Lara, USA Claim 4x800 Gold At World Relays
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State volunteer assistant coach Geena Lara and Team USA set an American Record to claim gold in the women’s 4x800 final at the 2014 IAAF World Relays Championships in Nassau, Bahamas on Sunday.
From USATF:
Upsetting the heavily favored Kenyan quartet, Team USA set the mark with a stunning 8:01.58 that gave the team gold. Running from the front, World Indoor 800 meter champion Chanelle Price (Knoxville, Tennessee) handed off to Lara with a solid margin over the pack as she split 2:01.0.
Lara clocked 2:02.7 and kept a lead, but at the exchange with Ajee’ Wilson (Neptune, New Jersey) the gap was very small. Wilson ran a masterful leg of 1:59.1 and pulled away over the final 100 meters to give Team USA a two-second lead as she gave the baton to World outdoor bronze medalist Brenda Martinez (Rancho Cucamonga, California). Martinez was never challenged as she raced to a 1:58.7 to win by almost three seconds and take down the previous AR of 8:04.31, set last year at the Penn Relays by a team that included Wilson and Martinez.
Team USA was awarded the Golden Baton after winning four of six relays -- and five overall -- at the IAAF World Relays.
The USA's total of 60 points included five victories, including the men's 4x400m and the women's 4x100m, 4x200m, 4x400m and 4x800m. USA picked up additional points in the men's 4x800m and 4x1500m and the women's 4x1500m. Both 4x1500m finishes were second places and national records.
The Golden Baton is awarded to the best overall team across all ten finals, with eight points scored for first, seven for second, and so on down to one point for eighth.
