On last day of worlds, US comes through

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BERLIN (AP)—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.

Updated Aug 24, 4:32 am EDT
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1889 Comments

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  1. Michelle
    1889. Posted by Michelle Thu Nov 12 9:32am EST

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    Usain bolt has proved to the world that good thing can come from a small island i am Jamaican and proud to be Jamaica!!!
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    1888. Posted by www.nicolascleans.com Wed Oct 7 8:21pm EDT

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  3. Malek D
    1887. Posted by Malek D Wed Sep 2 3:29pm EDT

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    Not play hating, but theres got to be some undetectable performance enhancers going around. Sorry!
  4. texans network
    1886. Posted by texans network Mon Aug 24 7:12pm EDT

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    mc hammer is back..... rip big moe ... dj screw... pimp c.... big hawk...phat pat....
  5. Dr. English
    1885. Posted by Dr. English Mon Aug 24 11:54am EDT

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    Wiil C...............why don't you become a priest? How can you sleep at night knowing that all those people are unemployed and many of them are without insurance? Why don't you take yer American Hating ass to some third world @#$%hole country and see just how bad those people live compared to the US. Other than that, go back to your job at the DNC, grab a nap and dream about french kissing your sister.
  6. will c
    1884. Posted by will c Mon Aug 24 8:20am EDT

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    "In the end..Americal always wins" - What planet are you on? Overall winners: Summer Olympics 2008 - CHINA
    Winter Olympics 2006 - GERMANY
  7. will c
    1883. Posted by will c Mon Aug 24 8:14am EDT

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    Aw gee, great we're still masters of the universe despite our lousy govt., lousy ethics, lousy economy, apathetic people, lousy legal/penal system and lousy healthcare system. Gee, but we're still number one in track and field. Yeah, like that'll feed the 9.4% unemployed, or take care of the 48 million uninsured or those who could lose their life's savings with one bout of catastrophic illness.
  8. zainal
    1882. Posted by zainal Mon Aug 24 6:11am EDT

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    Don't you think that the American athletes were on drug
  9. WOP
    1881. Posted by WOP Mon Aug 24 4:09am EDT

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    I've read all the comments here and I must interject on the point of reason. To those who immediately suspect an athlete from a different country is using drugs because they took the gold or set a new world record... know your suspicions are unfounded at best. Yes there have been those bad apples who are driven by greed or fear of losing or disappointing, but the majority of athletes at that level have made a lifetime of sacrifice to be one thing... the best. The vast majority know that one can only be the best if they truly earn it. That in itself is a deterrent to most. Besides, if you believe it so easy for Bolt to be drugged up, then you must also believe it easy for other who ran against them to be drugged up... and they STILL couldn't catch him.

    My hat is off to Bolt. He is an amazing athlete. The guy is pure lightning. He and all of Jamaica should be proud of him. I might also add that I have been to Jamaica and I found the people to be as Cool-Bug said, God Fearing Warm and Hospitable... and he forgot to mention very hard working (like Bolt).

    I must disagree with allfinerthings, however, in that the US media DOES cover T&F (quite well in fact)... it just doesn't make the ratings here. Not sure why, just doesn't. Maybe because the football uniform attracts more girls. I do agree that the term football seems inaccurate to describe the game here.... but realize the game was originally a hybrid of rugby and European football (i.e. soccer) created by immigrants from mostly European nations which accounts for the use of the term. USA is, after all, the great melting pot. I do want to express my regret that one of my own countrymen has chosen (through an obviously ignorant attitude and narrow mind) forgotten that fact. Like Tim_Day4. I am an American, born and raised, but my mother came here from Germany and my grandfather from Sicily... and before you tell ME to go back to Germany or Sicily, Tim_Day4, consider that I took a bullet for my nation during war time while protecting your freedoms, so if you have NOT... then keep your ignorant mouth shut and stop embarrassing us. Thank you MNR, you do us proud in light of that idiot.

    The fact is, all the medal winners and their respective countries should be proud. They are the best in the world.

