World Athletics Championships 2023: Rai Benjamin anchors Team USA to gold in the men's 4x400m relay; Dutch win women's relay
The USA claim their fourth relay gold in Budapest while France's silver secures their first medal of the Championships and Great Britain take bronze.
Athletics
Rai Benjamin led the USA home to a dominant victory in the men's 4x400m on the last day of action at the World Athletics Championships 2023 in Budapest on Sunday (27 August).
The US quartet of Quincy Hall, Vernon Norwood, Justin Robinson and Benjamin led from the first lap to the last, crossing the finish line in a world lead time of 2:57.31.
Silver winners France have had to wait a long time for this medal, with their first podium finish of these Championships coming in the penultimate race.
But the wait was worth it as their team of Ludvy Vaillant, Gilles Biron, David Sombe and Tee Andant overcame the challenge of Great Britain to come second in a new national record of 2:58.45. Team GB, without the injured 400m silver medallist Matthew Hudson-Smith, held on for bronze in 2:58.71.
For the USA, this was their fourth consecutive relay win of these Worlds after their victories in the mixed 4x400m on the opening day and Saturday's men's and women's 4x100m. They did not have the chance to make it five after their women's 4x400m team were DQ'd in the semi-finals.
"I felt like I wasn't moving that fast but I'm happy these guys got me in a position to bring it home," Benjamin told reporters after winning gold with his team. "It's what we talked about before. After the 400m hurdles, I wanted to come back and anchor this relay. It means a lot that the guys have faith in me and trust me. It is amazing."
Norwood, who ran the second leg, was ecstatic with the victory. "It's great to finally get a gold at these championships," he said. "I want to thank the guys for helping to make my dream come true."
The Americans started strongly in the final, with Hall claiming the lead at the end of the first lap. Norwood extended the USA's distance to 10 metres heading into the third before the gap rose to around 30m with Benjamin striding towards the line.
The Olympic 400m silver medallist closed strongly to secure another memorable victory for Team USA who end the Championships with 12 golds, eight ahead of second-placed Canada and third-placed Spain.
For France, winning silver marked an excellent ending to a Championships in which their athletes have struggled to reach great heights until today.
Vallant, who ran the first leg for the hosts of next year's Olympics, expressed just how much it meant to the team to stand on the world podium.
'We dreamed about this, we talked about this with the guys," he said. "We broke a national record and won a silver medal. That is job done. It gives us confidence for the next year, for the Olympic Games on home soil."
Femke Bol wins the Women's 4x400m relay at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023
Femke Bol completes comeback as Netherlands win gold in women's 4x400m relay
The women's 4x400m relay followed swiftly after the men's and it was as dramatic as they come.
In third place heading into the last 20 metres, the Netherlands' Femke Bol stormed past Jamaica and GB's anchors Stacey Ann Williams and Nicole Yeargin to win gold, overtaking the Jamaican in almost the exact place she fell on Day 1 when she lost out on victory while honing in on victory in the 4x400m mixed relay.
It marked a complete turnaround for the star who had been left in tears on the track after her dramatic first-day fall. She now has a second gold medal following her victory in the 400m hurdles as she completed her redemption by winning another world title alongside her teammates.
"In the last metres I said 'No, we have to take it'," the Dutch athlete, who claimed victory alongside Eveline Saalberg, Lieke Klaver and Cathelijn Peeters, told reporters after the race. "It was one of my most important runs ever, but it is the first time we became world champions so it applies for all of us. Every tenth and hundredth of a second was needed."
"To be honest, I was already happy with a bronze medal, then I realised we might win a silver," her teammate Peeters added. "And was shocked at the end with the gold."