Americans dominate as World C’ship ends

Dinesh WEERAWANSA reporting from Japan

ATHLETICS: The United States of America bagged both the men’s and women’s 400m relay ‘crowns’ as the ended on top of the final medal stands with a rich haul of 14 gold medals on the ninth and final day of the 11th IAAF World Championships concluded at the Nagai Stadium here today.

Sprinter Allyson Felix followed her women’s 200m title with great dashes in women’s 100m and 400m replays to complete a hat-trick of gold medals. Thus, she emulated team mate Tyson Gay, who also had a golden triple with men’s and 100m and 200m titles plus 100m relay.

The mighty Americans were simply unstoppable as they powered their way to 400m relays. First it was Sanya Richards who anchored the USA to this year’s world’s leading timing of three minutes, 18.55 seconds. Jamaica established a new national mark of 3:19.73, which was good enough only for the silver. Great Britain won the bronze in 3:20.04.

Minutes later, the American men accounted for the final gold medal of the meet as the individual medal’s undisputed gold medalist Jeremy Wariner anchored the USA to this year’s world’s leading men’s 4 x 400m timing of two minutes, 55.56 seconds. Bahamas accounted for the silver in 2:59.18, followed by Poland 3:00.05.

That’s not all. There was another American gold medallist on the final day of the 203-nation meet as Bernard Lagat completed a grand long distance double. He followed up his men’s 10,000m title with a gold meal in 5,000m as well, clocking 13 minutes, 45.87 seconds. His former Kenyan team mate Eliud Kipchoge (13:46.00) came second to take the silver.

Kenya, which finished second in the overall medal standings with five gold medals, won their last title of the meet through Alfred Kirwa Yego, who clocked one minute and 47 09 seconds to take men’s 800m title. Canadian Gary Reed (1:47.10) won the silver.

Finland’s Tero Pitkämäki fulfilled the dream he could not achieve in his home capital of Helsinki two years ago. When the World Championship came to his home city in 2005, he finished fourth in men’s javelin throw.

But here in Osaka, the 25-year-old lad from Ilmajoki cleared 90.33m to take the gold. Settling for the men’s javelin silver medal was another athlete from a Nordic country - Norway’s Andreas Thorkildsen (88.61), followed by American Breaux Greer (86.21).

Croatian Blanka Vlašic had a leap of 2.05m to take women’s high jump gold, followed by Italian Antonietta Di Martino (2.03) and Russian Anna Chicherova (2.03), who won the silver and bronze medals respectively.

Tears came to everyone’s eyes as the curtain of the 203-nation world athletic extravaganza came down with a colourful closing ceremony.

The World Championship and IAAF flag was handed over to the Mayor of Berlin, the next host city, by the Mayor of Osaka. “See you in Germany, 2009” were the last words they exchanged as they packed their baggage to go back to their respective countries.

OSAKA, Sunday