WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS U.S. finishes fast to lead medal list

The Americans swept three relays Sunday to finish with 20 medals, 10 gold.
SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) -- The United States started slowly at the track and field World Championships, then became mired in controversy. But the Americans flourished Sunday, sweeping three relays to finish first in medals.
The U.S. squad struck gold in the men's 400- and 1,600-meter relays, and a gutsy anchor leg by 18-year-old Sanya Richards gave the Americans a win in the women's 1,600 relay.
Americans took home 20 medals, 10 of them gold, to lead all nations in the nine-day meet. Next was Russia with 19 medals, including six golds. Those numbers could change, based on the resolution of U.S. sprinter Kelli White's drug case.
The U.S. team had averaged 21 medals in the previous eight World Championships, which began in 1983. But this was the first time in a decade the Americans reached 20 medals.
Richards anchors relay win
Richards, a sophomore at Texas who became a U.S. citizen last year, held off Russia's Natalya Nazarova and Jamaica's Lorraine Fenton down the stretch to give the U.S. women victory in the 1,600 relay.
"I love running anchor. I always run anchor," Richards said. "I'm actually more comfortable running anchor, so I was happy to be there and I was happy to bring it home for the U.S."
Young, who won the 400 title Tuesday and then became enveloped by a 4-year-old drug case, barely held off France's Marc Raquil to give the U.S. men the 1,600 relay title.
"I just didn't worry about it," Young said of the controversy. "I just put it behind me and kept on going, and just basically used that as a motivation."
Even without 100 world-record holder Tim Montgomery and three-time 100 world champion Maurice Greene, the men's 400 relay team took gold for the third straight World Championships when J.J. Johnson caught Britain's Dwain Chambers in the final few meters.
After a poor baton pass from Bernard Williams to Darvis Patton, Johnson was in third place when he began the anchor leg. First he caught Brazil's Claudio Roberto Souza, then leaned at the finish to edge Chambers and give the Americans the victory in 38.06 seconds.
Montgomery left the meet after a fifth-place finish in the 100, though he had not been expected to run on the relay squad in any case. Greene, who usually runs the anchor leg for the U.S. team, hurt his left leg in the 100 semifinals.
"I felt a lot of pressure because a lot of people thought we couldn't win without Maurice or Tim," Williams said. "It shows America is deep, with a good number of sprinters."
Embarrassing moments
But there were several embarrassments for the Americans in the meet, including the temper tantrum that led to sprinter Jon Drummond's withdrawal and the drug sample that showed White -- who won the 100 and 200, the only U.S. woman to take an individual gold at the meet -- had used a stimulant. White's case remains under investigation. Though she is likely to lose at least one of her gold medals, world track officials said they need to do more research before deciding on her punishment and passing the case on to U.S. officials.
World track officials said Sunday that White had passed a drug test after her win in the 200. But her positive drug test after the 100 means both medals could be at risk.
The Americans had problems in some events they usually rule, such as medal shutouts in the men's 100 and the women's pole vault. A non-American won the men's shot put for the first time in a decade.
But, after a slow start, the U.S. team rallied with four of the six medals in the women's sprints -- though two could be stripped from White -- and with a 1-2 finish in the men's 200 and a surprise win by Dwight Phillips in the long jump.
"I think that the team has performed quite well, if you look at medal production and clutch performances," USA Track and Field chief executive Craig Masback said.