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Page last updated at 13:01 GMT, Saturday, 23 August 2008 14:01 UK
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US women take 4x400m relay gold

Video - Richards leads USA to 400m relay gold

The United States won the women's 4x400m title in a dramatic finish at the Bird's Nest stadium.

Russia looked set for gold after Anastasia Kapachinskaya opened up a gap over American Sanya Richards.

But in the straight, Richards found an extra gear and sprinted past her rival to win in three minutes 18.54 seconds.

Russia took silver ahead of Jamaica but Great Britain's quartet finished fifth, after Nicola Sanders was left too much to do on the final leg.

Britain were led off by 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu, who had been switched from the final leg-spot which she ran in the heats.

OLYMPICS BLOG
BBC Sport's Steve Cram

The London athlete handed the baton to Kelly Sotherton, but the heptathlete by trade appeared to find the going difficult and slipped down to fifth as Marilyn Okoro took up the running.

By this point, Okoro followed by Nicola Sanders were both left with too much to do to make up the gap between themselves and the first three.

Video - GB girls 'did all we could'

Sotherton believed that she may have been at fault for the quartet missing out on a medal.

"I felt I gave it away," the Birchfield athlete told BBC Sport.

"On the second leg was where the demolition happened - that's when the rest of the leaders ran away.

Sanders added. after running under 50 seconds: "I'm pleased with the time but it doesn't matter when you come fifth. I wasn't in touch enough."


