Tori Bowie, the silver medalist last Saturday in the individual 100 meters, ran the anchor-leg for the United States.
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After a nerve-wracking 36 hours, the United States women’s 4×100 relay team can now breathe easy after taking home gold for the second straight Olympic Games.
She’s not the only one covered in medals.
Things have fallen the right way for the red, white and blue. The 32-year-old stayed true to her word in the 5,000 final and did not panic when Ayana burst into the lead, winning Kenya’s first ever medal over the distance and cementing her legacy as her country’s most decorated female athlete.
The American team filed a complaint through the International Association of Athletics Federations, track and field’s governing body, and was granted a do-over.
The lead proved insurmountable however, as Bowie flew down the homestretch to a second straight 4×100 gold medal.
“I think yesterday proved that you never know what you’re going to get”. And they definitely made the most of it. But replays showed that a Brazilian runner bumped Felix as she entered the exchange zone. Initially, it seemed as though they may not even get to run in the finals.
Germany walked away with its first-ever gold medal in women’s soccer, besting Sweden (who won silver) in a 2-1 match.
Courtney Okolo has been watching in a lounge at the Olympic Village. Team USA dominated the relay from the inside lane, running 41.01 to stun Jamaica. The Americans advanced easily to the final. Jamaica finished in 41.36 seconds, and Great Britain with 41.77, according to The New York Times.
For the U.S.it’s the second straight Olympic gold in the event.
Not everything has gone the way of the Americans. The tally could have been higher, too, had the USA men’s 4×100 team not been disqualified after finishing third in the subsequent final. After the disqualification, the bronze went to Canada.
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It was the latest chapter in a series of mishaps for the Americans in the 4×100 relay at major championships. The U.S. team had 29 overall at the London Games four years ago, and 40 at the boycott-marred 1984 Los Angeles Games.
