On paper, Jamaica’s women’s 4x100m team looked unbeatable. The US squad shredded those predictions, using better teamwork to win the gold medal at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22.
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Similarly, the Canadian team claimed an upset in the men's 4x100m on Saturday (23), as Andre De Grasse anchored the quartet to gold ahead of USA.
On a day of 4x100m surprises, there was also a second world javelin title for Anderson Peters, Pedro Pichardo added world gold to his Olympic triple jump title, Gudaf Tsegay took the 5000m title and Emmanuel Korir kicked to 800m victory.
In the women’s 4x100m final, as Twanisha Terry held off a hard-charging Shericka Jackson on the home stretch, the crowd at Hayward Field produced the loudest roar in nine days of competition.
“It was not expected of us today and I am glad we pulled it through,” said Melissa Jefferson, who ran the first leg for USA.
She added that she and her teammates “have a lot of confidence in ourselves and I knew we would show the world what we are capable of.”
The US team ran a world-leading 41.14, the second-fastest ever at a World Championships, with Jamaica clocking 41.18. They reversed positions from the Tokyo Olympics, where Jamaica claimed the gold and the US won the silver
“The race was electrifying,” said Terry. “You heard the stadium. The stadium went crazy. We just brought it home.”
