PARIS – A team of American all-star relay runners won the 400-meter relay on Saturday, beating the Olympic gold medal by more than four seconds.
“The U.S. just has so much depth,” said team member Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.
“We have real Quarter Horses, we really do,” said Shamier Little.
McLaughlin-Levrone, Little, Gabby Thomas and Alexis Holmes ran what at times looked like a separate practice race, while silver-place finishers from the Netherlands and the bronze-medal team from Great Britain battled for second and third place.
The Americans managed a smooth baton handover, but they were also simply superior to the other women and opened up large gaps. Holmes, who finished last, waved the baton in the air and grinned broadly as she crossed the finish line.
It was the eighth consecutive time that the US women won gold in this Olympic discipline.
A few minutes earlier, the US men held off a strong challenge from Botswana to win Olympic gold in the final of the men’s 400m relay in front of a roaring crowd at the Stade de France.
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After the second changeover, the men’s team took a clear lead. But Botswana was able to reduce the gap further and further, and in the end the American runners were only one tenth of a second ahead.
“We have been pushed to our limits. Botswana has done a great job,” said Vernon Norwood of the USA.
In the men’s race, American Rai Benjamin finished in a thrilling race with Letsile Tebogo of Botswana, who won gold in the men’s 200-meter final on Thursday.
The USA’s performance was enough for a gold medal and set a new Olympic record in the discipline. Botswana took silver and Great Britain took bronze.
“It was a really tough race,” said Tebogo. “I had to chase and close the gap. But it didn’t work out.”
Quincy Wilson, the 16-year-old high school student from Maryland who has made a name for himself as a teen track and field phenomenon this year, did not run in the final but took part in an earlier qualifying heat and will share the gold medal.
Copyright: NPR
