US retain women’s 4×400 metres relay title at World Championships

EUGENE, Ore., July 24 (Reuters) – The United States collected their third successive women’s 4×400 metres relay World Championships title in dominant fashion on Sunday, finishing well clear in 3:17.79ahead of Jamaica and Britain.

Talitha Diggs got the Americans off to a solid start and Abby Steiner kept ahead of Jamaican Janieve Russell in the second leg a day after helping the United States win gold in the sprint relay.

They maintained the lead through a series of clean changeovers before anchor Sydney McLaughlin, who shattered the 400m hurdles world record on Friday, brought it home for gold with a remarkable 47.91 final leg.

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“I just wanted to give my team everything I had,” said Diggs. “It felt amazing.”

Jamaica, who took bronze in Doha, finished far behind the United States in 3:20.74, while Britain crossed the line in 3:22.64.

Allyson Felix, the most decorated woman in track, did not run in the final but earned a 20th World Championships medal after making a surprise return for the United States in the preliminary round. read more

Earlier in the meet, Felix helped the United States to bronze in the mixed relay in what had been billed as her final World Championships race before she retires this year.

The women’s relay was featured as the final track event instead of the men’s race for the first time in Eugene, where the United States finished top of the medal table with 13 golds and a World Championships record 33 total medals.

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Reporting by Amy Tennery in Eugene, Oregon, additional reporting by Gene Cherry; Editing by Peter Rutherford

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