But when it was over, it was a determined Torri Edwards who stormed down the final stretch to anchor the U.S. women to victory in 41.98 seconds, the fastest in the world this year.

"I didn't focus on anything else except the finish line," said Edwards, whose sizzling final leg was simply too much for Jamaica's 100 champion Veronica Campbell to match.

Edwards, a pre-meet favorite in the 100 but who finished fourth, was particularly fired up for the relay. And her mad dash down the homestretch clearly illustrated that fire.

"I'm really happy with our performance. I really wanted to go home a champion and that's what we did."

Campbell, running her ninth race of the championships, had a slight deficit to make up as she took the baton from Simone Facey, but her thrust off the final bend appeared almost pedestrian in comparison to that of Edwards.

But ignoring the obvious fatigue in her legs, Campbell gained significant ground on Edwards over the final 25 meters, but simply ran out of room. As Edwards raised her arms in victory, Campbell leaned across the line to stop the clock in 42.01.

The .03 deficit was the second closest ever in the women's full lap relay, outdone only by the photo finish in 1993 when Russia was given the edge over another U.S. quartet when both squads clocked 41.49.

The battle was set up by 100 silver medallist Lauryn Williams and Jamaican lead-off Sherri-Ann Brooks, the Commonwealth 100 champion and a semifinalist here. Virtually even after the first exchange, little changed among the second carriers, 200 champion Allyson Felix and Kerron Stewart, a finalist in the 100 earlier in the week.

But it was Me'lisa Barber, the season's third-fastest 100 gal at 10.95 this season, who produced the key advantage over the relatively inexperienced Facey, to give the slightest of leads to Edwards, the most experienced member of the U.S. squad. Storming off the turn, she didn't disappoint.

"I really wanted to run strong," said Felix," who stormed to victory in the 200 on Friday. "I've been thinking about this race for a long time and for it to finally take place and get on the track was great. Especially," she noted, "since the stands were full."

It was the fifth win for the US in the event, and the second medal of these championships for both Felix and Williams.

Remarkably, the Jamaican woman haven't won 400 meter relay gold since 1991, the last time the world championships were held in Japan. Then, it was the now legendary Merlene Ottey, after disappointment in the individual events, who anchored Jamaica home. Prior to Helsinki, an American quartet hadn't won since 1997, the tail-end of two successive titles.

In the morning's qualifying round, Belgium advanced thanks to a national record 42.85 in the first heat. In the final, the fearsome foursome of Olivia Borlee, Hanna Marien, Elodie Ouedraogo, and European double sprint champion Kim Gevaert outdid themselves yet again with a 42.75 dash to take the bronze, the first-ever relay medal for Belgium in just their second appearance in a world championships final.

(Sep. 2, 2007)