NERVES REACH US TEAM

Usain Bolt won his third gold medal of the World Championship as Jamaica swept both 4x100m relays in another display of dominant sprinting at the Bird’s Nest stadium here yesterday.

Bolt, who now has a record 11 gold, helping Jamaica to a table-high 13 World Championships medals, helped his team recover from two poor exchanges to win in 37.36 seconds.

The Americans, who led briefly, once again botched their final exchange between Tyson Gay and Mike Rodgers and were later disqualified after finishing second.

While Jamaica were winning a remarkable fourth-consecutive 4x100m title, it was the fourth time in the last six championships that the Americans failed to finish or were disqualified.

The Jamaican quartet of Nesta Carter, Asafa Powell, Nickel Ashmeade and Bolt all agreed in Jamaican parlance that “pressure buss pipe”.

“We know the key thing is to get the baton around, and because the US know that we always have the best team, they tend to panic and pressure gets to them sometimes,” explained Bolt.

Carter, who said the girls’ victory in the 4x100m earlier had given him a lift, ran a decent start leg, matching strides with young Trayvon Tromell of the US before making a sloppy handover to Powell.

“I was counting back with Usain and we have been winning relays from 2004. The USA had been doing a lot of talking since they won in Bahamas, but the pressure was on them and they seemed serious and tense, but we were just having fun,” said Carter.

With the exchange between Carter and Powell not being the best, Gatlin was in full flight. Powell dug deep and appeared to have reduced the deficit, but then bumped into Ashmeade.

“The changes were horrible between me and Nesta and between me and Ashmeade, but we got the stick around,” said Powell.

“I ran a great back stretch and I am happy with how I ran, and to get the gold medal is what we came here for and we did just so,” he added.

“They wanted someone who could handle Justin, and they choose me and I am happy for that,” Powell revealed.

Ashmeade, who got the baton slightly behind but ran a great curve against his good friend Gay, sent Bolt on his way to victory.

“I knew I could catch him, and I reeled him in and that’s what counts. I just focused on my leg, my lane, and just gave the big man the baton, and that’s it,” said Ashmeade.

The Justin Gatlin-led Americans had threatened that they would break Jamaica’s dominance. Once the gun went, the noise level reached a deafening crescendo in anticipation of the clash between two giants.

But it was sweet revenge for Jamaica, who lost to the Americans at the World Relays in The Bahamas earlier this year.

“I wasn’t worried because the whole team at the World Relays was not in good shape… we were struggling through the early part of the season and I knew coming to the Championship we would be ready to run,” said Bolt.