Aug 18, 2013

MOSCOW – The 2013 IAAF World Championships drew to a close with a silver medal for Team USA in the men’s 4×100-meter relay. Team USA won the overall medal count with 25 (six gold, 13 silver, six bronze). Host team Russia won the gold-medal race by one, earning seven over the last nine days

South Carolina head coach Curtis Frye oversaw the sprint and hurdle crew in Moscow. His group claimed nine medals, including a medal in every event. Team USA brings home three gold medals (David Oliver – 110mH, LaShawn Merritt – 400m, 4x400m Relay), five silvers (Justin Gatlin – 100m, Ryan Wilson – 110mH, Tony McQuay – 400m, Michael Tinsley -400mH and the 4x100m Relay) and one bronze (Curtis Mitchell – 200m)

South Carolina assistant head coach Delethea Quarles served as Team USA’s jumps and multis coach for the women’s team. The group claimed a gold (Brittney Reese – long jump) and two silvers (Jennifer Suhr – pole vault and Brigetta Barrett – high jump) to win medals in three of their five events.

All three former Gamecocks finished in the top five of their events. US outdoor champion Natasha Hastings posted a fifth-place finish in the 400-meter dash and added another 4×400-meter relay medal to her resume with a silver. Hastings has won two world championship gold medals in the event in 2007 and 2009 to go with her 2008 Olympic gold medal.

Defending world champion Lashinda Demus collected a bronze medal in the women’s 400-meter hurdles. In the last three major international competitions, Demus won the 2011 world title, the 2012 London Olympic silver and the 2013 world championship bronze.

Jason Richardson narrowly missed the podium in the 110-meter hurdles, crossing the line in fourth place by .03 seconds despite hitting the final hurdle. Like Demus, Richardson has also been a mainstay on the international scene, winning the 2011 world gold, the 2012 Olympic silver and collecting a fourth-place finish in Moscow.

Rising senior Jeannelle Scheper made her IAAF World Championship debut, competing for St. Lucia in the high jump. Scheper finished 13th in her qualifying group.

Kierre Beckles, who just completed her collegiate eligibility, represented Barbados in the women’s 110-meter hurdles. She finished 31st overall in the opening heats.

The next IAAF World Championships will be in Beijing in 2015.