    I must, however point out that there have been more disparaging remarks about us Americans than ANY other nation or peoples on this thread. Count them if you don't believe me. Now, I realize that we have one of the largest pools of talent to choose from and that we are more fortunate than most countries on the whole... but last time in Japan we took home 26 medals... more than the second and third place countries combined (one of which was China, that has a LOT more people then we do) and now we took home another 22. It comes from our fierce pride and unyielding drive to be the best (mostly because we were born from many displaced peoples fighting desperately to free ourselves from oppressive and tyrannical leaders to be our own country in the first place)... so give us our due also. We too have a right to be proud.

    The only athlete I can say actually SHOULD have been chastised here… and was not... was Natalia Rodriguez. It is a slap in the face of the sport that she would blatantly and purposely knock another competitor down like that. Shame on you, Natalia. How sad that Spain has to endure your blight.

    The spirit of the sport is friendly competition… let’s try not to lose sight of that.

    Peace.
  10. Kenneth D
    1880. Posted by Kenneth D Mon Aug 24 2:43am EDT

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    Hey guys at Yahoo Sports - you keep saying that this is the "olymlpic", this is the World Games!
    ken ☺
  11. Mark W
    1879. Posted by Mark W Mon Aug 24 1:41am EDT

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    calibimmer,

    100% agree!! with Bolt now being head and shoulder above the rest. it is more likely that others will have to try enhancing their performance by drugs just to catch up the pace with Bolt.

    Tim Montgomery and then Justin Gatlin, who's next?
  12. Cool-Bug
    1878. Posted by Cool-Bug Mon Aug 24 12:24am EDT

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    tony w; I must say that you are a lair and speaking of Racist, you are the one that is Racist.. For you to write that Jamaican are more racist than some American show how ignorant and stupid you are, My question to you is where in Jamaica did U live? For you to sit there are write that all Jamaican want to marry Americans and Europeans to migrate is RUBBISH.. How dare U say that we are all poor.

    What about the people living in and below the poverty level in his country, what about the millions of homeless people living in this country; eg; those living in Drug Infested Projects; or Trailer Park!! Please egt your fact strightl i am from Jamaica, and i lived and worked in Manhattan for more than 6-years, I was trailed and watched by store employees whenever i walked into most stores operated by Caucasiansl is that not Racism. Or is it because AMERICAN BLACK ARE MOSTLY CRIMINALS SO WHEN STORE OR BUSINESS OPERATORS SEE A PERSON OF COLOR ENTERS THEIR BUSINESS PLACES THEY ARE WATCHED UNTIL THEY LEAVE IS THAT NOT RACISM OR American Blacks are theives abd need to be monitored..

    Please keep your ignorance to yourself,, why do so much peolpe visit Jamaica each, as Touriists, Spring Breakers, it is because we are a Island of God Fearing Warm and Hospitable People..

    Please tony keep your lies and ignorance to yourself.. Racist Bastard!!
  13. calibimmer
    1877. Posted by calibimmer Sun Aug 23 6:34pm EDT

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    Someone will test positive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Never be amazed what these people will do to win
  14. <i>rosemaryspecanpralines</i>
    1876. Posted by rosemaryspecanpralines Sun Aug 23 6:29pm EDT

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    All of the commentary about who is superior, who does or doesn't use drugs, the US superiority etc. is in consequential. There will always be winners and losers. I don't agree with the IAAF or any other athletic organization interpreted rules as they see fit. If there is a disparity, then this needs to be reviewed with the relevant parties and the governing bodies. No need for name calling and accusations. If there is evidence of cheating, foul play, bribery etc. then a formal investigation will bring these events to light.

    Congratulations to all of the winners and losers at the world championship...

