The Jamaican quartet, with 100m and 200m world champion Bolt running the penultimate leg, timed a Championship record of 37.31sec while Trinidad & Tobago took silver in a national record of 37.62 and Britain the bronze in 38.02.

 

Jamaica's American rivals failed to make a major final for the second successive year, having been disqualified following a protest from Britain after winning last night's heat.

Bolt said: "Am I getting used to winning?

 

"You cannot get used to winning.

 

"But winning three gold medals in Berlin is wonderful and I am proud of myself."
 

British veteran Marlon Devonish said that his team, which also included Simeon WIlliamson, Tyrone Edgar and Harry Aikines- Aryeetey, had not bothered thinking about the Jamaican challenge or, more specifically, Bolt, who turned 23 yesterday.

The 33-year-old, who was a member of the quartet that stunned the Americans in the 2004 Olympic relay to take gold, said: "We just wanted to get the baton around as smoothly as possible.

 

"It's what has helped us in the past and it has brought us another medal.
 

"It's good for the guys to get some reward and hopefully it will put us in good stead for the future."
 

The only difference from last year in Beijing for Bolt, who shattered the 100m and 200m world marks in devastating style earlier this week, was that his team failed to break the world record.
 

Bolt said: "With regards to not getting the world record, that is down to me as I am tired."

 

Asafa Powell, the former world 100m record holder who had finished third in that event in these Championships, ran the anchor leg for Jamaica.

He joked: "Yes, it's all Usain's fault...[we did not break the world record]"

 

Bolt said: "Am I the saviour of athletics?

 

"I don't know.

 

"For me it is not hard to do what I did because I am just trying to be myself.

 

"But I don't think I'm a legend yet by any stretch of the imagination.
 

"Year after year, I have to become champion and champion again."
 

As well as winning three gold medals, Bolt revealed he would be receiving a 12 foot piece of the Berlin Wall that weighed three tonnes from the German capital tomorrow as a farewell present.
 

He said: "I don't yet know what I am going to do with it.

 

"I thought it was a small piece.

 

"I didn't know it was going to be so big."

 

The British (pictured) were delighted with their medal, which took the team's total to four.

 

Williamson said: “It felt like a good run.

 

"The changeovers were better than yesterday and I think they can get better.

 

"To come away with a medal is a great achievement for me and the team and everyone is really happy.

“Yesterday we just wanted to get the baton round.

 

"Yesterday was about qualification and today was about stretching it a bit more and getting a medal.”

Aikines-Aryeetey said: “Absolutely amazing to come through the junior ranks and be successful there but at the same time being part of a team for GB.

 

"I'm just happy to compete with these guys happy to have worked really hard and have got the medal.

 

"It's amazing to cross the line on the world-class stage and know you've got your medal.

“It's amazing to be able to share this feeling and I want to say thanks to the people in the back room such as Matt Lancaster, Pierre McCourt and Michael Khmel and of course Craig Pickering and Rikki Fifton who are part of this team too.

 

"It's amazing, you just want so much more."

Edgar said: “It's a great feeling to get a bronze medal after the hard work we've done.

 

"We've got such a young group, with Simeon in his early 20's, I'm 27, Harry's 21 and Marlon still looks young so to have a team like this going on and getting bronze it is only going to get better through 2010, 2011 and in 2012 we're really going to be up there.

 

"It's just a great feeling to get bronze, now I've got a taste of it I just want more.

“I've had a great season, but this has given me a boost to go back to training and get even better, so hopefully in the next two years you're going to see us get gold.”

Devonish said: “I'm very proud of the guys, very proud.

 

"I've won a lot of medals and it's nice to share this experience.

 

"We've had a lot of focus in the semi final and we had the same discipline right through to the final, but it's all about the medals.

 

"This is a massive catalyst for us to go on and get better.
 

"We've trained so hard, almost sacrificed part of our individual events to do the relay.

 

"It was very important that we had a medal today.

 

"The relay can always go pear-shaped, there are so many variables so it is a blessing we have come back with another medal.”
 

Poland’s Anita Wlodarczyk joined Bolt as the only world record setters at the Championships by winning the women’s hammer throw at 77.96 metres.

 

The 24-year-old broke the mark of 77.80m set by Russia’s Tatyana Lysenko in 2006.

 

Dwight Phillips of the US won the men’s long jump world title for the third time with a leap of 8.54m.

 

Phillips previously won the title in 2003 and 2005.

 

Australian Steve Hooker won the men’s pole vault at 5.90m despite suffering from a thigh injury.

 

Abel Kirui of Kenya won the men’s marathon in a Championship record time of 2 hours, 06min 54sec.

 

Countryman Emmanuel Kipchirchir Mutai took the silver medal with Tsebay Kebede of Ethiopia winning the bronze medal in a race that finished underneath the Brandenburg Gate.

 

Kenya also took the top two spots in the women’s 5,000m as Vivian Cheruiyot won gold and Sylvia Kibet silver.

 

Defending world champion Meseret Defer of Ethiopia finished third.