CHINESE sprinting took its own great leap forward after the country’s 4x100 meters men’s relay team won a shock silver medal at the world championships behind Usain Bolt’s all-conquering Jamaica.

    Led by birthday boy Su Bingtian, the Chinese roared home third across the line in Saturday’s final in Beijing but were upgraded to silver after the United States was disqualified for a bungled changeover.

    “We made history,” said Zhang Peimeng, who ran the anchor leg as China clocked 38.01 seconds, 0.65 behind the rampaging Jamaicans.

    “There was enormous pressure when I took the baton from Su. I knew a medal was close and I really didn’t want to be the one who messed up.”

    After the Americans did just that, when Tyson Gay’s hand-off to Mike Rodgers was deemed illegal, it was China that headed bronze medalist Canada, Germany and France, while the British team failed to finish after dropping the baton when in third place.

    Bolt noticed the proficiency of the Chinese team, and wasn’t entirely shocked at their success.

    “I was watching them in the warmup and I said to the guys, they have one of the smoothest baton changes I’ve ever seen,” Bolt said. “They came out there and they executed well. That’s one of the reasons they got a medal. Congratulations, well done.”

    Su was overcome after the Bird’s Nest, which had erupted with unbridled joy after learning of the U.S. disqualification, serenaded him on his 26th birthday.

    “This is the biggest moment of life,” he said after China’s dash to glory. “Wow, imagine that 80,000 people sang Happy Birthday to me,” said Su, who earlier this year became the first Asian-born man to run under 10 seconds.

    Former world and Olympic hurdle champion Liu Xiang told China’s CCTV: “Lady Luck was on China’s side but they deserve it. They have worked extremely hard for this and ran to their full potential. It must be the best birthday present ever for Su — I’m so proud of them.”

    Meanwhile, Ethiopia’s Mare Dibaba won the women’s marathon yesterday after a thrilling sprint finish.

    The 25-year-old Dibaba out-kicked Kenya’s Helah Kiprop to win the grueling event by just one second, crossing the finish line in two hours, 27 minutes and 35 seconds.

    The long-striding Kiprop briefly threatened to take the gold medal when she loomed up on the outside of Dibaba with 50 meters left to run but couldn’t get past the pint-sized Ethiopian.

    Kiprop faded slightly and had to settle for the silver medal, while the bronze went to the reigning Asian champion Eunice Kirwa, who was born in Kenya but now competes for Bahrain.

    Ethiopia has a long and proud tradition in marathon running but Dibaba was the first Ethiopian female to win the lung-sapping event at the world championships.

    “I’m so happy to get the first medal for my country,” she said through a translator.

    (SD-Agencies)