GREENE AND JOHNSON ANCHOR GOLDS
Maurice Greene crosses the line in emphatic style in the men's 4x100m final. Picture: Russell Boyce/Reuters
|
There was success for the US, disappointment for Britain and another couple of medals for Marion Jones as the four relay races brought the Sydney track events to a close.
The American sprinters had no trouble in the final of the 4x100m, cruising to victory to give 100m champion Maurice Greene his second gold medal of the games.
Greene anchored the American quartet to a time of 37.61sec, the fastest time this
year, beating Brazil (37.90) and Cuba (38.04).
It was the 15th time that the United States have won the
event. They have only been beaten across the finish line once
- by Canada in Atlanta four years ago. Their two other defeats came through disqualifications.
Greene received the baton level
with the Brazilians but pulled away in the final leg. He won the 100m, 200m and the 4x100m gold at
the world championships last year but was deprived of a chance
to match that feat in Sydney when he was injured in the US
trials and failed to qualify for the 200m.
In the 4x400m an American team boasting Michael Johnson also secured an easy victory while Britain could only muster sixth place. Alvin Harrison, Antonio Pettigrew, Calvin Harrison and Johnson made up the US team, and they cruised round in 2:56.35. Britain's Jared Deacon, Daniel Caines, Iwan Thomas, Jamie Baulch were much further back in 3:03.22. Nigeria took second place with Jamaica third.
Debbie Ferguson, of the Bahamas, with Marion Jones in the background, raises her arms as she crosses the finish line in the 4x100m final in a team time of 41.95sec. Picture: Ruben Sprich/ Reuters
|
Marion Jones had a mixed final day, claiming two more medals in the relays, winning gold in the 4x400m but missing out on first place in the 4x100m.
As with the long jump, Jones could win only bronze in the sprint relay after the US team suffered a couple of poor change-overs that pushed them into third place behind the Bahamas. She still has two gold medals after success in the individual sprints, but Jones dreams of five golds at one Games will have to wait another four years.
The Bahamas dominated the relay from the start, and their team of Sevatheda Fynes, Chandra Sturrup, Pauline Davis-Thompson and Debbie Ferguson finished in 41.95sec. In second place came another Caribbean nation, Jamaica, with a team anchored by Merlene Ottey. Jones had the final run for the US, but by the time she had the baton she had too much ground to make up.
The second handover between Torri Edwards and Nanceen Perry spelled
disaster for Jones. Perry set off far to soon and Edwards was nearly left with
nobody to hand over the baton to.
"Wait, wait," she screamed as Perry shot off down the track. Perry eased up
but the damage had been done.
Pauline Davis-Thompson of the Bahamas, running her last race, was thrilled
to go out with gold. "The Americans never respect us. Marion Jones was in their team and we beat
them. Now they will have to show us some respect," she enthused.
The 4x400m was another matter altogether, as the US team led from start to finish with Jones producing an exceptional third leg to give the Americans an unassailable lead. The US team of, Jearl Miles-Clark, Monique Hennagan, Jones and La Tasha Colander-Richardson, finished in 3min 22.62sec with Jamaica in silver and Russia in bronze. Britain's team crumbled amid the expectation, never recovering from Natasha Danvers disastrous first leg which left Britain in last place. Donna Fraser, Allison Curbishley and Katharine Merry clawed back into sixth place but they still finished well behind the medal places.
PETER WATTS
Sunday Times
