Ruling that the runner had been obstructed by a Brazilian runner at the second exchange (from Allyson Felix to English Gardner) the jury ruled that the USA women will rerun the race alone Thursday night. The protest states that a Brazilian runner impeded with Felix during the hand-off.
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The Jamaicans needed Fraser-Pryce’s blistering finish to hold off Britain who were third-fastest in 41.93, ahead of Germany, who won the second heat in 42.18 after the Americans dropped out of contention.
China appealed Team USA’s reinstatement, but it was denied. I have never been in that situation before, but I am happy that we got a shot at it.
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) ruled in favor of the United States, granting them a time trial Thursday night to try and place for the semifinal.
Track and field’s global governing body, the IAAF, agreed with the USA, setting up an unusual event tonight – 7 p.m.in Rio and 6 p.m. ET – when the Americans will run a race alone on the track at Olympic Stadium. In all likelihood, the appeal will be successful. She explained that a foreign object coming in front of the athlete inevitably ruins the handover.
“I think I got propelled at about 20 miles an hour”, Felix said.
Upset, true, but experienced enough to retain her focus amid the drama. The team went on to finish the race and filed an appeal immediately afterward.
“I just remembered them telling us that if there’s an appeal you have to make an effort”, she said.
Brazil was subsequently disqualified.
“We’re going to regroup, get ourselves together and go out there and be able to compete in the final”, Gardner said before she was aware of the extraordinary circumstances of the U.S protest.
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They posted a time of 41.77, nearly a second faster than the target and narrowly in front of Jamaica, the fastest of the automatic qualifiers in 41.79.
