Yohan Blake made up for the absence of Usain Bolt by claiming a second gold at the International Association of Athletics Federation World Relays, anchoring Jamaica to a 4x100m victory in a scintillating final day of action on Sunday.
Earlier in the day, Kenya ensured that another US$50,000 came out of the bonus coffers as their middle-distance maestroes smashed another record, this time in the men’s 4x1500m.
Yet it was traditional powerhouses the US who dominated the second and final day of the inaugural World Relays in the Bahamian capital, winning four of the six finals in a festive, sold-out Thomas A. Robinson Stadium.
Photo: Reuters
Despite Blake’s performance, it was a mixed day for Jamaica, as teammate and reigning two-time Olympic sprint champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was left with too much to do on the final leg of the 4x200m.
After two ropey baton exchanges, the “Pocket Rocket,” who also won a world gold in the 100m in Moscow last year and another in the indoor 60m at Sopot in March, could only look on as she ran her quartet home in third behind the US and silver medalists Britain.
There was no such drama for Blake, with the 2011 world 100m champion powering Nesta Carter, Nickel Ashmeade and Julian Forte home in 37.77 seconds.
Ashmeade will also leave the Bahamas with a brace of golds after running alongside Blake in Jamaica’s world record-setting 4x200m effort on Saturday.
The performances of the Jamaican men’s sprint team more than made up for the absence of sprint legend Bolt, who is nursing an injury and is due back next month.
The US took some solace from their women’s 4x400m team, who won the event in convincing fashion in 3 minutes, 21.73 seconds. Third leg Natasha Hastings made the difference after eventual silver medalists Jamaica had threatened a US team also featuring DeeDee Trotter, four-time Olympic gold medalist Sanya Richards-Ross and Joanna Atkins.
The US also upset a Kenya team with world champion Eunice Sum in the 4x800m, pushing them into second after winning in 8:01.58.
However, it was not all gloom for Kenya, as, in what was an expected world record tilt, the quartet of Collins Cheboi, Silas Kiplagat, James Magut and Asbel Kiprop smashed the previous best in the men’s 4x1500m.
Kenya clocked 14 minutes, 22.22 seconds for gold, more than 14 seconds faster than the previous 14:36.23 mark set by another Kenya side in Brussels in 2009.
The silver medal-winning US timed 14:40.80 for a new national record, while Ethiopia held off Australia to take bronze and set a national record of 14:41.22.
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