Osaka, Japan:
Jamaica finished the IAAF World Athletic Championships in Osaka, Japan on a high note, taking silver in the women's 4x400m final in a new national record of 3:19.73 seconds, on Sunday, September 2, 2007.
The team of (Shericka Williams; Shereefa Lloyd; Davita Prendagast and Novlene Williams) were beaten by the USA, who clocked a world leadng 3:18.55 seconds for the gold medal, while Great Britain came third with a national record of 3:20.04 seconds.
Jamaica finished the games with a record 10 medals (gold, six slver, and three bronze medals). The Caribbean side also finished eight overall in the medal table, and actually had the fourth most medals.
USA topped the medals with 26 (14G 4S 8B) ahead of Kenya 13, (5G 3S 5B) and Russia 16(4G 9S 3B) making up the top three nations.
Jamaica should have captured another medal in the men's 4x400m, but the team of (Michael Blackwood; Ricardo Chambers; Leford Green; Sanjay Ayre)finished fourth after being in medal position.
Question signs hang all over this event, with regards to Jamaca not using Usain Bolt the men's 200m silver medalist to run a leg on the mile relay, but instead used an obviously injured Sajay Ayre, who struggled with the baton on the last leg and placed fourth, even though he received the baton in second position, from Leford Green, a former Kingston College Boys' Champs stand out.
Jamaica topped the eight medals, they won at the last World championships in 2005.
Top Local picks of the games:
(1) Top Performer, Veronica Campbell, Womem's 100m, 200m, 4x100m-three medals (gold, two silver).
(2) Surprise athletes of the meet- Maurice Smith- silver in the men's Decathlon.
(3) Most improved: Men's 200m Marvin Anderson (6th), personal best 20.06 seconds in semis ; Nickiesha Wilson (4th), in Women's 400m hurdles,personal best in semi-finals- 53.97).