“It’s very special. It was great to join these women tonight”.
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The worst part (as if it could get any worse) was that the USA team has flubbed handing off the baton event many times before.
“Before we came out our coach said it was just like a practice with the whole world watching”, a relieved Gardner said after the one-off.
Felix’s team ran alone in surreal circumstances at the Olympic Stadium after officials ruled they deserved a second chance, having missed the final after being obstructed on a baton change by Brazil’s team.
And they did just that, running the fastest qualifying time of 41.77, and putting them back into the number one spot.
“I don’t know how much more I can take”, said Felix, whose season has been filled with injuries, disappointments and, now, this.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce anchored the Jamaicans to victory in the first heat in 41.79, opening the door for Elaine Thompson to sweep the sprint medals at the Rio Olympics.
“Wonderful experience. My first Olympics”.
The U.S. finished in third place but was disqualified because on its first exchange between Mike Rodgers and Justin Gatlin, the sprinters were judged to have passed the baton outside the exchange zone.
China’s Ge Manqi (2nd L) and Wei Yongli (1st L) hand over baton during the women’s 4X100m relay heat at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on August 18, 2016.
The United States’ medal count is now at 26 medals with 10 gold, eight silver and eight bronze.
For Felix, it was a particularly potent golden moment as she notched her fifth career gold medal to become the most decorated woman in Olympic track and field history. The U.S. set the world and Olympic record when it won the gold in London in 2012 with a time of 40.82.
Earlier Friday, Ekaterini Stefanidi of Greece won gold in the women’s pole vault after recording a height of 4.85m.
All by themselves on the massive track, the four USA women took their positions in Lane 2.
But the United States women’s 4×100 team was not taking any chances and finished the re-run at 41.77, which was the fastest among all the teams that participated in the relay. Any medal would mean an importance advance to Gardner, who is a pre-race favorite in the women’s 100 meters which could not make it to the final.
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