USA’s Allyson Felix celebrates as she crosses the finish line to win the Women’s 4x400m Relay Final during the athletics event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 20, 2016.
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Earlier, Allyson Felix won a women’s track record sixth Olympic gold medal, helping the United States win the 1,600 relay. The count is 38 gold, 35 silver and 32 bronze.
The world was first introduced to Felix in 2004, in the Athens Games, when at just 18 years old, she won the silver medal in the individual 200-meter, getting beaten by Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown, according to NBC Olympics. She is now tied for third among all track and field athletes, trailing only Finland’s Paavo Nurmi with 12 and Carl Lewis with 10.
It wasn’t all ideal for the red, white and blue, however. She gave the US the lead before handing off to Allyson Felix, who kept the USA up there with the mighty Jamaicans, before English Gardner and Tori Bowie brought the baton, tightly clenched in their hands, home for gold.
That the Americans are leading the medals table is no shock, either.
High jumpers Chaunte Lowe, a mother of three who finally felt ready for her Olympic moment, and Vashti Cunningham, daughter of former National Football League quarterback Randall, finished fourth and 13th in a contest taken by Ruth Beitia of Spain.
Matthew Centrowitz won a gold medal in the men’s 1,500-meter final.
The relay win was the latest in a a 20-year unbeaten reign in the event for the United States. At last years world championships, a minor bobble in the less-technical 4×400 cost a precious split second that made the difference in a loss to Jamaica.
Though it was largely expected given her dominance in the sport over the past three years, Biles’ competition here was a resounding success.
Tianna Bartoletta kneeled into the blocks and waited for the starters pistol. “It’s just awesome. I’m super proud and they’re super proud and I’m just happy for the whole of track and field in Germany”, he said.
Even when things don’t go well, for the most part, they turn out all right. They sailed through in the final despite the disadvantage of racing in the tightest lane, number one.
“People are at home watching watching 2012, watching 2008”, said Felix, 30, who wrapped up her fourth Olympics and now has nine total medals.
Courtney Okolo has been watching in a lounge at the Olympic Village.
In the 4×400, she ran a 49.66-second anchor lap. The Americans advanced easily to the final.
Her medal collection will remain with her parents.
But after the baton was dropped, an appeal over Brazilian interference lodged and a weird solo re-run against the clock undertaken, Friday’s final saw the Americans surge home to claim gold ahead of Jamaica and Great Britain in far more orthodox style.
“Today it wasn’t really about me, it was a real team effort”.
Not everything has gone the way of the Americans.
“It was the twilight zone”, Gatlin said. After the disqualification, the bronze went to Canada. Before the finals began, English Gardner, who ran the third leg of the relay, realized she only had one shoe in her bag. It’s always something weird; stupid; simple-mistakes that always cost us.
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Still, barring a unusual set of circumstances, the Americans could wind up with the highest total since the team had 40 at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, where the Soviet Union didn’t compete.
