The relay team will re-run the race alone tonight (7 p.m. ET), needing to post a time of at least 42.70 seconds to advance into the finals.
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The United States sought reinstatement into the final of the women’s 4×100 meters after claiming that Allyson Felix was bumped by a rival runner just ahead of a botched handover. It’s unclear which of them would be bumped out of the final if the US women post a faster time in their rerun.
Team USA plans to file a protest over the result of the women’s 4×100-meter relay preliminary heat that saw the team drop the baton after a Brazilian runner in the next lane made contact with Allyson Felix. The baton fell to the ground in lane 4; at Felix’s request, Gardner eventually picked it up and the US ran the final two legs, crossing the finish line in just under 2 minutes in last place.
“I tried to hold it together to get to English”. It hit the ground as Gardner and Felix crashed into each other.
The contact threw Felix off balance, dropping the baton as she attempted to pass it off. “Maybe if I had one more step I could’ve, but I was falling as I was going to her”.
The Americans – considered favorites in the relay that they won at the 2012 Olympics with a Felix-led team – entered that second exchange zone in the middle of the pack.
Upset, true, but experienced enough to retain her focus amid the drama.
“I just remembered them telling us that if there’s an appeal you have to make an effort”, she said. Initially, Brazil, Kazakhstan and the United States were all disqualified.
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Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce anchored the Jamaicans to victory in the first heat in 41.79, opening the door for Thompson to sweep the sprint medals at the Rio Olympics.