Athletics medals table

Sunday, 24 August 2008 10:17 UK
Rank Country Gold Silver Bronze TOTAL
1 also show each event results forUSA 7 9 7 23
Men's 100m 0 0 1
Men's 110m Hurdles 0 1 1
Men's 200m 0 1 1
Men's 400m 1 1 1
Men's 400m Hurdles 1 1 1
Men's 4 x 400m Relay 1 0 0
Men's Decathlon 1 0 0
Men's Shot Put 0 1 0
Women's 10000m 0 0 1
Women's 100m Hurdles 1 0 0
Women's 200m 0 1 0
Women's 400m 0 0 1
Women's 400m Hurdles 0 1 0
Women's 4 x 400m Relay 1 0 0
Women's Discus Throw 1 0 0
Women's Heptathlon 0 1 0
Women's Pole Vault 0 1 0
2 also show each event results forRussia 6 5 7 18
Men's 20km Walk 1 0 0
Men's 4 x 400m Relay 0 0 1
Men's 50km Walk 0 0 1
Men's High Jump 1 0 1
Men's Pole Vault 0 1 0
Women's 20km Walk 1 0 0
Women's 3000m Steeplechase 1 0 1
Women's 4 x 100m Relay 1 0 0
Women's 4 x 400m Relay 0 1 0
Women's Heptathlon 0 0 1
Women's High Jump 0 0 1
Women's Javelin Throw 0 1 0
Women's Long Jump 0 1 0
Women's Pole Vault 1 0 1
Women's Triple Jump 0 1 0
3 also show each event results forJamaica 6 3 2 11
Men's 100m 1 0 0
Men's 200m 1 0 0
Men's 4 x 100m Relay 1 0 0
Women's 100m 1 2 0
Women's 200m 1 0 1
Women's 400m 0 1 0
Women's 400m Hurdles 1 0 0
Women's 4 x 400m Relay 0 0 1
4 also show each event results forKenya 5 5 4 14
Men's 10000m 0 0 1
Men's 1500m 0 1 0
Men's 3000m Steeplechase 1 0 1
Men's 5000m 0 1 1
Men's 800m 1 0 1
Men's Marathon 1 0 0
Women's 1500m 1 0 0
Women's 3000m Steeplechase 0 1 0
Women's 800m 1 1 0
Women's Marathon 0 1 0
5 also show each event results forEthiopia 4 1 2 7
Men's 10000m 1 1 0
Men's 5000m 1 0 0
Men's Marathon 0 0 1
Women's 10000m 1 0 0
Women's 5000m 1 0 1
6 also show each event results forBelarus 1 3 3 7
Men's Decathlon 0 1 0
Men's Hammer Throw 0 1 1
Men's Shot Put 0 0 1
Women's Hammer Throw 1 0 0
Women's Shot Put 0 1 1
7 also show each event results forCuba 1 2 2 5
Men's 110m Hurdles 1 0 0
Men's Decathlon 0 0 1
Men's Long Jump 0 0 1
Women's Discus Throw 0 1 0
Women's Hammer Throw 0 1 0
8 also show each event results forAustralia 1 2 1 4
Men's 20km Walk 0 0 1
Men's 50km Walk 0 1 0
Men's Pole Vault 1 0 0
Women's 100m Hurdles 0 1 0
9 also show each event results forGreat Britain 1 2 1 4
Men's High Jump 0 1 0
Men's Triple Jump 0 1 0
Women's 400m 1 0 0
Women's 400m Hurdles 0 0 1
10 also show each event results forUkraine 1 1 3 5
Men's Pole Vault 0 0 1
Women's 1500m 0 1 1
Women's Discus Throw 0 0 1
Women's Heptathlon 1 0 0
11 also show each event results forBelgium 1 1 0 2
Women's 4 x 100m Relay 0 1 0
Women's High Jump 1 0 0
12 also show each event results forNorway 1 1 0 2
Men's Javelin Throw 1 0 0
Women's 20km Walk 0 1 0
13 also show each event results forPoland 1 1 0 2
Men's Discus Throw 0 1 0
Men's Shot Put 1 0 0
14 also show each event results forItaly 1 0 1 2
Men's 50km Walk 1 0 0
Women's 20km Walk 0 0 1
15 also show each event results forNew Zealand 1 0 1 2
Men's 1500m 0 0 1
Women's Shot Put 1 0 0
16 also show each event results forBahrain 1 0 0 1
Men's 1500m 1 0 0
17 also show each event results forBrazil 1 0 0 1
Women's Long Jump 1 0 0
18 also show each event results forCameroon 1 0 0 1
Women's Triple Jump 1 0 0
19 also show each event results forCzech Republic 1 0 0 1
Women's Javelin Throw 1 0 0
20 also show each event results forEstonia 1 0 0 1
Men's Discus Throw 1 0 0
21 also show each event results forPanama 1 0 0 1
Men's Long Jump 1 0 0
22 also show each event results forPortugal 1 0 0 1
Men's Triple Jump 1 0 0
23 also show each event results forRomania 1 0 0 1
Women's Marathon 1 0 0
24 also show each event results forSlovenia 1 0 0 1
Men's Hammer Throw 1 0 0
25 also show each event results forTrinidad & Tob 0 2 0 2
Men's 100m 0 1 0
Men's 4 x 100m Relay 0 1 0
26 also show each event results forTurkey 0 2 0 2
Women's 10000m 0 1 0
Women's 5000m 0 1 0
27 also show each event results forBahamas 0 1 1 2
Men's 4 x 400m Relay 0 1 0
Men's Triple Jump 0 0 1
28 also show each event results forMorocco 0 1 1 2
Men's Marathon 0 1 0
Women's 800m 0 0 1
29 also show each event results forCroatia 0 1 0 1
Women's High Jump 0 1 0
30 also show each event results forEcuador 0 1 0 1
Men's 20km Walk 0 1 0
31 also show each event results forFrance 0 1 0 1
Men's 3000m Steeplechase 0 1 0
32 also show each event results forLatvia 0 1 0 1
Men's Javelin Throw 0 1 0
33 also show each event results forSouth Africa 0 1 0 1
Men's Long Jump 0 1 0
34 also show each event results forSudan 0 1 0 1
Men's 800m 0 1 0
35 also show each event results forChina 0 0 2 2
Women's Hammer Throw 0 0 1
Women's Marathon 0 0 1
36 also show each event results forNigeria 0 0 2 2
Women's 4 x 100m Relay 0 0 1
Women's Long Jump 0 0 1
37 also show each event results forCanada 0 0 1 1
Women's 100m Hurdles 0 0 1
38 also show each event results forFinland 0 0 1 1
Men's Javelin Throw 0 0 1
39 also show each event results forGermany 0 0 1 1
Women's Javelin Throw 0 0 1
40 also show each event results forGreece 0 0 1 1
Women's Triple Jump 0 0 1
41 also show each event results forJapan 0 0 1 1
Men's 4 x 100m Relay 0 0 1
42 also show each event results forLithuania 0 0 1 1
Men's Discus Throw 0 0 1

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see also
BBC Olympics blog
15 Aug 08 |  Olympics
Beijing 2008
14 Feb 08 |  Olympics
Find your local athletics club
13 Oct 05 |  Get Involved

related internet links:
Beijing 2008 - athletics
Olympic schedule from the BOA
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International Athletics
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