SYDNEY McLaughlin-Levrone secured her second gold medal at the World Athletics Championships by leading the United States to victory in the women’s 4x400 metres relay.
The double Olympic 400m hurdles champion produced a blistering anchor leg of 47.82 seconds to complete a dominant performance for the American quartet.
Their winning time of 3 minutes 16.61 seconds broke the championship record set by the United States in Stuttgart back in 1993 by 0.10 seconds.
Jamaica claimed the silver medal with a time of 3 minutes 19.25 seconds, while the Netherlands took bronze in 3 minutes 20.18 seconds.
Dutch anchor Femke Bol, who had earlier retained her 400m hurdles title, could not catch McLaughlin-Levrone despite her renowned finishing speed.
McLaughlin-Levrone described her final lap as a victory lap and praised her teammates for their collective effort in securing both the gold and a new championship record.
Botswana delivered a stunning upset in the men’s 4x400m relay, pipping the United States to gold in the final metres.
World 400m champion Busang Collen Kebinatshipi produced a remarkable anchor leg to overtake American Rai Benjamin and secure victory in 2 minutes 57.76 seconds.
The United States finished just 0.07 seconds behind to take silver, with South Africa earning bronze thanks to a strong third leg from world record holder Wayde van Niekerk.
Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo expressed his joy at winning relay gold after his disappointment in the individual sprints at these championships. – AFP
