Photo: Novlene Williams-Mills raises her hand in triumph after overtaking Francena McCorory and guiding Jamaica to gold in the women’s 4x400m at the World Championships.
Jamaica entered the final day of the 15th IAAF World Athletics Championships with six gold medals and the outside chance at finishing atop the medal tables of an international global event for the very first time. While the feat was not achieved, there was another great moment of history in the penultimate track event of the championships to mark the performance of one of the global sprinting powers in athletics.
With their only previous 4x400m title being in Edmonton way back in 2001, the Jamaican women were desperate to overcome their great nemesis in the Unites States of America, behind whom they had finished in so many World Championship and Olympic Games.
A year ago it was the quartet of Christine Day, Novlene Williams-Mills, Anastasia Le-Roy and Stephenie-Ann McPherson that secured gold at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland and today three of the four, along with new quarter mile sensation Shericka Jackson, were gunning to deny the USA once again.
Jackson replaced Le-Roy and together the new quartet produced one of the most stirring performances of the championships. Day was matched up with former World and current Olympic champion Sanya Richards-Ross on lead off and the Jamaican ran a superb opening leg to hand off to Jackson and gave Jamaica a good lead. The World Championships bronze medalist then opened the gap on the Americans as Natasha Hasting was left in her wake.
McPherson who has struggled with injuries this season was unable to hold off the charge of the World Champion, Allyson Felix, who cut a big gap to hand over first to one of the fastest women over 400m this year, Francena McCorory.
With hopes all but lost, Williams-Mills ran the relay leg of her life with an amazing split of 49.14 as she chased down McCorory before overtaking her in the final stretch. As Williams-Mills drew level with McCorory it was clear that the American had nothing left in her legs with about 50m to go. The explosion to the line by Williams-Mills, brought Jamaica their first World Championship gold medal in a world leading 3:19.13 and their first win over the USA at a major global event. The USA finished in 3:19.44 for second and Great Britain a season’s best 3:23.62 for third.
In her post-race interview an elated Williams-Mills said, “When you have the heart of a Champion you run like a champion. That’s what you do!”
The seventh gold medal will no doubt go down as ‘the moment of the games’ at a championship where Jamaica can point to so many very special moments.
The men finished fourth in the equivalent final after Martin Rooney of Great Britain just edged out Javon Francis on the line to deny Jamaica what would have been a deserved bronze medal after the 20 year old produced yet another scintillating final leg to drag Jamaica back into a race that they were long dead and dusted. Francis who ran the fastest split of 43.52 was so distraught at being denied a medal that he was unable to finish the post race interview with TVJ reporter Keyon Raynor. The USA won in 2:57.82 (WL), Trinidad and Tobago got second in 2:58.20 (NR) and Great Britain was credited with the same time as Jamaica, 2:58.51 in placing third.
Francis later posted on facebook: “Just a little disappointed that I never got to bring home a medal to show my mommy and my family and friends but I gave it my best. Thanks everybody for the support it, truly means a lot to me. Next year I’ll be back bigger and better and trying to bring that gold to Jamaica.”
When the medals were finally tallied, Jamaica stood in second place on the tables with their seven gold, two silver and three bronze. The charts were topped by the East African nation Kenya – seven gold, six silver and 3 bronze – a first in World Championships history while the USA who were relegated to third position with six gold, six silver and six bronze won the 4x400m, the final track event.
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