Natasha Hastings, Phyllis Francis, Allyson Felix and Courtney Okolo react after winning gold in the women’s 4×400-meter relay on day 15 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on August 20, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.
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Allyson Fenix anchored the USA 4×400-meter relay team on their sixth Olympic gold medal.
Four years after the Bahamas beat the US team, the Americans finished with a time of 2 minutes 57.30 seconds. Mo Farah securing “GOAT” status of his own by winning the men’s 5,000 to complete the first men’s 5k, 10k Olympic title double-double since legendary Lasse Viren.
It’s a long way from eight years ago in Beijing, when a 23-medal effort led leadership at USA Track and Field to spearhead “Project 30”, with the goal of hitting that mark.
In the men’s Olympic 4×100-meter relay final, Justin Gatlin’s hand first made contact with the baton outside of the “takeover zone” when he handed off to Mike Rodgers, which resulted in disqualification. Only Carl Lewis, with 10, has more overall medals among American track athletes. Both men’s and women’s USA relay teams have been plagued with issues with passing the baton in the last several Olympics, according to ESPN.
Paul Chelimo, who originally finished second in the men’s 5,000-meter race, was disqualified for a lane infringement.
Stefanidi, a 26-year-old who lives in the United States, shouted in ecstasy as she cleared the bar at 4.85m and celebrated before she even landed.
Felix had previously won golds in the 200 and the 400 and 400 relays in 2012, and the 400 in 2008, and was narrowly denied in the 400 earlier this week when Shaunae Miller of the Bahamas defeated her with a desperate dive for the line.
Felix hasn’t hinted at retirement yet, but she does turn 31 in November, so Friday night’s race very well could have been her last in Olympic competition.
“I’ve done nothing but watch my teammates win gold, win silver, win bronze, win a medal”, Okolo said. Canada was elevated to the bronze medal.
Felix, who also won gold in the 4×100 relay and silver in the 400 meters, now has six career gold medals, extending her record for most golds by a female track athlete.
After hearing the news, Gay sounded as if the team may be haunted: “It has to be the worst luck for this country ever”. “It’s always something weird, stupid, simple, mistakes that always cost us and I don’t understand”.
They have not lost a 4x400m relay since finishing in silver behind the unified team of former Soviet Union states at the 1992 Barcelona Games.
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As if winning five Olympic medals and meeting Zac Efron didn’t do enough to make a memorable Games for Simone Biles, she adds one more experience to her time in Rio.
