Russell looks forward to more women’s 4x400m success

BUDAPEST, Hungary:

Janieve Russell is excited about the prospect of racing more with her Jamaican teammates for years to come and possibly winning more silverware, as well, after their performance in the women's 4x400 metres final.

Jamaica closed the World Athletics Championships with silver in the women's 4x400 metres through Candice McLeod, Russell, Nickisha Pryce and Stacey-Ann Williams in a season's best of 3:20.88. They were edged on the line by a heroic anchor leg from 400 metres hurdles champion Femke Bol of The Netherlands, who clocked a world-leading 3:20.72 to take the gold. Great Britain and Northern Ireland were third in 3:21.04.

Jamaica finished the championships with their second-best medal total of 12 - three gold, five silver and four bronze.

Williams, who was on anchor, did everything to give Jamaica a chance at their first 4x400 metres gold since 2015, but Bol powered through the last 40 metres for the Netherlands victory.

Nevertheless, Russell commended her teammates on a stellar display, which she said excites her to run in more 4x400 metres relays with them in the future.

"It is just growth from here. I am looking forward to running many relays with them and many races on and off the circuit because these ladies are amazing," Russell said.

McLeod, who was winning her third consecutive global relay medal and back-to-back World Championships relay silver, agreed and said she wanted to start well enough to give Russell a superb position to continue.

"The staggers are different, and I don't really know where the 200 metres or the 150 metres [are], so I just tried to do my best to sling straight to Janieve, and that's what I did," McLeod said. "I'm proud that we could execute, and I think the ladies picked it up quite well. We hold the position, and it was a great leg by everyone."

The 4x400 metres men, consisting of Rusheen McDonald, Roshawn Clarke, Zandrion Barnes and individual 400 metres winner Antonio Watson, narrowly finished outside the medals, placing fourth in 2:59.34. The United States of America won in a world-leading time of 2:57.31, with France second in a national record of 2:58.45. Great Britain was third in 2:58.71.

"It was a pretty tough race tonight. We did our best to get into the medals, and we fell short. But in the next championship, we will have to regroup," Clarke said.

Adelle Tracey finished seventh in the women's 800 metres final with a lifetime best for the second time at the championships, clocking 1:58.41.

Tracey was content with her performance after the championships in which she broke the national 1,500 metres record.

"My body has only been at that level so far, and to run a personal best in my fifth race over the last nine days or so, I have got to be happy with that," Tracey.

Two-time national high jump champion Lamara Distin finished fifth in her second World Championships final, with her best height being 1.94 metres, improving on her ninth-place finish in her first final last year in Eugene, Oregon, USA.