Felix passes Bolt in record book
Winning women’s relay helps Americans finish one medal shy of tying all-time mark
LONDON— Allyson Felix earned a second gold medal on Sunday and highlighted the overwhelming performance of the United States at the 10-day world championships.
In doing so, Felix made sure she became the most decorated athlete in the history of the event — and that includes the retiring Usain Bolt.
Felix won gold in the 4x400-metre relay a day after winning the same colour medal in the 4x100 relay. She also earned a bronze medal in the 400-metre race to give her 16 in her career. Bolt finished with 14.
“It’s an honour 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.
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.
Jamaica slumped to four medals, 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-kilometre walk.
Ines Henriques of Portugal bettered her own mark by finishing in four hours, five minutes, 56 seconds on the two-kilometre 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 metres. 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 metres without a miss. The Qatari will get a chance to defend his title at home in 2019 when the world championships are in Doha. Derek Drouin of Corunna, Ont., also the Olympic champion, was not able to defend his title due to an Achilles tendon injury.
Two-time Olympic champion Sandra Perkovic won the discus with a throw of 70.31 metres.
Caster Semenya won her third world title in the 800 metres. She gave South Africa its third gold of the championships.