Looking at the US team, she added: 'We miss them. We want the top eight to be there. We feel sad, these were girls we knew.'

USA Track and Field chief of sport performance Benita Fitzgerald said in a statement the latest relay disaster must be 'a lesson for future championships' as 'it does a disservice to the champions we crowned.'

Elsewhere, Dwight Phillips won a special long jump competition, Steve Hooker defied injury with a big gamble to win the pole vault, and Kenya got a one-two finish ahead of Ethiopia in the women's 5,000m and men's marathon, with Vivian Cheriuyot and Abel Kirui the new champions.

Phillips overcame some mediocre years to win with 8.54 metres from his second attempt, adding the title to those from 2003 and 2005 and tying Cuba's Ivan Pedroso on three golds.

Godfrey Khotso Mokoena of South Africa came second with 8.47m and Mitchell Watt took third place for Australia with 8.37m after holder and Olympic champion Irving Saladino of Panama overstepped the takeoff board three times to foul out.

Phillips got the gold medal from the Marlene Dortch, the granddaughter of Jesse Owens who won four golds in the same stadium at the 1936 Olympics.

'That is history looking to me in the face,' said Phillips. 'Jesse Owens is a great icon for sport and humanity.'

The Olympic champion Hooker entered the final with a hamstring injury and took a huge gamble. He did not enter the event until 5.85m, missed once and moved up to 5.90m which he cleared instantly.

Romain Mesnil of France was second with 5.85m and rising compatriot sensation Renaud Lavellenie third with 5.80m.

Wlodarczyk got her huge throw of 77.96m on her second attempt, bettering the mark of 77.80m from Russian Tatyana Lysenko on August 15, 2006. But she had to sweat until the end as German holder Betty Heidler had 77.12m on her final attempt, with Slovekia's Martina Hrasnova third on 74.79m.

The world championships conclude on Sunday with the women's marathon, 1,500m, 4x400m, javelin, and the men's 800m, 5,000m, 4x400m and javelin.