Elton Tucker, Assistant Editor - Sports
The United States' Sanya Richards (centre) crosses the finish line to win the gold medal in the women's 4x400m relay final at the World Athletics Championships yesterday in Osaka, Japan. Novlene Williams (right) anchors the Jamaica team to silver, while Nicola Sanders (left) of Great Britain runs to secure the bronze medal for her team. - AP
OSAKA, Japan:
Jamaica's contingent to the 11th IAAF World Championships in Osaka, will leave Japan today with the country's highest medal haul ever at the 24-year-old track and field meet.
As the curtain came down last night on a marvellous nine-day championships, the women's 4x400 metres quartet - Shericka Williams, Shereefa Lloyd, Davita Prendergast and Novlene Williams - smashed the national record, clocking 3:19.73 for second.
Warm favourites the United States, with Sanya Richards running the final leg, took gold in 3:18.55, the best time for the mile relay in 14 years. Great Britain were third, also in a national record 3:209.04. Jamaica's previous best for the relay was 3:20.65 for gold at the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton, Canada.
The silver medal lifted Jamaica's final tally to 10 - one gold, six silver and three bronze. Only the United States with 14-4-8, Kenya 5-3-5 and Russia 4-9-3 finished with more medals than Jamaica.
The island's best medal haul before yesterday was eight (one gold, five silver and two bronze) at the 2005 championships in Helsinki.
First-leg runner, Shericka Williams, who gave the team an excellent start, said they were stunned by the very good time.
"I was coming from lane eight so I told myself that I had to go out there and run my own race. And that's what I did.
"We ran 3:26 in the heats and the coach (Maurice Wilson) said we could lower that and run 3:23 but we are really surprised about 3:19. Everybody really went out there and did their best."
Novlene Williams, the 400m bronze medallist who came into the team for the final ahead of Anastasia Le-Roy, said she was a bit jaded before the race but ran a very plucky final leg to secure the silver.
BELOW PAR
The men's 4x400m quartet were denied at least a bronze by a below par final leg from national cham-pion Sanjay Ayre. Ayre, who had pulled up halfway his 400m semi-final on Wednesday, was caught and relegated to fourth by Poland's Kacper Koslowski.
Lead off runner Michael Blackwood was not a happy man after seeing his chance of a medal evaporate.
"Basically, we were planning to finish in the top three. Unfortunately, Sanjay (Ayre) got a bit tight in the home straight and we ended fourth. We have to give thanks that we are injury-free and look forward to the next one (championships)."
DannyMcFarlane, who ran so well in the 400m hurdles final, was expected to come into the team but Blackwood said the move not to use him was a 'coaches' decision.
"I was surprised to know that he (McFarlane) was not selected but we left it up to the coaching staff," Blackwood said.
McFarlane has won five medals - two silver and three bronze - in the 4x400m at the World Championships. Shortly after Jamaica qualified for the final on Friday, national champion Ayre told reporters that McFarlane would be running in the final to give some "fire power" to the team.
The Americans, who had previously won the men's and women's 4x100m, completed a sweep of all four relays in a world-leading 2:55.56. The Bahamas got silver in a season-best 2:59.8, while Poland were third in 3:00.05, just ahead of Jamaica, 3:00.76.
The 12th IAAF World Cham-pionships will be held in Berlin, Germany, August 15-23, 2009.
