By Clayton Goodwin, Freelance Writer
Tyree Washington of the United States crosses the finish line ahead of Jamaica's Davian Clarke to win the 4 X 400m relay at the 2003 World Indoor Athletics Championships in Birmingham, yesterday. The U.S. team finished in a time of 3:04.09. - Reuters
BIRMINGHAM:
THE JAMAICAN athletes left it late to get among the medals in the World Indoor Athletics Championships at Birmingham, but when they did so they won two silver (and came within a mosquito's eyebrow of a bronze).
In the very last action on the track the men's 4 x 400 metres relay Davian Clarke was gaining, gaining-and in the end had to settle for second place to Tryee Washington (USA).
The Americans won in 3 minutes 04.09 seconds to the Jamaican's 3 minutes 04.21 seconds with Great Britain some way away third in 3 minutes 06.12 seconds.
Leroy Colquhoun kept a third place for nearly all of the first leg. However Jamaica slipped to fourth on the hand-over to Danny McFarlane. Yet by the end of the leg he had moved into second place behind the Americans.
Once more the team stuttered on the hand-over only for Michael Blackwood to bring them up again to second.
From there Clarke ran an excellent race but Washington the winner of the individual event, had just too big an advantage.
Although the home crowd gave vociferous support to Daniel Caines, who with triple-jumper Ashia Hanson has had a high profile in publicising the Championships, he could not make headway against Clarke for the silver.
A few minutes earlier Sandie Richards had run a similarly powerful final leg to take silver in the women's 4 x 400 metres relay.
The Jamaicans finished in 3 minutes 31.23 seconds to the Russians' 3 minutes 28.45 seconds with the USA third in 3 minutes 31.69 seconds.
Indeed, Ronetta Smith, Catherine Scott and Sheryl Morgan had kept Jamaica in third place over the first three legs. Richards had slipped temporarily to fourth after the hand-over before her surge for silver.
Lacena Golding-Clarke came nearest to winning an individual medal - as near as she possibly could without actually winning one. She finished the 60 metres hurdles in the same time 7.92 seconds, her own season's best, as third-placed Melissa Morrison (USA).
To be honest, though, there was only one athlete in it - Gail Devers (USA) who ran very well in 7.81 seconds, and, possibly, a second, Glory Alozie (Spain) who ran well in 7.80 seconds: the others followed them home. The second Jamaican in the race, Brigette Foster was sixth in 7.96 seconds.
There was much emotion with ultimate disappointment for the crowd as after an international career of almost 18 years Colin Jackson finished only fifth in the 60 metres hurdles on his much-touted final farewell appearance.
The race was won by his long-time rival Allen Johnson (USA). Perhaps Jackson should have called it a day at the close of the last outdoor season, but do not try telling that to the army of fans of this most popular athlete.
While the Jamaicans were winning silver and Jackson was taking his final bow, pole-vaulter Svetlana Feofanova (Russia) was receiving a big cheque presented by Sergei Bubke for setting a new world record.
Who ever won what, or did not, England's second city was celebrating. Birmingham was en fete. The large, somewhat boisterous and good-natured public St Patrick's Day party merged into the festivities to mark the end of the World Indoor Athletics Championships. A good time was had by all-including the Jamaican relay runners.
