US team takes over medal standings on last day of world championships with 3 more golds

On last day of worlds, US comes through

BERLIN — With Usain Bolt no longer running on the final day of the championships, the United States finally took over.

With gold medals from the men’s and women’s 1,600-meter relay teams and another from Brittney Reese in the women’s long jump, the United States became the most dominant nation of the 2009 world championships.

A second gold for relay runners LaShawn Merritt, Kerron Clement, Allyson Felix and Sanya Richards finally broke the tie with Jamaica, which only added one silver Sunday.

The breakthrough came in the women’s relay, where Richards and Felix were no match for an out-of-breath Jamaican team.

“It was incredible,” Richards said. “My teammates were phenomenal.”

Merritt followed it up by anchoring the men’s team to victory.

“Championships are all about getting the medal,” the men’s 400 champion said after getting the same two golds as at the Beijing Olympics.

In the final medal standings, the United States had 10 golds and 22 overall, with Jamaica second with seven gold and 13 overall.

“We did an awesome job,” Jamaican relay runner Novlene Williams-Mills said. “It’s nice to bring Jamaica the last medal of the championships.”

Earlier, Bolt accepted his third gold, cementing him as by far the biggest star of the championships after he set stunning world records in the 100 and 200. He only had one explanation why an island nation of 2.8 million could challenge the U.S. team for so long.

“We’re determined, that’s why we’re so good,” Bolt said. “And Jamaica is wonderful.”

The United States also got a surprise individual gold from Reese in the woman’s long jump. She beat defending champion Tatyana Lebedeva of Russia with a jump of 7.10 meters. Reese’s victory came one day after American teammate Dwight Phillips won the men’s long jump.

Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia also got his double, edging defending champion Bernard Lagat in a tight 5,000 decided by the Olympic champion’s famed finishing kick.

He already won both 5,000 and 10,000 races at the Beijing Olympics and extended his reign after first containing a Kenyan challenge in mid-race before withstanding a desperate sprint finish of Lagat.

Rarely was Bekele as elated, slapping his chest with an open hand and showing a beaming smile as he made it clear that others may challenge, but not conquer.

“It was a very hard race,” Bekele said after becoming the first Ethiopian to win 5,000 world championship gold. “I’ll never forget this race.

“I never made a double in the Olympics and world championships,” Bekele added. “I’m so happy.”

So was Lagat, who was running with four stitches in a numbed up left ankle after he was spiked in qualifying.