MOSCOW: Jamaica regained the women’s 4x100m relay title in Moscow on Sunday at the World Athletics Championships.
The Jamaicans timed a championship record 41.29 to take gold while France won silver (42.73) and defending champions the United States the bronze (42.75).
The Jamaicans’ victory meant Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce became the first woman sprinter to win both the individual events (100m and 200m) and the 4x100m relay at a World Championships.
On Thursday, the 26-year-old had become only the third woman to do the individual double joining Silke Gladisch (1987) and Katrin Krabbe (1991).
However, Gladisch had to settle for silver with East Germany in the relay and Krabbe the bronze for Germany four years later.
The Americans, who broke the world record in winning Olympic gold last year, saw their hopes of retaining the title evaporate on a disastrous second handover between Alexandria Anderson and 100m finalist English Gardner.
Gardner went far too early and all but had to stop so she could take the baton, but with all her momentum gone by the time she came to hand over to Octavious Freeman the Jamaicans were assured of victory.
Fraser-Pryce sped down the track – with Usain Bolt watching and mouthing ‘go on go on’ from the athletes call room where he was waiting to be called for his relay final – and by the time she crossed the line had some 20m on the French.
The Americans through their final runner Freeman battled to the bronze which, given they were missing both the injured Allyson Felix and Carmelita Jeter, the 2011 world 100m champion and third in last Sunday’s individual final, will be some consolation. — AFP
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