NASSAU: Veronica Campbell-Brown (R) crosses the finish line as Jamaica win the women’s 4x100m race at the IAAF World Relays Championships.—Reuters

NASSAU (Bahamas): Jamaica won the showcase 4x200 metres relay without Usain Bolt as their American rivals dropped the baton on the second and final day of the IAAF World Relays meet on Sunday.

Nickel Ashmeade, Rasheed Dwyer, Jason Livermore and Warren Weir survived a shaky second exchange baton pass to claim the feature race in one minute, 20.97 seconds.

But at least the Jamaicans, in winning their first race of the two-day meeting, got the baton around.

The Americans were not so fortunate. A muffed passed between Isiah Young and Curtis Mitchell on the second exchange sent the baton flying, leading to their disqualification.

Bolt did not run as a precaution, his manager said, after the world’s fastest man felt tightness in his hamstring warming up. Bolt and his team-mates were second to the US in Saturday’s 4x100 final.

Second place went to France and Germany claimed third. Justin Gatlin, not realising the US had dropped the baton, still ran a blazing anchor leg to bring the Americans from seventh to third before their disqualification was announced.

The Americans, nevertheless won four of the six events raced at a packed Thomas A. Robinson Stadium in the capital of the Bahamas in warm, windy conditions which included setting a world record in the distance medley relay.

Kyle Merber, Brycen Spratling, Brandon Johnson and Ben Blankenship set a time of 9 minutes, 15.50 seconds, eclipsing Kenya’s run of 9:15.56 in 2006. Kenya were second in Sunday’s race, 1.7 seconds behind.

The distance medley relay is composed of legs of 1,200, 400, 800 and 1,600 metres for a total of 10 laps, or 4,000 metres.

The US went on to break local hearts by taking the men’s 4x400m, LaShawn Merritt outstripping veteran Chris Brown on the final leg for victory in 2min 58.43sec. The Bahamas, the reigning Olympic champions, finished second ahead of Belgium.

Sanya Richards-Ross won her second gold of the weekend. After her efforts in the distance medley, she helped steer a US team including Phyllis Francis, Natasha Hastings and Francena McCorory to victory in the 4x400m in 3min 19.39sec ahead of Jamaica and Britain.

The US women also retained their 4x800m title, Chanelle Price, Maggie Vessey, Molly Beckwith-Ludlow and Alysia Johnson Montano combining to win in 8min 00.62sec. Poland and Australia completed the podium.

But Veronica Campbell-Brown held it together for the Jamaican women as they managed a come-from-behind win over the US in the 4x100m.

Campbell-Brown ran down US anchor Carmelita Jeter to bring the Jamaicans home in 42.14 seconds, ahead of the Americans (42.32). Britain took third ahead of Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil, Nigeria and Switzerland.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2015

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