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France takes women's 4x100m relay

France's gold medal winners in the women's 4x100m relay just after the race at the World Athletics Championships at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France, Saturday. PHOTO: REUTERS

France capped a great day by winning the women's 4x100m relay at the World Championships Saturday, beating a US team whose anchor Kelli White pulled out hours before because of a doping investigation.

The Americans had been favorites to win the relay, but without White they lost the race in a close finish when Christine Arron blew by Torri Edwards to give the host nation its second gold medal of the day. Eunice Barber had already won a dramatic victory in the long jump.

The French team clocked 41.78 seconds to break the national record for the second time in 24 hours and set the fastest time in the world this year. The US squad finished in 41.83 for the silver and Russia took the bronze in 42.66.

"I knew Edwards was going to be by my side but I saw she wasn't far ahead of me so I gave it all and this time my acceleration worked," Arron said.

"It's good that White wasn't there, it would have shown a lack of respect if she had run," Arron said.

Allen Johnson of the United States captured his fourth 110-meter hurdles title and Jaouad Gharib of Morocco won a thrilling marathon race on eventful penultimate day at the championships.

Mirela Manjani of Greece holds the gold medal she won in the Women's javelin during the presentation ceremony at the World Athletics Championships. PHOTO: AP

Ethiopia's Tirunesh Dibaba, just 18, won the women's 5,000m with a powerful finish.

Just minutes before the French relay win, Barber gave France its first gold medal of the competition by winning the long jump title on her final attempt.

"I told myself: `I can do it,'" Barber said.

European champion Mirela Manjani of Greece won the gold medal in the javelin with the best throw of the year, 66.52m.

White could lose her gold medals in the 100m and 200m for a possible doping violation and might face a two-year suspension after testing positive for a stimulant.

The positive test came after her win in the 100m and was for modafinil, a substance contained in a drug to treat fatigue and sleepiness.

"I have never taken any substance to enhance my performance," White said.

White said she has been taking a prescribed medicine that contains modafinil to treat narcolepsy, a sleeping disorder that runs in her family.

She had been set to anchor the US relay team, but the team risked disqualification if she was confirmed guilty of a doping violation.

With a relay gold, White could have completed an unprecedented sweep in women's sprint. Instead, she might end up with no medals at all.

The International Association of Athletics Federations was investigating the case to see whether to treat it as a doping violation.

"If it ends as a doping case -- at the moment all indications are toward that direction -- then she will be deprived of the gold medal,'' IAAF general secretary Istvan Gyulai said.

Gyulai said if it is a "soft" stimulant, White would be disqualified from the 100m and 200m and stripped of her medals. If it is a "stronger" stimulant, she also would face a two-year international ban.

IAAF officials said they did not expect a final ruling before the end of the championships.

Johnson, who won the final in 13.12 seconds in a 1-2 finish for the US, has captured four of the last five 110m hurdles titles, losing only in 1999 to world record holder Colin Jackson of Britain, now retired. Terrence Trammel was second in 13.20 and Liu Xiang of China took bronze in 13.23.

"It's my fourth title and I wanted it more than anything," Johnson said. "I'm incredibly glad to win here today. I love Paris, I have some friends here who came to watch me today."

Gharib pulled away from Spain's Julio Rey as they entered the stadium and set a championship record of 2 hours, 8 minutes and 31 seconds to win gold in the second marathon of his career. Rey was seven seconds behind to take the silver and Stefano Baldini of Italy won the bronze in 2:09.14.

Dibaba was the world junior cross-country champion and is the 5,000 world junior record holder. She won the gold medal in 14 minutes, 51.72 seconds. European champion Marta Dominguez of Spain took silver for the second consecutive time, finishing in 14:52.26. Edith Masai of Kenya was third in 14:52.30.

"I can't believe it," Dibaba said. "It's my first world championship and winning the title is an amazing thing for me."

Barber, who had won silver in the heptathlon, soared 6.99m to grab the gold ahead of European champion Tatyana Kotova of Russia. Kotova and Barber went into the final series tied at 6.74, but the Russian would have won the title because she had a longer second distance.

But Barber uncorked a magnificent final effort to delight the 54,134 fans at the Stade de France.

Anju Bobby George gave India its first medal in the history of the championships by taking bronze at 6.70.

In the javelin, Tatyana Shikolenko of Russia took the silver with a throw of 63.28. Steffi Nerius of Germany was third at 62.70.
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