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World Athletics Championships: GB teams claim bronze in 4x400m finals

Martyn Rooney is pleased he will be able to run in the individual 400m in Beijing
Image: Martyn Rooney powered home in the final leg

Great Britain's men and women's teams claimed bronze in their respective finals of the 4x400m relay at the World Championships in Beijing.

The men's quartet of Rabah Yousif, Delanno Williams, Jarryd Dunn and Martyn Rooney dug deep to claim third place behind the Americans and Trinidad and Tobago and secure the team's seventh medal of the week.

Team captain Rooney anchored them home in style just ahead of Jamaica in a time two minutes 58.51 seconds - a great way to celebrate this week's birth of his first child - profiting from a suicidal pace set by Jamaica's Javon Francis on the final leg.

"My first child, a special week for me," Rooney told the BBC. "I couldn't go home without bringing something back to my wife. I'm proud of what she's done and hopefully she's proud of me."

The women's quartet of Christine Ohuruogu, Annika Onuora, Eilidh Child and Seren Bundy-Davies also produced a fine collective display to claim a podium finish in their final.

Great Britain's Christine Ohuruogu
Image: Christine Ohuruogu ran the opening leg at the Bird's Nest stadium

Jamaica won gold, overhauling long-time leaders United States in the final strides, the Americans having to settle for silver.

Ohuruogu said: "We decided to change the order slightly. Put me on first leg to try and get the team into contention and hopefully use my speed to put us in the mix.

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"I was a bit worried after Thursday because I knew I'd gone off a bit too hard. I didn't want to make the same mistake again but they did so brilliantly. I'm really happy for our new additions."

This is the fifth time the British women have finished third in the event, the most recent occasion prior to tonight coming in Moscow two years ago. 

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