Second night of World Relays action also features men’s 4x100m win for Jamaica as GB’s men place third and 4x200m women finish second

There were a total of three world records set at the inaugural IAAF World Relays in the Bahamas as Kenya smashed the men’s 4x1500m mark by 14 seconds on the second day of competition to add to the men’s 4x200m record set by Jamaica and women’s 4x1500m also set by Kenya on day one.

There were also two podium finishes for Great Britain & Northern Ireland teams on Sunday as GB’s women finished second in the 4x200m final and GB’s men third in the 4x100m.

A Kenyan quartet of Mercy Cherono, Faith Kipyegon, Irene Jelagat and Hellen Obiri had taken more than half a minute off the women’s 4x1500m world best on the first day of action and the Kenyan men joined them in their record-breaking ways on the second. Collins Cheboi, Silas Kiplagat, James Magut and Asbel Kiprop combined to clock 14:22.22 for a huge victory. Leo Manzano held on to the runner-up spot for the US as his team clocked a national record 14:40.80 to push Ethiopia, anchored by Aman Wote, into third with 14:41.22, also a national record.

USA beat Kenya in the next event on the track, the women’s 4x800m. Having gained a lead though world indoor champion Chanelle Price on the first leg, Geena Lara handed over to Ajee Wilson before Brenda Martinez again pulled away from the rest of the field. USA clocked 8:01.58 for a national record ahead of Kenya with 8:04.28 and Russia with 8:08.19, both also national records.

Earlier on and the first of the evening’s finals had seen a USA team of DeeDee Trotter, Sanya Richards-Ross, Natasha Hastings and Joanna Atkins win the women’s 4x400m relay from the Jamaican quartet of Kaliese Spencer, Novlene Williams-Mills, Anastasia Le-Roy and Shericka Jackson - 3:21.73 to 3:23.26.

Behind them and a GB team featuring Eilidh Child, Shana Cox, Christine Ohuruogu and Margaret Adeoye could only manage a best of 3:28.03 for seventh, as Ohuruogu came in to replace Emily Diamond who had contributed to GB’s 3:27.30 in the heats.

USA also won the men’s 4x400m to deny the Bahamas victory in front of a vocal home crowd. LaShawn Merritt moved from third to first in the final leg to cross the line in 2:57.25 ahead of Michael Mathieu who, along with LaToy Williams, Demetrius Pinder and Chris Brown, managed 2:57.59. Merritt had been joined by David Verburg, Tony McQuay and triple jumper Christian Taylor in the final.

Trinidad and Tobago clocked 2:58.34 for a national record in third as a GB team of Michael Bingham, Conrad Williams, Nigel Levine and Martyn Rooney ran 3:00.32 for fourth, Levine having run almost his entire third leg with only one spike after it came off just after the baton handover.

USA continued their winning ways in the women’s 4x200m as GB finished second ahead of Jamaica. A 1:29.45 clocking was enough to see Kimberlyn Duncan finish just ahead of Asha Philip who had worked well with team mates Desiree Henry, Anyika Onuora and Bianca Williams for a 1:29.61 national record and the runner up spot ahead of Jamaica, anchored by triple world sprint champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

The inaugural event came to a close with the men’s 4x100m which was won, as expected, by the Jamaican quartet of Nesta Carter, Nickel Ashmeade, Julian Forte and Yohan Blake.

A clocking of 37.77 was the winning time as Trinidad and Tobago came through for second in 38.04 as Richard Thompson surged past GB’s Dwain Chambers in the home straight.

GB ran 38.19 in the final which followed a 37.93 clocking in the heat, Richard Kilty having been joined by Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, James Ellington and Danny Talbot to go fourth on the GB all-time list. Chambers replaced Talbot in the final.

In making the respective finals, GB automatically qualified for both the men’s and women’s 4x100m and 4x400m at the 2015 IAAF World Championships in Beijing.

See Thursday s AW for further IAAF World Relays coverage

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