In a come-from-behind victory for the ages, Femke Bol of the Netherlands closed track's world championships by overcoming a 20-metre deficit down the stretch to finish first in the women's 4x400 metre relay.

It was the last race of the nine-day track meet and it more than made up for a slip-up on opening night by the country's biggest sprinting and hurdles talent. In that one, she was cruising for what looked like a sure medal when she fell at the finish line in the mixed 4x400 relay.

There was no medal that night, and all signs pointed toward a third-place finish when Bol received the baton to run the last lap Sunday.

With 300 metres to go, Bol wasn't in the same camera frame with the two leaders, Jamaica's Stacey Ann Williams and Britain's Nicole Yeargin.

With half a lap to go, Bol was five steps behind Yeargin.

With 100 metres left, her teammates were excited about the prospect of finishing third.

“To be honest, I was already happy with a bronze medal,” said Cathelijn Peeters, who ran the third leg.

Bol wasn't having it.

“I wanted to stay patient,” Bol said, “but in the last metres I said, No, we have to take it.'”

The 23-year-old said her motivation for kicking it into overdrive was simple: “It's your team,” Bol said. “I mean, I was tired. My body didn't feel so well, but you have people before you running and they are going so deep.”

So she did, too.

First, she reeled in Yeargin. Then, she reeled in Williams. Then, she crossed the finish line first, fell to the ground and was surrounded by her amazed teammates. The Netherlands time of 3 minutes, 20.72 seconds edged Jamaica by .16 seconds, though nobody will remember the time — only the effort.

Bol, of course, already had a gold medal from her 400-metre hurdles race. Her comeback helped Peeters, Eveline Saalberg and Lieke Klaver win one, too. “It was one of my most important runs ever, but it is the first time we became world champions so it applies for all of us," Bol said.

US victory

The United States maintained their vice-like grip of the men’s 4x400 metres relay when they emphatically won their ninth world gold from the last 10 finals. The US, who have also won four of the last five Olympic golds, came home well clear in 2:57.31 on Sunday evening.

Quincy Hall and Vernon Norwood built an early lead before Justin Robinson stretched it to give anchor Rai Benjamin a virtual lap of honour.