The two bombshells of the US sprint swallowed with fury the final straight, ensuring the show and a good harvest of medals, ahead of Italy and Jamaica for the men, then ahead of Jamaica and Great Britain for the women. The France took 6th place in the men's relay.

The United States achieved its third double on the short relays after 1987 and 2007.

For Lyles, the race marks the end of historic World Championships where he achieved the 100m, 200m and 4x100m hat-trick, the first since legend Usain Bolt in 2015. The Jamaican, retired since 2017, had also succeeded in 2009 and 2013, like Americans Tyson Gay (2007) and Maurice Greene (1999) before him.

Specialist in the 200m (three consecutive titles), Lyles succeeded in 2023 to also dominate the straight, before bringing his finish to the American collective (Christian Coleman, Fred Kerley, Brandon Carnes), beaten last year at home (Eugene) by Canada.

The Floridian thus took a sixth world gold medal, a 7th overall, at only 26 years old. He still has to shine at next year's Paris Olympics, after bringing home bronze in the Tokyo 200m in 2021.

16th Medal for Fraser-Pryce

Minutes after her demonstration, US sprint star Sha'Carri Richardson held off Jamaica's Shericka Jackson superbly in the final stretch, finishing the work of teammates Tamari Davis, Twanisha Terry and Gabrielle Thomas.

American sprinter Noah Lyles celebrates the victory of the 4x100m relay during the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, August 26, 2023 © Jewel SAMAD / AFP

The new 100m queen, also in bronze in the 200m on Friday, continued to sprint for nearly 50m once she crossed the line, jumping into the arms of Christian Coleman at full speed, before being congratulated by all the Americans in both relays.

"It's a dream come true. I'm just happy to have been able to express myself on my first Worlds for which I worked all season," she said.

Star nation of athletics, the Americans once again crush the medal table, with 27 podiums including 11 titles one day before the end of these Worlds. Jamaica has 11 podium finishes as the second largest medallist.

The sprinters in yellow and black can console themselves with the bronze of the men and the silver of the women.

American sprinter Noah Lyles celebrates the victory of the 4x100m relay during the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, August 26, 2023 © Jewel SAMAD / AFP

Enough to offer a 16th world medal to Fraser-Pryce (36), one more than Bolt, four units from the record of the American Allyson Felix. Jackson (29) has eleven medals in five different disciplines (100, 200, 400, 4x100 and 4x400m) since 2015.

"Dream"

Before this fireworks, the Swedish Olympic champion Armand Duplantis had shaken the stadium on the banks of the Danube.

Winner of a magnificent pole vault competition, with five athletes over 5.90m, Mondo cleared 6.10m to win a second title after 2022, before narrowly failing to clear 6.23m to improve his world record.

"I enjoyed myself tonight. I put all my energy into my tests at 6.23m, but sometimes you have to be content with space," said the Swede.

Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis clears 6.05m during his victory in the final of the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, August 26, 2023 © Ben Stansall / AFP

Frenchman Thibaut Collet exploded his personal best, from 5.82 to 5.90m, to finish 5th.

Kenya's Faith Kipyegon (29) confirmed her grip on the world long distance with her first 5,000m title, four days after her third gold medal in the 1,500m, and a few weeks after capturing the world records in the 1,500m, mile and 5,000m.

"It's an incredible season. I was patient to break world records and do the double. My dream has come true," she said.

Kipyegon edged out Dutch rival Sifan Hassan, who won silver after bronze in the 1,500m.

© 2023 AFP