The trio are among 17 athletes - selected based on current world ranking - from the English-speaking Caribbean for the September 20-21 event, labelled the “9th IAAF World Cup in Athletics”.

Barbadian Obadele Thompson, the defending 100-metre champion, has had an injury-plagued season and will not have the chance to repeat the win he had four years ago in South Africa.

Collins, whose impressive season has included grand prix victories in Brazil and California and Golden League third-place finishes in Monaco and Brussels, will lead the Americas’ sprint bid.

He will run the 100 metres and sprint relay, while Bahamian Dominic Demeritte, the NACAC Under-25 200-metre champion, will contest the half-lap sprint.

Blackwood, who scored a big win at the Rome Golden League before his gold medal run at the Commonwealth Games, races in the 400 metres and is joined in the men’s 1600-metre relay by his team-mate Michael McDonald, Grenada’s Alleyne Francique, and the Dominican Republic’s irrepressible world 400-hurdles champion Felix Sanchez.

Jamaica’s Olympic bronze medallist Tanya Lawrence (100) and Ferguson (200) carry the Americas’ hopes in the women’s sprints.

Madrea Hyman is picked for the women’s 1500 metres and her Jamaican colleagues Brigette Foster (100) and Debbie-Ann Parris (400) for the hurdles. Commonwealth Games bronze medallists, Dominic Johnson (pole vault) of St Lucia, and Jamaican Trecia Smith (triple jump) have also taken spots in the 44-member team that is to be expanded with relay reserves.

Cuba’s Freddie Mayola, Chris Williams of Jamaica, and Brazilian Andre da Silva join Collins in the men’s sprint relay quartet.