World Athletics Championships 2015: Great Britain cap best-ever showing with 4x400m relay bronze double

Great Britain set the seal on their greatest ever World Athletics Championship performance after both the men and women's 4x400m relay teams earned bronze medals on the final day of action in Beijing.

Christine Ohuruogu, Anyika Onuora, Eilidh Child and Seren Bundy-Davies went first and secured third place in a season's best time of 3:23.62, with Jamaica eventually taking gold after a blistering performance on the final leg that saw Novlene Williams-Mills easily surpass Francena McCorory. The US eventually had to settle for silver.

In the men's race, Rabah Yousif, Delano Williams, Jarryd Dunn and Martyn Rooney were not to be outshone and claimed bronze in 2:58.502 to make up for their teammates' errors in the 4x100m final yesterday in which a mix-up between James Ellington and Chijindu Ujah cost Britain any chance of a medal.

Jamaica looked to have yet another sprinting victory sewn up after Javon Francis burst ahead of America's LaShawn Merrit, but such youthful exuberance proved misguided as he slowed down towards the finish line. The US eventually took their sixth gold medal and Rooney, who missed the birth of his first child last week, used his considerable experience to guide his team to the podium in an exciting finish.

Britain finished the championships with a total of four golds, one silver and two bronze medals, an impressive tally that included yet another 5,000m and 10,000m double for the imperious Mo Farah as well as wins for fellow 'Super Saturday' heroes Jessica Ennis-Hill and Greg Rutherford in the heptathlon and long jump competitions respectively. Shara Proctor took that solitary silver after a close battle with Tianna Bartoletta on 28 August.

GB did win 10 medals at the 1993 World Championships in Stuttgart, but that achievement included only three golds. Britain's previous seven-medal haul came in Daegu four years ago and they won the same amount in Tokyo in 1991 as well as in Helsinki in 2003. London is set to host the 16th edition of the championships in 2017.

Kenya finished top of the table with a total of 16 medals including seven golds, six silvers and three bronze, while Jamaica finished second having won seven events. The US claimed the most medals of any country in Beijing with 18, although came third overall after winning one gold less than the top two. Ethiopia ended up behind Britain in fifth, with Poland, Canada, Germany, Russia and Cuba rounding off the top 10.

Elsewhere on the ninth and final day, Mare Dibaba took victory in the women's marathon ahead of Helah Kiprop and Eunice Kirwa. Almaz Ayana won gold in the 5,000m, meanwhile, and Germany's Kathrina Molitor came out on top in the javelin. Asbel Kiprop was successful in the men's 1,500m final and Derek Drouin of Canada took the high jump crown.