Roundup: China creates athletics history, Eaton breaks decathlon world record

On the busiest day of Beijing athletics world championships, Chinese wrote a new chapter in history by winning an unprecedented silver in the men's 4x100m relay on Saturday.

The Fantastic 4 of Zhang Peimeng, Su Bingtian, Xie Zhenye and Mo Youxue worked miracle when they ensured a podium position as Zhang stormed past the finish line behind defending champion Jamaica and the United States in 38.01 seconds.

When the Chinese sprinters couldn't be happier, they found themselves promoted to second place as the United States was disqualified for exchanging the baton out of zone.

Jamaica had a convincing title defence in 37.36 seconds. Canada was lifted to third place in 38.13.

As the Chinese quartet did a lap of honor, Su, turning 26 Saturday, was greeted with a happy birthday chorus by the capacity Bird's Nest National Stadium.

"This is the moment of life. Can you imagine that 80,000 people sang birthday song to me?" said Su, the first Chinese to reach the world men's 100m final and clock 9.99 seconds.

"I had never thought of winning a silver medal. I told my teammates that we should be just as relaxed in the final as in training because we already made history by reaching the final."

"We have been training very hard to make four people as one. We practiced baton exchange every day since this May," he added.

Zhang, previous national record holder, anchored China's charge to the podium.

"I went all out. We made history," he said.

"I was under huge pressure when I took the baton from Su Bingtian. I felt like we were closer to a medal and I surely did not want to be the one who squandered our opportunity."

The penultimate day also saw American Ashton Eaton win the decathlon and set the first world record of this championships when he collected 9,045 points, bettering his own mark by six.

"At the beginning I was quite down with myself. But I decided to be with the people standing by me and who believe in me," said the defending champion and London Olympic winner.

"I just came out there and told myself, OK, let's enjoy this event and go for it. The result is awesome but I did not do it alone."

Damian Warner took silver with a Canadian record, 350 points behind Eaton. Rico Freimuth of Germany had bronze with 8,561 points.

In the most gruelling event of men's 50km race walking in the morning, Matej Toth bagged the first ever world championships gold medal for Slovakia.

It was also the first gold for Toth after a seventh-place finish in London Olympics and a fifth in the 2013 worlds. The 32-year-old led the race virtually from gun to tape to win in 3 hours, 40 minutes and 32 seconds.

"I just hope I will manage to enjoy such a special moment at least one more time in my life," said Toth after the race. "I have to say that this 50km was maybe the easiest race in my whole life."

Australian veteran Jared Tallent took silver in his season-best 3:42:16, after finishing 26th over 20km six days ago. The 30-year-old had collected two Olympics silver medals and two bronzes at the world championships.

Takayuki Tanii won bronze in 3:42.55, the first medal for Japan at the 2015 worlds.

The men's 5,000m saw Britain's Mohamed Farah, also a 10,000m winner here, complete a double defence. He clocked 13:50.38, beating second-placed Kenyan Caleb Mwangangi Ndiku by 1.37 seconds.

Ethiopia's Hagos Gebrhiwet was third in 13:51.86.

Poland's Piotr Malachowski continued his dominance in the discus throw this year with a gold medal.

Malachowski did not repeat his world-leading performance of 68.29 meters but a 67.40 was enough for the Beijing Olympics runner-up to stand on top of the podium.

Belgium's Philip Milanov, the World University Games titlist last month, improved his own national record by 24cm to take silver in 66.90. Robert Urbanek also brought Poland a bronze with 65.18.

In women's events, Jamaica reinforced their hold on the 4x100m, defending the title in a championships record time of 41.07. The United States had to settle for silver as in Moscow two years ago and Trinidada and Tobago bagged a bronze.

World indoor champion Kuchina, 22, cleared 2.01 meters, beating a field of well accomplished veterans to win the high jump gold, Russia's second in Beijing.

Two-time world champion Blanka Vlasic, 31, who also cleared the bar at 2.01 but with one more attempt at 1.92, returned to the scene of her silver medal performance at the 2008 Olympic Games and ended with another silver. World leader and London Olympic champion Anna Chicherova took bronze.

The women's 800m victory went to Maria Arzamasova from Belarus who clocked 1:58.03. It was the first gold and the second medal for Belarus at the 2015 worlds, and the first world championships medal for Arzamasova in her racing career.

Canada's Melissa Bishop claimed silver in 1:58.12, 0.06 seconds ahead of third-placed Eunice Jepkoech Sum.

With just one day to go, Kenya kept its first place in the medals table with a 6-4-3 record. Jamaica levels with Kenya on gold and bronze medals but two short in silver. The United States stands in third with a 5-5-6 record.

Host China is eighth on 1-5-1. Enditem