Gay completes golden triple as Americans win 100m. relays

Dinesh Weerawansa reporting from Japan

Athletics: OSAKA, Sep.1 - The USA men's 4 x 100m relay team bagged the gold with this year's world's leading timing of 37.78 seconds as sprinter Tyson Gay completed a golden triple on the penultimate day of the 11th IAAF World Championships at Nagai Stadium today.

Gay, who won the men's 100m and 200m gold medals, did the third lap as Leroy Dixon anchored the Americans for an easy win. The Jamaican team clocked a new national mark of 37.89 but that was good enough for the silver, followed by Great Britain (37.90).

The USA also won the women's 4 x 100m relay with yet another scintillating performance - this year's world's leading timing of 41.98 seconds. Here too, the Jamaican women finished second for the silver in 42.01, a season's best. Belgium won the bronze in 42.75.

Ethiopian Meseret Defar beat the Kenyan tri-challenge as he returned a timing of 14 minutes, 57.91 seconds to win women's 5,000m final.

He was followed by Kenyans Vivian Cheruiyot, Priscah Jepleting Cherono and Sylvia Jebiwott Kibet. American Brad Walker improved on his Helsinki 2005 silver medal to emerge men's pole vault champion. He had a leap of 5.86m. Rmain Mesnil of France won the silver, followed by German Danny Ecker.

Commonwealth Games double gold medallist Nathan Deakes came out with a season's best timing of three hours, 43 minutes and 53 seconds to win men's 50km race walk worked off last morning.

The Australian, who finished first in his pet event at the last two Commonwealth Games, was at his brilliant best as he emerged easy winner.

Coming second for the silver was Yohan Diniz of France, a season's best 3:44.22, followed by Italian Alex Schwazer.