Shericka Jackson anchors the Jamaican squad to the women's 4x100m relay title at the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019 (© Getty Images)
Individual 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce added yet another gold medal to her collection by helping Jamaica to victory in the women’s 4x100m.
Their team had been hit by the withdrawal of double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson, who withdrew from the championships before the 200m got under way. It meant they had to draft in 400m specialist Shericka Jackson, who had taken bronze in her specialist event two days prior.
Nevertheless, they proved unbeatable and won comfortably in 41.44, holding off Great Britain & Northern Ireland (41.85) and USA (42.10).
Natalliah Whyte got the team off to a strong start and was level with Britain’s Asha Philip and USA’s Dezerea Bryant at the first exchange. Each of the big three teams had put their strongest runner on the second leg and Fraser-Pryce put Jamaica into the lead at the half-way point, edging ahead of 200m winner Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain and US 100m champion Teahna Daniels.
Jamaica’s 100m finalist Jonielle Smith ran a storming bend to extend her team’s lead before handing over to Jackson on anchor. The 25-year-old, who clocked a windy 11.03 for 100m earlier this year, received the baton with a clear lead and, if anything, extended it down the home straight, crossing the line in 41.44, the eighth fastest performance in history.
Britain’s Daryll Neita took the baton from Ashleigh Nelson and ran a strong final leg to secure silver in 41.85, their country’s third-fastest performance ever. USA’s Morolake Akinosun passed to anchor Kiara Parker, who brought them home in 42.10 to finish third – the first time in a decade that they had finished outside of the top two in the 4x100m at the World Championships.
Switzerland finished just 0.08 adrift of the USA to place fourth in a national record of 42.18, their highest placing in any relay event at the World Championships. The German quartet was some way off their world-leading form and finished fifth in 42.48. Trinidad and Tobago was sixth and Italy seventh.
“This success did not come without hardship and pain and sacrifices,” said Fraser-Pryce. “There are so many things that have happened on this journey.”
Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF
