Allyson Felix caps Worlds with gold in relay
LONDON — Allyson Felix earned a second gold medal Sunday and highlighted the overwhelming performance of the United States at the 10day world championships.
In doing so, Felix made sure she became the most decorated athlete in the history of the event — and that includes Usain Bolt.
Felix won gold in the 4x400-meter relay a day after winning the same color medal in the 4x100 relay. She also earned a bronze medal in the 400-meter race to give her 16 in her career. Bolt finished his career with 14.
“It’s an honor to run in the relay for Team USA,” said Felix, who won her first medals at the 2005 worlds in Helsinki.
In a world championship of upsets right up to the last event, Trinidad and Tobago beat the United States in the men’s 4x400, producing only a little dent in an all-powerful performance.
The Americans finished with 30 medals, 10 of them gold. That was only one short of the overall record held by East Germany.
Bolt, however, will leave London without a gold medal. Running at his last major championship this week, the Jamaican got a royal farewell from the 60,000 fans at the Olympic Stadium on Sunday as they cheered his famed “To the World” pose.
“It was brilliant,” said Bolt, who pulled up in his last race as he was running anchor in the 4x100 relay. “Everything happens for a reason.”
Kenya was the only other team to break into double figures with 11 medals overall.
The African nation got two more gold on the final day with Hellen Obiri winning the 5,000 and Elijah Manangoi leading a 1-2 Kenyan finish in the men’s 1,500.
Bolt gave Jamaica gold medals and chutzpah for a decade, but his farewell produced only a bronze in the 100 meters. Jamaica slumped to four medals this year, compared to 12 only two years ago.
The world championships also got its only world record on Sunday, and it was in the only new event — the women’s 50-kilometer walk.
Ines Henriques of Portugal bettered her own mark by finishing in 4 hours, 5 minutes, 56 seconds on the two kilometer loop in central London. Only seven women started the race and only four finished.
On the track, the most overwhelming performance came from the U.S. women. They won the 4x400 relay by about 50 meters. Britain took silver and Poland got bronze.
Besides Felix, 400 champion Phyllis Francis also won a second gold medal.
Mutaz Essa Barshim won the world high jump title by clearing 2.35 meters (7 feet, 8½ inches) without a miss. The Qatari will get a chance to defend his title at home in 2019 when the world championships are in Doha.
Two-time Olympic champion Sandra Perkovic won the discus with a throw of 70.31 meters (230 feet, 3¾ inches), well ahead of silver medalist Dani Stevens of Australia. She set a continental record with a throw of 69.64 meters (228-5¾).
Caster Semenya won her third world title in the 800 meters, using her finishing kick to sweep past the competition in the finishing straight and win with ease over Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi. She gave South Africa its third gold of the championships.