体坛英语资讯：Bolt wins third gold as Jamaica bags both 4x100m relays

Usain Bolt won his third gold medal but failed to break a third world record when Jamaica stormed to the men's 4x100 meters relay title at the World Athletics Championships here on Saturday. Bolt, who smashed the 100m and 200m world records with jaw-dropping times of 9.58 and 19.19 seconds, ran the third leg before passing the baton to former world-record holder Asafa Powell, who anchored the race in 37.31 seconds.

The time was a championship record but a far cry from the world mark of 37.10 they set at the Beijing Olympics last year.

Bolt thus became the first man in history to hold three Olympic and world titles of 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay at the same time.

"Winning three gold medals in Berlin is wonderful," Bolt said. "I am proud of myself."

He said jokingly that it is his fault not to set a third world record. "Well, it is a little bit my fault. I was a little tired."

Trinidad and Tobago took silver in 37.62 seconds and Britain was third in 38.02.

The Jamaican women recaptured the world crown they last won in Tokyo 1991. Led by newly-crowned 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser, they cruised to victory in 42.06 seconds.

Fraser, the Olympic champion, ran the second leg and bagged her second title. Bahamas took silver in 42.29 and Germany third in 42.87.

Poland's Anita Wlodarczyk became the second athlete after Bolt to break a world record. She bettered the women's hammer throw mark with a toss of 77.96 meters en route to the title.

The 24-year-old, who finished fourth in the Beijing Olympics, achieved the result in her second attempt, improving on the previous world mark of 77.80 meters set by Russia's Tatyana Lysenko on Aug. 15, 2006.

Defending champion Betty Heidler of Germany took the silver with 77.12 meters and Slovakia's Martina Hrasnova was third with 74.79.

Kenya collected two gold medals and two silvers on the day as they took 1-2 in the men's marathon and women's 5,000m. Ethiopians finished third in both events.

Abel Kirui clocked a championship record of two hours six minutes and 54 seconds around the course in central Berlin, ahead of compatriot Emmanuel Mutai in 2.07:48. Ethiopia's Olympic bronze medallist Tsegay Kebede finished third in 2.08:35.

It was only the second marathon victory after Vienna last year for the 27-year-old Kirui who finished second behind Haile Gebrselassie during the Ethiopian's then-world record run in the 2007 Berlin Marathon.

"Berlin is my city. I love Berlin and enjoyed running here. When I came to Berlin I felt so confident," Cheruiyot said.

Vivian Cheruiyot and Sylvia Jebiwott Kibet finished 1-2 in the women's 5,000 meters, outsprinting defending champion Meseret Defar of Ethiopia at the line.

Cheruiyot, silver medalist two years ago in Osaka, clocked 14 minutes 57.97 seconds. Kibet, who finished fourth in Beijing Olympics, took silver in 14:58.33 and Defar settled for bronze in 14:58.41.

Defar, who led down the straight, also missed a medal in the last moment in the 10,000 meters final. She was the 2004 Olympic champion in 5,000m and finished third in Beijing.

Olympic champion Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia skipped the Berlin tournament due to injury.

Dwight Phillips of the United States claimed his third world title in the men's long jump. The 31-year-old, who won at the 2003and 2005 worlds, had a jump of 8.54 meters on his second attempt.

Godfrey Khotso Mokoena of South Africa took silver at 8.47 and Mitchell Watt of Australia won bronze at 8.37.

Olympic and defending world champion Irving Saladino of Panama scratched on his first three attempts and was eliminated.

In the men's pole vault final, Olympic champion Steven Hooker of Australia, the second highest vaulter in history with a personal best of 6.06 meters, added the world title to his Beijing crown by clearing 5.90m.

The 27-year-old sat out the early rounds and only came in at 5.85m which he failed to clear.

But he opted to raise the bar and nailed 5.90m at his first attempt which was enough to give him the gold medal. Frenchmen Romain Mesnil claimed the silver at 5.85 and Renaud Lavillenie took bronze at 5.80.

With one day to go, the United States tops the medal tally with seven golds, five silvers and five bronzes. Jamaica is second with 7-3-2 and Kenya is third with 4-4-2. A total of 17 countries have won gold medals and China won one silver and two bronzes.