This time, Sanya Richards and Allyson Felix had only tears of joy _ and relief.

Richards took over from Felix on the final lap and caught Russia’s Anastasio Kapachinskaya in the final strides to save victory _ and their Olympics _ in the 1,600-meter relay in 3 minutes, 18.54 seconds Saturday _ the fastest time in the world since 1993.

With only 50 meters to go, disappointment had loomed once again for U.S. women on this, the last full day of what had been a disappointing Olympic track meet for the Stars and Stripes.

Felix took the lead in the second lap but Monique Henderson fell behind Russia in the third. She handed off to Richards, who trailed Kapachinskaya for more than 300 meters before a finishing straightaway kick that gave the U.S. the 0.28-second victory.

Jamaica won the bronze.

It was the sixth gold medal for the U.S. team and the third for the women.

Things wrap up with the marathon Sunday.

Felix and Richards were among a big handful of Americans who came to Beijing with gold-medal hopes that were unfulfilled coming into the final weekend.

Richards’ hamstring started tightening up in the last 80 meters of the 400 on Tuesday and she walked away with a bronze, crying into her cell phone when it was over. Two days later, Felix finished behind Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown, who ran the best time in a decade in the 200, and also was weeping after the race.

Felix and Richards had also hoped to line up for the Americans in the final of the 400-meter relay _ Richards would have been a longshot to make that team _ but never got the chance because the team dropped the baton in qualifying, blowing a sure shot at a medal and maybe even a gold.

If there’s any race, however, where the United States is a “sure thing,” it’s these longer relays, where the Americans outclass the rest of the world, speed-wise, and the baton exchange isn’t nearly as technical or difficult.

America was in the middle of the pack after Mary Wineberg ran the first lap, but when Felix took over, it looked like this would be easy.

It was anything but that. Richards needed to find the extra gear she couldn’t find in the 400 to finally get her gold, adding this to the gold she won as part of the Olympic relay team in 2004.

The Felix-Richards win didn’t completely end the string of American disappointments, however.

Bernard Lagat finished ninth in the 5,000 meters, meaning he’ll go home with nothing after failing to even make the finals in the 1,500.

Born in Kenya and competing for the United States for the first time at the Olympics, Lagat was the defending world champion in both races but never found his stride _ or the late kick that made him one of the world’s best for nearly a decade.

He’ll leave with the same two Olympic medals he came in with _ a bronze and silver in the 1,500, won at the last two Olympics for his native country.

Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia won the 5,000 to complete an Olympic 5K-10K sweep.

In the women’s 1,500, Nancy Jebet Langat of Kenya won the final in 4 minutes, 0.23 seconds to give her country its fourth gold of the track meet. Her victory came moments after Wilfred Bungei of Kenya won the men’s 800 meters.