World Championships: GB quartets both win 4x400m bronze
- Published
World Athletics Championships |
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Venue: Beijing National Stadium, China Dates: 22-30 August |
Coverage: Live on BBC TV, Red Button, Radio 5 live, online, mobiles, tablets and app. Click here for full details. |
Great Britain's women and men both won bronze in the 4x400m relays as the team ended the World Championships with a record four golds among seven medals.
Christine Ohuruogu, Annika Onuora, Eilidh Child and a strong final leg from Seren Bundy-Davies, 20, saw the women finish behind Jamaica and USA.
The men took third from Jamaica by four thousandths of a second, as USA claimed gold ahead of Trinidad and Tobago.
Martyn Rooney, who anchored the team, told BBC Sport: "I knew I had got him."
Croydon runner Rooney, who became a first-time father during these championships, was given the baton with USA and Trinidad and Tobago in front of him, but found himself down in fourth when Jamaica's Javon Francis surged past him.
However, Francis tired in the final 20 metres as Rooney snatched bronze on the line.
"It has been a special week having my first child," said Rooney.
"I did not want to go home empty handed, I wanted to bring something back to my wife to make it worthwhile. Hopefully she is proud of what I have done. I can't wait to meet him."
Earlier, the women produced a superb performance to comfortably win bronze.
Child, who was sixth in the 400m hurdles final and on the third leg, said: "I didn't have a great championship individually but to come out with these girls, they pick you up and you get another chance to get a medal."
Dibaba hopes shattered
Genzebe Dibaba's hopes of a double at these championships were blown away by Ethiopian team-mate Almaz Ayana.
Ayana made a devastating break with three laps remaining to win the women's 5,000m final in 14 minutes 26.83 seconds.
Dibaba, who won the 1500m, was also denied a silver by another countrywoman, Senbere Teferi, who caught her in the final 50 metres and pipped her on the line. The pair finished almost 18 seconds behind Ayana.
Briton Steph Twell finished 15th in 15:26.24.
Kenya's Asbel Kiprop won his third men's 1500m world title with a brilliant sprint finish. The 26-year-old produced a kick from near the back of the field with 250 metres remaining to eventually win in 3:34.40. Compatriot Elijah Manangoi claimed silver from Morocco's Abdalaati Iguider.
Great Britain's Charlie Grice, in his first major championships, finished ninth in 3:36.21.
Canada's Derek Drouin won the men's high jump following a jump-off. Drouin, China's Guowei Zhang and Ukranian Bohdan Bondarenko all failed at 2.36m in the sudden-death, but the Canadian was the only one to clear 2.34m. Zhang and Bondarenko shared silver.
Germany's Katharina Molitor denied China's Huihui Lyu with a final-round throw of 67.69m to take javelin gold. The Chinese athlete took silver with 66.13m, with Sunette Viljoen claiming bronze with 65.79m.
Dibaba wins marathon by a second
In the first event on the final day, Ethiopian Mare Dibaba won the women's marathon by one second from Kenya's Helah Kiprop after a thrilling finish.
The 25-year-old outsprinted her rival, 30, on the home straight to win in two hours, 27 minutes and 35 seconds and give Ethiopia their second gold.
Bronze went to Bahrain's Kenya-born Eunice Kirwa, 31.
Kenya's Edna Kiplagat, who won the last two World Championships marathons, came fifth, having dropped off the leading group about 2,000 metres from the finish.
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