Bolt leads Jamaica to another world record

Jamaica won the men’s Olympic 4x100m relay on Saturday in a new world record of 36.84sec.

The quartet of Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Yohan Blake and Usain Bolt beat their previous record of 37.04sec set in the 2011 world championship in Daegu.

The United States claimed silver in a national record of 37.04sec, with Trinidad and Tobago taking bronze in 38.12sec.

Canada, which were first declared second runner up, were disqualified.

With Jamaica’s stunning victory, Usain Bolt has cemented his place in Olympic folklore by claiming a second three-gold medal haul in successive Games.

It was the perfect send-off to a track and field programme at the Olympic Stadium dominated by Bolt, who became the first athlete in history to successfully defend his Olympic 100 and 200m titles earlier this week.

His part in the podium-topping relay team means he has now replicated his treble gold showing in the Beijing Games in 2008.

in the 400 metres relay for women, Sprinting powerhouse the United States won their fifth straight gold medal, destroying the field to win by more than three seconds.

The strong US team, including individual 400m champion Sanya Richards-Ross and 200m winner Allyson Felix, won in 3min 16.87sec. Russia took silver in 3:20.23 with Jamaica (3:20.95) winning bronze.

Just a day after breaking the long-standing world record in the women’s 4x100m relay, the US team seized the race by the scruff of the neck from the start.

Felix, running the second leg, opened up a gaping lead and by the time Richards-Ross took the baton on the anchor leg, the Americans were virtually home and dry barring a disaster.

“It was great running with these girls, we just did our best,” said Felix.

“I was pumped up, I was running on adreneline tonight. It’s pretty cool.”

Richards-Ross added: “It’s been phenomonal, it’s been such a great experience.”

Russia’s Tatyana Firova said: “We talked about winning silver, we wanted the gold, but USA are too strong and it wasn’t possible to win. They are a very strong team.”

It means a third gold medal of the Games for the versatile 26-year-old Felix, who is concentrating on the 100m and 200m this season after last year winning silver in the individual 400m at the world championships.

The 4x100m quartet, including Felix, on Friday sliced more than half a second off the 27-year-old record of 41.37sec set by the former East Germany in 1985, four years before the Berlin Wall fell.

It was a miserable night for Nigeria’s female team, as they were disqualified, though they ended the race in the seventh position.