The United States won Olympic 4x400m men’s relay gold in the final track event of Rio 2016.
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The U.S. team in Rio featured, in order, Tianna Bartoletta, Allyson Felix, English Gardner and Tori Bowie.
Only the gold-medal winning United States team at the 2012 London Games has gone faster.
Before the 2012 Games, the U.S. had won the previous two gold medals, and six of the previous seven.
The Jamaican anchor closed well to help Jamaica finish second. Over the second and third laps, Americans Natasha Hastings and Phyllis Francis held big leads, only to watch them dwindle dramatically as they legged out their final meters. This race has gone to American teams six straight times. His time was 3 minutes, 50 seconds.
Merritt looked equally relieved.
Merritt won bronze in the 400 earlier this week in Rio. Then, Merritt was a bit player in the Usain Bolt going-away party, placing fifth the 200.
Cheruiyot broke away with two laps to go, ending any hopes the 10,000-meter gold medal victor, Almaz Ayana of Ethiopia, had of winning both distance track events.
Courtney Okolo gave the U.S. an early lead and it was maintained for the rest of the race by Natasha Hastings, Phyllis Francis and Allyson Felix. But on back-to-back nights, she took relay gold, starting with the 4×100 on Friday.
The U.S. men’s 4×400 relay also won gold, avenging a rare loss in the 2012 Olympics.
Lowe, 32, burst out laughing.
Bahamas clocked in at 2:58.49, edging Belgium by 0.03 seconds.
Spain’s Ruth Beitia enjoyed first-time clearances up to her winning height of 1.97m to win her first major high jump title at the age of 37 on countback ahead of Bulgaria’s Mirela Demireva and Croatia’s Blanka Vlasic.
Thomas Rohler of Germany won his first major title with his penultimate throw of 90.30 meters to clinch the javelin gold medal. Britain claimed bronze in 3:25.88, Xinhua news agency reported. I can think of nothing else to say but bad luck. “I can not feel that I have lost anything because of the competition today. I let them do that”, she said. “I have lost nothing out here”.
Felix had been knocked off balance by Brazilian runner Kauiza Venancio as she prepared to hand off and they earned another chance despite China, who were denied a place in the final in the process, claiming that the USA team were to blame for the dropped baton.
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“It’s really special”, said four-time Olympian Felix who had started the Games somewhat frustrated after missing out on qualification for the 200m.
