That’s what the US women’s 4×100-meter team did in Rio’s Olympic Stadium.
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The squad-comprised of Olympic long jump champion Tianna Bartoletta, Olympic 400-meter silver medalist Allyson Felix, English Gardner and Bowie-became the first American team to win back-to-back relay titles since the US won in 1992 and 1996.
Running in the inside lane in the final, the USA clocked 41.01 seconds, the second fastest time ever. At the 2012 Olympic Games, the US women set a world record en route to the gold medal (the fastest relay ever).
The United States’ Tori Bowie crossed the finish line 0.35 seconds ahead of Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce to secure gold in the women’s 4×100-meter relay on Friday. Britain won bronze in a national record 41.77.
“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.
The reigning Olympic champs protested, claiming Brazilian Franciela Krasucki bumped Felix before the handover.
The rollercoaster started after he team was initially disqualified, when the baton was dropped earlier Thursday during the handoff between Felix and English Gardner.
The U.S. team had a dropped baton on the second exchange of the second semifinal, and video and photographic evidence confirmed a Brazilian sprinter impeded Felix. But by completing the race, the team established grounds for their appeal of unfair contact.
The appeal was upheld and the Americans were given a target of beating 42.70 seconds to qualify for the final in place of China, who were the slowest of the original finalists.
The rerun came before the scheduled medal ceremony for the long jump, in which Bartoletta won a gold medal Wednesday night. Venacio’s left arm made contact with Felix’s right one and threw her off balance as she was attempting to pass to Gardner.
“Honestly, I feel like it was just like a glorified practice”.
It puts Jamaica, and Bolt, in position for a third straight title in the sprint relay.
It looked as though Sandi Morris of the United States had beaten Stefanidi’s score as she cleared 4.90m but an unfortunate connection with the bar on the way down meant she had to settle for silver. For Gardner, the gold avenges a 100 final in which she placed seventh, after winning the U.S. Olympic Trials.
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“I think the process was fair”, Felix said.
