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Associated Press

Usain Bolt is perfect yet again.
Dispelling two years of injury doubts, the Jamaican won three sprint gold medals this week for an overall world championship record of 11.
The last of them came on Saturday when he anchored the 4x100-metre relay team with free-flowing, giant strides that have made him an icon for the sport.
Behind him, the United States was far back in second place. But Justin Gatlin, who had been unbeaten in two seasons of sprinting, lost the chance for a third silver when the American team was disqualified for a bad exchange on the anchor leg. 
“I saw the mess after 300 metres and was happy we were not in it,” Bolt said.

To the delight of the tens of thousands of fans in the Bird’s Nest, China moved up to silver and Canada took bronze.
It was Bolt’s third sprint triple in a row, starting at the London Olympics and continuing through the 2013 worlds in Moscow, and fifth overall.
The world’s fastest man made it three for three in Beijing again, leading the Jamaicans to a runaway win that came easy thanks to an American team who still have not figured out how to get the baton around the track.
Tyson Gay’s handoff to anchor Mike Rodgers came outside the passing zone, and the Americans were disqualified.

It turned Bolt’s anchor leg into a pick-your-time free-run to the finish. He went hard the whole way, grimacing and dipping his head at the line, to finish Jamaica’s lap in 37.36 seconds.
That was .52 off the country’s world record, but more than fast enough to do the job against a team who consistently folds under the bright lights.
This marked the eighth time since 1995 the American men have either been disqualified or failed to finish at the worlds or the Olympics.
“We know the key thing is just to get the baton around,” said Bolt, who extended his record to 11 gold medals at world championships.
“Because with the US, we know we always have the best team, and they tend to panic. Pressure gets to them sometimes.”
So what happened?
Thanks to Gatlin’s speedy second leg, the United States was ahead through about 250m. But as Gay approached Rodgers for the final handoff, Rodgers appeared to start too early.

Gay flailed the baton as his teammate took off and reached back his left hand. The exchange was not complete until after Rodgers had crossed the yellow line at the end of the passing zone.
“I don’t know if I left on time, I don’t know if I left early,” Rodgers said. “I don’t know what happened.”
Even without the disqualification, which moved China up to second place and Canada into third, the US was history. Rodgers finished 0.41 seconds behind Bolt.
Explanations, there were plenty.
“It has to be bad luck,” said Gay, whose doping violation caused the United States to retroactively lose the relay silver they took at the London Olympics.
Gatlin added: “Mike and Tyson got lost in the excitement and the crowd and they couldn’t hear each other, and they were out of the zone.”
For the Jamaicans, the women’s 4x100 relay team made Saturday’s sprint party complete. 
They brought a smile to Bolt’s face ahead of his race when they won gold, beating the U.S. team with a championship record and the second fastest time in history at 41.07. It also was the second gold for Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, whose performances were again as flashy as her green hairdo. 

The Jamaican win denied Allyson Felix a 10th world title, but the American veteran will get another chance in Sunday’s 4x400 relay.
“This is not the end for me,” Felix said.
Veronica Campbell-Brown, however, got another sprint relay gold 11 years after winning the 4x100 title at the 2004 Athens Olympics. At 33, she was the leadoff runner. 
 
 
 


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2015 IAAF World Championships

Lightning Bolt strikes again with third gold at worlds, China nets silver to delight of home crowd

Jamaica's Usain Bolt brings home gold in the 4x100m men at the 2015 IAAF World Championships in Beijing on Saturday. Photo: EPA

China's Xie Zhenye, Su Bingtian, Zhang Peimeng and Mo Youxue celebrate after the men’s 4x100m relay. The team earned silver after the US was disqualified. Photo: AP

The Jamaican men's 4x100m relay team from left, Nesta Carter, Usain Bolt, Nickel Ashmeade and Asafa Powell. Photo: AP

United States' Allyson Felix, Jasmine Todd, English Gardner and Jenna Prandini celebrate after finishing second in the women’s 4x100m relay final on Saturday. Photo: AP

Usain Bolt takes off as Mike Rodgers (left) receives the baton from his US teammate Tyson Gay outside the exchange area in the men's 4x100m relay final. Photo: Reuters 

Sport

China

Jamaican sprint star anchors 4x100 relay win, while the women's team complete sprint party for country


Usain Bolt is perfect yet again. Dispelling two years of injury doubts, the Jamaican won three sprint gold medals this week for an overall world championship record of 11. The last of them came on Saturday when he anchored the 4x100-meter relay team with free-flowing, giant strides that have made him an icon for the sport.
