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WORLD RELAYS GALLERY

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

There is nothing like being better prepared.

After winning the initial event last year, the United States of America successfully defended their title by accumulating a total of 63 points to outdistance arch-rivals Jamaica to clinch the Golden Baton for the second consecutive year as the curtains came down on the IAAF/BTC World Relays Bahamas 2015 last night at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium. They collected their award from IAAF president Lamine Diack as the celebrations got underway.

Jamaica had 46 points for second place and Poland came in third with 34. Host Bahamas ended up in 10th place. “We had an up and down weekend, but it was a fantastic performance,” said Dennis Mitchell, one of the coaches for the United States. “Overall, we had a great team effort. We couldn’t ask for anything more.”

When compared to their performances last year, Mitchell admitted that their athletes were much hungrier to compete this year and it showed as they almost finished with a clean sweep of all of the titles.

“This one we had a lot more participation from the athletes, so we were a lot more prepared than last year,” Mitchell said.

The Americans lost the men’s 4 x 200 metres to Jamaica, who didn’t run Usain Bolt, and they were beaten by Jamaica in the women’s 4 x 100 as their bid to sweep all of the events was ruined.

The Americans, however, got back on track by closing out the two-day meet, repeating as the men’s 4 x 400 champion as LaShawn Merritt held off Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown on the anchor leg. The Americans, with the return of Jeremy Wariner to international competition, finished in a world-leading time of 2:58.43, while the Bahamas inserted Brown and rookie Steven Gardiner to replace Demetrius Pinder and Alonzo Russell from the heats, to join Ramon Miller and Michael Mathieu for the silver in a season’s best of 2:58.91. Belgium, with the Borlee twins (Johnathan and Kevin), got the bronze in a national record of 2:59.33.

After opening a 10-point lead at the end of the first day Saturday night, the Americans painted the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium red and white Sunday night as they put the finishing touches on the successful defence of their Golden Baton championship title.

They opened the night by running their first championship record in the women’s 4 x 800 metres in a time of eight minutes and 00.62 seconds ahead of Poland, who did a season’s best of 8:11.36 for a national record with the team of Chanelle Price, Maggie Vessey, Molly Beckwith-Ludlow and Alysia Johnson-Montano. Australia got the bronze in a season’s best of 8:13.97.

Another championship record came from the women’s 4 x 400m team of Phyllis Francis, Natasha Hastings, Sanya Richards-Ross and Francena McCorory.

But just like they did in the distance medley, the American men’s distance medley posted another world record as the team of Kyle Merber, Brycen Spratling, Brandon Johnson and Ben Blankenship left the Kenyans behind, clocking 9:15.50 to shatter the old mark of 9:15.56 set in Philadelphia (2006). They too not only took home the $50,000 first place prize, but also got to share a bonus $50,000 for the record.

The Bahamas got some more consolation when the men’s 4 x 200m team of Deneko Brown, Andretti Bain, Alfred Higgs and Blake Bartlett advanced to the final by winning their heat in 1:22.86 after Kenya and Papua New Guinea were both disqualified. The same team competed in the final, running a little slower in 1:22.91 for fifth place as Jamaica took the gold in 1:20.97 with Warren Weir on anchor.

And Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie anchored the youthful women’s 4 x 100m team of V’Alonee Robinson, Tayla Carter and Brianne Bethel to second in a photo finish in 44.14 with Ecuador in the B final. Jamaica took the A final in a world-leading time of 42.14 with Veronica Campbell-Brown on anchor. The Americans, anchored by Carmelita Jeter, got the silver in 42.32. The bronze went to Great Britain in 42.84.

As the curtains came down on this year’s successful event, the Bahamas will now prepare for the hosting of the 3rd version of the World Relays in 2017.