THOSE who claimed that Great Britain's athletics team would return home with nothing to declare but dirty kit were keeping quiet in Osaka last night.

Although one gold, one silver and three bronzes does not equate to the ten medals and three golds won in Stuttgart 14 years ago, it does put the gloomy pre-Games forecast firmly in the shade.

New world 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu has been a reluctant star of these championships but she played her part as Britain's 4x400m quartet raced to bronze in a new national record.

However, it was 400m silver medallist Nicola Sanders and Lee McConnell who were the stars of the show.

McConnell produced an amazing sub 50-second split on the third leg to give Sanders a chance of another podium place.

Running the final leg, she still had to make up over five metres on her Russian rival but found the speed to beat her on the line, with the USA taking gold and Jamaica claiming silver.

Britain's time of 3.20.04 also smashed a 16-year old national record.

"I'm amazed, the time is great but getting the medal is so much more important," said McConnell.

"I've run 49.9 seconds once in a relay but this was the quickest yet, so I'm totally chuffed.

"I just wanted to give Nicola the best possible chance to get up there. I knew she was in great shape but I didn't want to give her too much to do.

"I got held up a bit which slowed me down, so maybe I could have gone faster!"

Meanwhile, Mark Lewis Francis has urged critics to keep writing off British athletes - because it only inspires them.

Lewis Francis helped Britain's sprinters to 4x100m bronze and believes the under-fire team have turned a corner on the road to 2012.

"We always get written off before a championships, the critics always say we won't produce," said Lewis Francis.

"We just want to prove them wrong. Hopefully they keep making their comments because it just inspires us.

"We've done people proud and given real hope to our fans for the Olympics. We've an amazing young team with so many prospects. No-one expected us to produce the performances we have, except us."

UK Athletics performance director Dave Collins may raise a small glass of saki to toast a week that has exceeded expectations and, temporarily, eased the pressure.

On the placings table - which awards points for top-eight finishes - the Great Britain team finished in sixth position, ahead of France, Italy, Spain and hosts Japan.

The trick will now be repeating and improving on these performances in Olympic year, although Collins points to absent names and crocked contenders who didn't arrive or do themselves justice here.

Meanwhile, Ohuruogu's place in Beijing next year will soon be confirmed, according to senior sources at the British Olympic Association.

Ohuruogu is currently facing a life ban from the Games after her one- year suspension for missing three random drugs tests.

But The Northern Echo understands that the BOA will make a 'special circumstance' of her case at an appeal due to be held in October.

That obstacle successfully swerved, Ohuruogu will have to scale even greater heights to add the Olympic title to her collection.

Sanya Richards, who missed these championships due at an illness at the US trials, will take on British athletics' new golden girl at next week's Golden League meeting in Zurich