RIO DE JANEIRO-The United States’ women’s 4×100-metre relay team dropped the baton in Thursday’s first-round heat, the Americans’ hopes of defending their Olympic title apparently dashed.
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As seven-time Olympic medalist Allyson Felix relay prepared for the second exchange, she dragged her foot on the polyurethane turf, forcing her to stumble toward English Gardner and, in a surreal scene, toss the baton to her teammate.
Getting a baton around the track proved to be the Achilles heel of the American sprinting squad on Thursday morning, but after a freakish day of appeals and a solo rerun on the track, the US women earned a spot in the final and second chance at defending their Olympic title from London. Before tonight’s make-up run, the American relay team’s best time this season had been 42.61 seconds. As long as the US women finished faster than 42.70 seconds, the time of the slowest qualifier, the USA would advance to the final. I think I got propelled. Their goal is to beat the time of 42.70 seconds run by China, the slowest qualifier from the two heats.
The U.S. women’s track-and-field team has won an appeal in order to compete in the 4×100 meter race. The US team will have a re-run alone this evening in an attempt to qualify by time. That threw off Felix’s momentum and she could not reach Gardner with the stick, eventually tossing it toward Gardner out of desperation. It hit the ground as Gardner and Felix crashed into each other.
Officials agreed to allow Team USA a second chance and have disqualified the Brazilian team.
Felix said after the posted 41.77 time that she thought the process was fair.
“It just knocked me off”, Felix said to NBC’s Lewis Johnson.
For Akinosun, Gardner, Tianna Bartoletto and Allyson Felix, the day has started eight hours before under a brilliant Rio sky.
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Adam Gemili will come into the team in the final in place of Aikines-Aryeetey following his tilt at Thursday’s 200m final, while James Dasaolu may also replace Kilty.
