delight as U.S. scorch to relay gold

Allyson Felix claimed her third
gold medal of the Games as the United States outclassed their
rivals to win the women's 4x400 metres relay by some distance at
the London Olympics on Saturday.
Felix, who took the 200 metres individual title and was part
of the 4x100m team that smashed the 27-year-old world record on
Friday, ran the second leg to help the Americans cross the line
first.

There was to be no world record in the one-lap relay,
though, with Sanya Richards-Ross powering across the line in
three minutes, 16.87 seconds, outside the mark of 3:15.17 set by
the Soviet Union at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

"It was great running with these girls, we just did our
best," said Felix.

"I was pumped up, I was running on adrenaline tonight. It's
pretty cool. God has been so good to me, I could not do it
without him."

Dee Dee Trotter, who was part of the team that won gold in
Athens eight years ago, got the Americans off to a flying start
and was the first in the field to hand over the baton.

"We thought it was going to be really tight, but I'm so
proud of these girls, we're a great team," said Trotter.

"My job was to get us ahead of the others. We were going for
some records tonight so my goal was to go out fast."

Felix, who ran a blistering second leg to set the U.S. on
their way to gold in Beijing, extended that advantage to some 15
metres by the middle of the back straight on her lap.

Francena McCorory increased it further and with individual
400 metres champion Richards-Ross waiting for her at the end of
her lap, only a botched baton handover was going to stop the
Americans.

The transition was smooth, however, and when Richards-Ross
entered the home straight, it looked like the American women
might break records on successive evenings.

Richards-Ross, who won her fourth Olympic gold, came up just
short but was well clear of the Russians, who finished second
for silver in 3:20.23, and Jamaica who claimed bronze in
3:20.95.

"It's been phenomonal, it's been such a great experience,"
said Richards-Ross.

الموضوع الأصلي : delight as U.S. scorch to relay gold

المصدر : ملتقى الجزائريين والعرب