Jamaica close out World Indoors with 4x4 bronze

JAMAICA picked up its fourth medal on Sunday's third and final day at the World Indoor Athletics Championships at the Kujawsko-ormorska Arena in Torun, Poland, with a bronze medal in the men's 4x400m relay.

The team of Raheem Hayles, Delano Kennedy, Tyrice Taylor and Kimar Farquharson on anchor staved off the late challenge from the Netherlands's Tony Van Diepen to finish third in 3:05.99 for the bronze. The United States won the event in a championship record 3:01.52, with Belgium second in a season best 3:03.29.

Jamaica ended the championships with two silver and two bronze to finish 18th overall on the medals table. The United States came out on top with 18 medals - five gold seven silver and six bronze. Great Britain, with four gold medals, ended second, while Italy, with three gold and two silver for five medals, closed out the top three.

Five Jamaicans were involved in individual action on yesterday's final day of competition, with female long jumper Nia Robinson the first in action. Robinson ended fifth in the event with 6 75 metres.

FIELD EVENTS

Two other Jamaicans were involved in field events. In the men's long jump, Tajay Gayle was seventh with 8.12m and Carey McLeod ninth with 7.98m. Gerson Blade of Portugal won the event with a world leading 8 46m, relegating defending champion Mattia Furlani of Italy into second with a personal best 8.39m, as Bozhidar Saraboyukov of Belgium ended third with 8.31m.

Megan Simmonds and Oneika Wilson were the other Jamaicans in action. Both competed in the women's 60m hurdles. Wilson failed to advance from the semi-final round after finishing seventh in her heat in 8.12 seconds.

Simmonds, with a brilliant start in her semi-finals, clocked a personal best 7. 82 seconds for a second-place finish in advancing to the finals. She reproduced that time in the finals, but had to settle for fifth.

The Bahamas' Devyyne Charlton created history by becoming the first female to win the title three times in a row and in the process equalled her world record of 7.65 seconds.

Nadine Visser of the Netherlands finished second in a personal best and national record 7.75. It was also a personal best for Pia Skrzyszowska of Poland, who clocked 7.82 for third and the bronze.