's 4x100 metres teams.

"I, like all fans of Team USA, am extremely disappointed with the performance of our relays," Mr Logan said, after the US men's and women's 4x100 teams dropped batons in the opening relay rounds.

Mr Logan said the review would be comprehensive, looking at all USA Track & Field's high performance programs.

One subject to be addressed, he said, would be "the way in which we select, train and coach our relays".

In remarks posted on his blog, titled "Shin Splints", Logan added the poor relay performance reflected a lack of preparation.

"These are professional athletes who are the best in their field, and anybody who ever ran a high school relay cringes when that baton hits the track," he said.

It is the first time since 1976 that the United States has competed and failed to win a sprint title at a Games.

The Americans led the medals table at the 2004 Olympics and 2005 and 2007 world championships.

Jamaican sweep


Jamaican athletes swept all four individual sprints, with Usain Bolt setting world records in the men's 100 and 200 metres.

"They (Jamaica) brought their A-game. I don't know where we left ours," said Lauryn Williams, who was involved in the women's botched relay exchange and missed out on a 100 metres medal after taking silver in 2004.

US world champions were hard hit by the doom and gloom.

Men's 100 and 200 metres world champion Tyson Gay, still recovering from a hamstring injury at the US Olympic trials, went out of the 100 metres in the semi-finals.

Then a relay, in which team-mate Darvis Patton and Gay failed to connect, added further frustration.

World women's 200 metres winner Allyson Felix and 400 metres favourite Sanya Richards also missed gold.

World 1,500 metres winner Bernard Lagat, a two-times Olympic medallist for Kenya, missed the final this time, his first in a US vest.

He will seek redemption in Saturday's 5,000 metres, where he is also the world champion.

The setbacks have implications beyond athletics, wiping out any chance the United States might have had of catching China for the Games's overall gold medals lead.

"We have to go back to developing our sprinters," high-profile sprint coach Bob Kersee, who led Dawn Harper to the women's 100m hurdles crown and Felix to a 200m silver, said.

"Whether it's the college system or just training and being prepared, we have to concentrate on taking it up to this level.

"We can be spoiled at times in the United States."