Photo: Shericka Williams,Christine Day and Novlene Williams-Mills celebrate their gold medal performance at the World Championships in Beijing,China. (Getty Images)
Any hope of a defeat for the so called powerhouse, the United States of America, in the women’s 4×400 metres, at the just concluded World Championships was very small, with only Jamaica being cited as the team who could overhaul them since the defending Champions from Russia was not in any great form for 2015.
For the first time, the country had four representatives in the flat event, with all four athletes, Shericka Jackson, Stephenie- Ann McPherson, Christine Day and veteran Novlene Williams- Mills, all managing to secure a berth in the final. This is feat that no other country has ever achieved. The ladies gave a good representation of themselves, with the quartet securing the individual third, fourth, fifth and six spot in the finals.
That performance shifted focus away from the pre-race favourites, the mighty Americans, to the Jamaican team, as they were now in with a great shot for the Gold. The USA managed to secure the 400m gold through Allyson Felix, was banking heavily on the world top two quarter milers prior to the world Championship, Francena McCorory and Sanya Richards- Ross to regain the title they last won in Dageu 2011. Their team was completed by another fine talent in Natasha Hastings.
The Jamaicans team was well aware of what lay ahead and with Day on lead off and Jackson on the second leg, established a 15-metre lead over the United States at half-way.
The America’s individual 400m champion, Felix, delivered an astonishing leg, a split at 47.72sec to chase down and catch McPherson and hand over the stick with a slight lead on final leg.
But Williams-Mills held her composure and brought all her experience into play as she overhauled a tiring McCorory to win Jamaica’s third relay gold medal of the Beijing championships. The clock was stopped at a world leading 3 min 19.13sec, to the United States’ 3:19.44 with Britain taking bronze in 3:23.62.
This achievement brought the nation to another high, as the medal not only brought the nation to almost championship topping performance, but it was the athlete on anchor (Williams- Mills) who has inspired a lot of persons across the sporting globe, that even within the toughest of life circumstances, one can still rise to the top.
Her post race interview response said it all “When you have the heart of a Champion you run like a champion. That’s what you do!”.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login