US relay team granted re-run after baton drop: In this Rio Update, the U.S. women’s 4x100m relay team was granted a re-run this evening after officials determined another runner bumped Allyson Felix, causing her to drop her baton.
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Allyson Felix fails to hand over the baton to English Gardner during the preliminary heats of the 4×100 relay on Thursday.
A Jury of Appeals granted a protest by the United States on the outcome of second heat of the women’s 400-meter relay, in which the USA relay was disqualified after dropping the baton.
China appealed Team USA’s reinstatement, but it was denied.
Their time of 41.77 seconds was faster than the 41.79 turned in by Jamaica in the morning’s first semifinal.
The team of Tianna Bartoletta, Allyson Felix, English Gardner and Morolake Akinosun needed a time better than 42.70 seconds to reach the final.
Felix seemed to stumble as she entered the exchange zone and could not catch third runner Gardner, flipping the baton in desperation, ESPN reports. “It’s different, just not the year I was expecting”.
“I ve never been involved in anything like that”, Felix said, adding she had no qualms about the decision which ultimately led to China s relay squad being knocked out of the final.
The team filed a protest, a spokesperson for USA Track and Field said immediately afterward. And the USA team ran a 41.76 in their solo race to earn the top spot in Friday’s final in Rio de Janeiro. I think it uplifted us and encouraged us. Unfortunately, the mistake proved to be fatal as the US team finished dead last in their heat.
“I don’t know how much more I can take”, said Felix, whose season has been filled with injuries, disappointments and, now, this. “One time a photographer was leaning over a lane to get a picture and a Saddle Brook kid tried to avoid him and went down”.
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The United States will get a second chance to qualify for the women’s 4×100 metres final after appealing against their disqualification in their heat after a bungled handover.
