Felix ran the 400 in 49.51 seconds, but Miller came in at 49.44. Miller won her first Olympic gold, Felix took home the silver, and the Internet quickly took to debating a big question: Was Miller’s dramatic dive even legal? Some scoffed at Miller, saying she didn’t deserve the gold medal.
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“I don’t know kind of what happened”, Miller said.
Miller, twenty two years old, won by a hairline and in the most unexpected fashion.
Felix, who had battled back from injury to make the USA team for Rio, said her record haul of medals at the Olympics and world championships was little consolation for the loss. This is the moment I have been waiting for, I just gave it my all.
“It is such an emotional moment for me”.
Felix told the Today show that she was “not too used to seeing” a dive like that in a race.
WHEN you’re in an Olympic final then you’ll do everything in your power to win gold and Bahamian athlete Shaunae Miller certainly did that in the 400m final.
However, the win was controversial and many felt Miller should have finished the race on her feet. “I have some cuts and bruises, a few burns… it hurt”. Felix finished second in 49.51 while Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson took bronze with a time of 49.85.
“I could have been a bit more aggressive”, she said, talking about the first part of the race. He tweeted: “Sprinters know the quickest way across the line is a well timed lean”. “She gave everything she had and her legs gave out at the line”, said Miller’s coach, Lance Brauman. In what will become Olympic legend, Miller dove across the finish line to snatch the gold from the grasp of Felix.
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Felix was denied a chance to defend her 200 metre title after she failed to finish in the top three in her United States trials.
