Martyn Rooney ended an “incredible week” in style, celebrating the birth of his first child by anchoring Great Britain to 4x400 metres relay bronze yesterday, as the World Championships came to a close.

The past nine days in Beijing have looked very promising a year out from the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, with a seven-medal haul complemented by national records and personal bests aplenty.

Great Britain finished fourth in the medal table after winning four golds, but it was not until the final day of competition that they met UK Sport’s minimum target of six medals.

They need not have been concerned, though, as the women comfortably secured 4x400m bronze before the men followed suit just 20 minutes later, with Rooney bringing the team of Rabah Yousif, Delano Williams and Jarryd Dunn home.

The British captain’s wonderful surge and dip saw Jamaica pipped by just four thousandths of a second, with the podium finish capping a remarkable time for the 28-year-old on and off the track.

“It has been an incredible week for me,” Rooney said after the season’s best two minutes 58.51 seconds on Sunday.

“These have been eight days where I’ve had a PB, not a great semi-final and the birth of my child.

“The relay heats went well and then in the relay final we ran well as a team and got a medal. It’s incredible.”

It was a certainly a leader’s display from Rooney and one which led wife Kate, a former international pole vaulter, to joke their baby boy would now be called “Bronze Beijing Rooney.”