Usain Bolt wins world treble with 4x100m relay gold

Beijing: Usain Bolt capped a memorable world championships by winning a third gold on Saturday as anchor of Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team, while the United States were disqualified to hand China a shock silver.

Bolt ran a blistering final leg at a packed Bird’s Nest stadium, hurtling through the line in 37.36 seconds after team-mates Nesta Carter, Asafa Powell and Nickel Ashmeade had successfully got the baton around.

The victory gave Bolt his 11th world gold medal — his only blemish being the 100m at the 2011 Daegu worlds, when he was disqualified after a false start.

The US quartet of 100m bronze and silver medallists Trayvon Bromell and Justin Gatlin, and fellow finalists Tyson Gay and Mike Rodgers, were initially awarded silver before being disqualified over a botched final handover which strayed beyond the passover limit.

China, headed by individual 100m finalist Su Bingtian, delighted the home crowd when they were upgraded to silver in 38.01sec, while Canada moved up to bronze (38.13).

Bolt said the victory was particularly sweet given the scepticism he had encountered in a season during which he missed six weeks because of pelvic joint pain.

“It’s always a good way to end a championships like that,” he said.

“It’s pretty much one of my best (results) because of what I’ve been through this season, the doubts that people have had, just everything.

“I came here and executed to the best of my ability and got three gold medals so I’m happy about that.”

Bolt added, however, that there “was never any pressure”.

“You can’t have doubts. The moment you have doubts creeping in you shouldn’t run.

“I know what I want coming here. My coach (Glen Mills) is always confident in me and I’m confident in him so as long as we work as a team, I have no worry I’ll ever be defeated,” he said.

“I came out here and proved everybody that you can never call Usain Bolt out.

“I’m a champion and I show up when it matters.”