Carter became the first United States women’s athlete to win the event since the women’s competition began at the 1948 Summer Olympic Games in London, England, and only the second American to win any medal.
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With their historic 1-2-3 slam in the final of the women’s 100-meter hurdles Wednesday night at Estadio Olimpico, they ran themselves into the 120-year archives of the Games.
Like many black American women, Brianna Rollins, Nia Ali and Kristi Castlin have faced a good few hurdles of the metaphorical kind in their lives. It was just the seventh time that one country has swept the medals in a single event, and the first-ever for the United States women.
Last year, the US women held six of the top 10 fastest times run in the world but were shut out of the medals at the world championships.
“For me, it has been an honor to be able to come out here”, Gatlin said.
The real suspense in the 100 hurdles was if Castlin had indeed come in third, and a review confirmed that she did nip the competition for the bronze.
The U.S. team’s depth is such that world-record holder Kendra Harrison failed to make it through the U.S. trials.
But Castlin, competing in her first Olympics, didn’t give up, and her hard work, as well as her belief in herself, paid off.
The American long jumpers were almost as impressive as their hurdling teammates with Tianna Bartoletta and Brittney Reese going one-two Wednesday night. I see a lot of mothers out here daily and they struggle just to get their body back and appreciate themselves again because they feel so different, they look so different.
The men’s soccer team survived, but Agatha and Barbara lost in the beach volleyball gold medal match to Germany.
The last time an American medaled in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase was in 1984, when Brian Diemer secured the bronze. Ahmad and Natsir got to Wednesday’s gold medal match in Rio by beating Olympic champions Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei of China. In the women’s 200 meters, American Tori Bowie got a bronze, while Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson got the gold to go with her 100 meters triumph. Torie Bowie of the USA won bronze.
Castlin, 28, finished first in her semifinal heat earlier Wednesday, running 12.63.
“I’m going to eat a pizza”, said Bartoletta, when asked how she’d celebrate. “But I knew when I started training in November that I would be on this Olympic team and I would be on the podium”.
“I have to respect (the track authorities’) decision even if it is something I don’t necessarily agree with”, King said.
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“I definitely think I can try for the world record”, said the sprinter, whose current record in the 200 stands at 19.19 seconds. USA sprinter Justin Gatlin who had been the fastest over 200 meters so far this year, failed to qualify for the final.
