BEIJING,China:

The curtain will come down on an outstanding 2008 Olympic Games for Jamaica when the country's men's and women's 4x400 metres teams seek to add to the already historic 10-medal haul.

Yesterday, both teams qualified easily. The women clocked a season best 3:22.60 to be second to the United States (3:22.45) in the second of two semi-final heats. The running order was Novlene Williams-Mills, Shereefa Lloyd, Bobby Gaye Wilkins and individual silver medallist, Shericka Williams.

National champion Rosemarie Whyte should come in for Wilkins, whose 50.94 split was the slowest of the first three runners. Williams did 51.13 but she was very comfortable and was running just to maintain an automatic qualifying spot. The opening heat was won by Russia in 3:23.71.

The men held second in their heat until the final strides when Ricardo Chambers was passed by Andrae Williams of The Bahamas. Great Britain won the heat in 2:59.33 from Bahamas, 2:59.88 and Jamaica 3:00.09. All three set season-best times.

TOUGH

Sanjay Ayre, who ran the third leg, said it will be tough, but Jamaica have a chance of winning a medal.

"The guys in the first heat ran 2:59 and the top three in our heat ran fast also. Tomorrow we will bring in a new guy and hopefully that will bring some strength to the team," Ayre said.

LIKELY CHANGE

He declined to name the likely change. The first heat was won by gold-medal favourites the United States in 2:59.98.

Earlier, Chelsea Hammond, who came to the Games with a 'B' qualifying time, placed an impressive fourth in the women's long jump, with a personal best 6.79 metres.

Hammond made it on her very first leap.

"Fourth place, a hard place to be in. I had great competition, I can't take anything from them," Hammond said.

She was dogged by injury last year.

"I was out for seven months last year and I didn't even think I would have been able to jump this year, but here I am in the final and fourth."

Hammond, who missed a possible seven-metre leap with a foul, congratulated her rivals.

"They got it right, I did not. I have to give them their due."

Gold medallist Maggi Maureen Higa of Brazil (7.04) won by just one centimetre from Russia's Tatyana Lebedeva. Nigeria's Blessing Okagbare (6.91m) was third.

Decathete Maurice Smith had to settle for ninth place with 8,205 points in his event, as he just could not get back from a fairly poor first day by his standards.

Smith, who ended the first day in 10th, made a big move to fifth after the discus, but then had a poor 51.52m in the javelin.

"It did not work out for me on the first day. Because of the weather (it was raining), I did not do well in the first three events, but everyone had to deal with it. I tried to come back late in the day with a good high jump and a good 400m, but that kind of killed my legs and both were tired for the hurdles on the second day," Smith said.

American Brian Clay won the event with 8,791 points from Andrei Krauchanka of Belarus (8551) and Cuba's Leonel Suarez, 8,527.

- Elton Tucker