Sweet 16 for Felix as US win 4x400m relay
Allyson Felix won her 16th world career medal, producing a blistering run to help the United States to gold in the 4x400m relay.
Felix ran an outstanding second lap, clocked at a startling 48.7sec, as the quartet, also comprising Quanera Hayes, Shakima Wimbley and newly-crowned 400m champion Phyllis Francis, timed 3min 19.02.
Britain, in 3:25.00, held off Poland (3:25.41) for silver. Felix’s gold in the shorter relay on Saturday saw her overtake Jamaicans Merlene Ottey and Usain Bolt as the record world medal holder. The 31-year-old also won a bronze in the 400m and of her 16 world medals, 11 have been gold, while nine in total were won as part of the US relay team and seven individually.
Felix has also bagged an incredible nine Olympic medals including six gold.
TRINIDAD BEAT USA
Trinidad and Tobago denied US a seventh successive world 4x400m relay title when Lalonde Gordon overhauled Fred Kerley on the final straight to win a breathtaking final. The US led for most of the race and appeared to be on course for another win after Michael Cherry ran a strong third lap to extend their lead before handing the baton to Kerley. But Gordon gave chase and ran a superb final lap for the Caribbean islands. Trinidad’s time of 2:58.12 was the fastest this year.
SEMENYA 800M CHAMP
Caster Semenya claimed another global title when she won the world 800m gold and after surging clear to record one minute 55.16 seconds she said she now has an eye on the world record. Semenya is the 2016 Olympic and 2009 world champion and is poised to gain two more gold after Russian doper Mariya Savinova-Farnosova was stripped of her 2012 Olympic and 2011 world titles.