News Americas, MOSCOW, Russia, Mon. Aug. 19, 2013: Jamaica’s men’s and women’s 4x100m Relay team on Sunday grabbed the gold in the IAAF World Athletics Championships at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
This was Jamaica’s fifth successive global championships gold medal in the men’s 4x100m Relay having won the past three World Championships and last two Olympics.
Usain Bolt started the final leg from a leading position, to complete the win in a world-leading of 37.36.
Bolt got the baton from Nickel Ashmeade more or less equal with the USA quartet. Bolt then simply left Justin Gatlin in his wake, opening a gap immediately and bringing the Jamaican squad home in 37.36 to the USA’s 37.66.
Crossing the line third was the team from Great Britain, then Canada in 37.92. However, Great Britain were disqualified for passing the baton outside the second exchange zone, and Canada wound up in bronze position.
Jamaica’s women’s 4x100m Relay quartet flew around the Luzhniki Stadium in 41.29, the second-fastest time in history, which was also a national and championship record.
The quartet of Carrie Russell, Kerron Stewart, Schillonie Calvert, and double sprint champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce set a championship and national record of 41.29 by handing Fraser-Pryce the baton with a sizeable lead and pointing the “Pocket Rocket” at the finish line.
Behind them was some confusion. France crossed the line next and was in silver medal position as of the medal ceremony, where they were given the medals for their 42.73 finish. The USA, which struggled through the second exchange but recovered quickly to finish in 42.75, were given bronze. However, a late protest reopened the results, and France was disqualified under rule 170.7, which pertains to exchanging the baton within the exchange zone.
As a result, the USA team was elevated to silver, and bronze went to Great Britain, who had finished in 42.87.
