BEIJING - Chinese sprinting took its own great leap forward after the country's 4x100 metres men's relay team won a shock silver medal at the world championships behind Usain Bolt's all-conquering Jamaica.
China's Su Bingtian reacts after the final of the men's 100 metres athletics event at the 2015 IAAF World Championships at the "Bird's Nest" National Stadium in Beijing on August 23, 2015
Led by birthday boy Su Bingtian, the Chinese roared home third across the line in Saturday's final in Beijing but were upgraded to silver after the United States were disqualified for a bungled changeover.
"We made history," said Zhang Peimeng, who ran the anchor leg as China clocked 38.01 seconds, 0.65 behind the rampaging Jamaicans.
"There was enormous pressure when I took the baton from Su. I knew a medal was close and I really didn't want to be the one who messed up."
After the Americans did just that, when Tyson Gay's hand-off to Mike Rodgers was deemed illegal, it was China who headed bronze medallists Canada, Germany and France, while the British team failed to finish after dropping the baton when in third place.
Bolt paid tribute to the technical excellence of the Chinese quartet of Zhang, Mo Youxue and Xie Zhenye and their diminutive 1.72m tall (5ft 7in) talisman Su, who had stunned athletics by becoming the first Asian man to reach a world championship 100m final a week ago.
"They did their country proud," said the Jamaican superstar after completing yet another sprint treble.
"I was watching them in the warm-up and I was saying to the guys that they have one of the smoothest baton changes I have ever seen," added Bolt.
"They came out here and executed well and that's one of the reasons they got a medal. They did great for their country so, once again, congratulations to them."
- Textbook technique -
Dwarfed by hulking Jamaicans Bolt, Asafa Powell, Nesta Carter and Nickel Ashmeade, Su was overcome after the Bird's Nest, which had erupted with unbridled joy after learning of the US disqualification, serenaded him on his 26th birthday.
"This is the biggest moment of life," he said after China's dash to glory. "Wow, imagine that 80,000 people sang Happy Birthday to me," said Su, who earlier this year became the first Asian-born man to run under 10 seconds.
"I never thought we could win a silver medal. I told my comrades we should just stay as relaxed as in training because we'd already made history by reaching the final.
"We have been training so hard to become one tight unit, to make four people become one," added Su, who also led the Chinese to an Asian record of 37.92sec in the heats. "We've been working on our changeovers every day for the last three months."
In Chinese philosophy, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step and China's textbook technique is the result of meticulous, state-funded study of the mechanics of sprinting, with athletes and coaches dispatched overseas to sharpen skills and compile scientific data.
Former world and Olympic hurdle champion Liu Xiang told China's CCTV: "Lady Luck was on China's side but they deserve it. They have worked extremely hard for this and ran to their full potential. It must be the best birthday present ever for Su -- I'm so proud of them."