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.
Advertisement
The Americans had taken the hard route to the final, almost missing out on a place after Felix dropped the baton when handing over to Gardner in their heat on Thursday morning.
Of course, this particular gold medal comes with a massive helping of redemption, seeing as the USA ladies barely qualified for the final race in the first place.
It was also a historic night for Jamaican veteran Campbell-Brown, who became the second athlete to win a medal in athletics at five Olympic Games after Merlene Ottey, her fellow Jamaican who switched allegiance to Slovenia late in her career. At the 2012 Olympics, the US ran the fastest time ever, 40.82 seconds. Great Britain claimed the bronze (41.77).
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.
Cheruiyot went past Ayana with less than two laps to go and could not be caught as she finished in 14 minutes 26.17 seconds.
Bartoletta added: “I would like to advocate for nine lanes in championship stadiums just in case this happens because we don’t want to ever be responsible for somebody not achieving their own Olympic goals”.
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – In the shadow of mighty Usain Bolt, Allyson Felix achieved something unprecedented in women’s track and field Friday by winning her fifth Olympic gold medal.
Officials agreed that Felix had been impeded prior to the handoff and granted the US a re-run – alone under the bright lights at Olympic stadium last night. Seemingly inspired by teammate Ivan Zaytsev and his frighteningly good serves, Italy made one of Rio’s most memorable comebacks, trouncing the US and moving on to Sunday’s championship match.
She entered the games as one of six women to have won four golds in track and field. Her gold was Greece’s first in athletics since the Athens Games in 2004.
“I’m extremely happy”, she said. “Two golds, a silver, I can’t complain”, she said.
Advertisement
Ayana set off strongly and seemed to take the lead for good after one third of the race.