    I do have a query for the people at Yahoo! though... the winner of the women's long jump was Brittney Reese from the US, but the first image in a series of 100+ photos from the photo gallery attached to the article is that of one of the women's long jumpers from Brazil...am I missing something? I thought featured photos are typically of the people that actually won the event...maybe she was exceptionally cute and someone thought that this is the reason she should be featured...someone explain this oversight to me....
  15. <i>curtvanb</i>
    1875. Posted by curtvanb Sun Aug 23 6:13pm EDT

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    We need a whole new men and womens 400m relay teams!
  16. J
    1874. Posted by J Sun Aug 23 5:17pm EDT

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    It was a great event; I watched much of it on TV. Usain Bolt is simply amazing. Great job all around!
  17. Mike S
    1873. Posted by Mike S Sun Aug 23 5:06pm EDT

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    great job by the American athletes (and the other competitors as well). Way to make us proud. Keep working hard.
  18. Master G
    1872. Posted by Master G Sun Aug 23 4:50pm EDT

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    To poster #1861.

    We don't know if Bolt is clean because Jamaica doesn't have an independent, reliable drug testing organization. The tests that Bolt has passed at competitions mean very little because the steroid and HGH use occurs in the fall and winter training when it can really effect great improvement in performance. The advantage one gains is faster recovery from intense workouts. When he is tested consistently out of season that will put an end to all the innuendo ... for most any way. There will still be doubters.
  19. <i>ha128@...</i>
    1871. Posted by ha128@... Sun Aug 23 4:33pm EDT

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    "Judge not and be ye not Judged." These athletes have done their best to represent their country and should be lauded for it .Those who are on the sidelines making snide comments are the ones who are unable to acheive anything and are thereby judging others by their own shortcomings.Congratulations to all the medal winners, regardless of which Country they are from.
  20. <i>allfinerthings</i>
    1870. Posted by allfinerthings Sun Aug 23 4:21pm EDT

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    Federoy, if you knew how it was done and what was said, you would know that it was only suggested to save face. As for popularity of the sport, the IAAF World Championships is the 3 largest sporting event in the world...only surpassed by the Olympics and World Cup. The only place that track and field's popularity is not being recognized is in the US.

    Since T&F is prominently featured in the Olympics and are the only events (obviously) featured in the World Championships, 2 of the largest sporting events on the planet, all the US media has to do is actually cover the events. There is no need to orchestrate a hyped-up rivalry between these 2 countries

    I am also all for competition. But that's what these events are for. As a track fan yourself, you know how many meets there are every year. Dozens. Why do they need to add even more when the US barely supports and the media barely covers the current events. Why not just hype the events already scheduled? The whole thing is just ridiculous, and is fueling the animosity already so prevalent on these boards between the 2 countries.
  21. Aimery
    1869. Posted by Aimery Sun Aug 23 4:08pm EDT

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    I cannot beleive my eyes with all the negatives and expletives that are being posted here. Isn't better to praise Blacks athletes as a whole rather than engage in sordid regionalism? Now it is the time of "lightning Bolt".Give to the man the respect that he he deserves.
  22. Chris T
    1868. Posted by Chris T Sun Aug 23 3:57pm EDT

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    Yawn....
  23. <i>tim_day4</i>
    1867. Posted by tim_day4 Sun Aug 23 3:55pm EDT

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    I don't know what that one person was trying to say but the world does revolve around the United States thats why idiots r floating on rafts just to get her, and if ur other countries are so great then stop wasting our air and go back to them.
  24. happy1
    1866. Posted by happy1 Sun Aug 23 3:50pm EDT

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    I really don't care! Most Americans only care about Football,Baseball and Basketball.
  25. MNR
    1865. Posted by MNR Sun Aug 23 3:47pm EDT

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    All this hate over sporting events that should be about the individual athletes, in general. For those of you who clearly have hate in their heart, I have nothing but pity for you. You're right. The world does not evolve around the U.S. yet your entries are likely spawned by a select few Americans. Do think every U.S. citizen thinks that way? Do you really believe every American out there has not experienced other cultures or have never traveled outside the U.S.? No we do not. As an athlete, a woman, a daughter of an immigrant, I am an American who elects to encourage rather than hurt an individual trying to succeed in life. You might want to try that path for a change.
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