The world looked on in shock as USA’s women’s relay team dropped their baton in the first round of the 4x100m at the Rio Olympic Games on Thursday. The defending champions who had taken gold in London in 2012 and probably the only team capable of beating the Jamaicans were out thanks to a baton exchange gone horribly wrong.
The 4x100 relay is one of the true tests of character at the Olympics. No matter how much you practise, anything can go wrong at any given moment. From a false start leading to a disqualification (as the men’s Dominican Republic found out in their heat) to teammates panicking leading to a loss in time during the exchange (like the women’s team from Netherlands suffered) – it is delivering on the big stage that eventually counts.
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USA dropped the baton on the second exchange when Allyson Felix seemed to throw the baton to the third runner English Gardner. Batons are meant to be handed over to the next runner whose eyes are directed forward as they accelerate and get up to speed just before the exchange. Gardner had no clue that Felix had lost her balance and thrown the baton forward.
It was only when she failed to receive the baton before reaching the end of the demarcated exchange zone that she realised something was amiss and stopped to look back, only to see the baton lying on the track and Felix cursing; her face red with rage at what had transpired.
“It was different. It was really weird. When I saw it lying there I knew what happened, so I knew that was not how it goes.” – Felix
Felix eventually got her teammate to pick the baton and complete the race as USA finished with a time that was more than one minute – 22 seconds longer than the teams that finished the heat in qualifying positions.
USA win appeal after evidence is reviewed
But before Jamaica or any of the teams could heave a sigh of relief, a protest was lodged by the USA Track and Field team. The Rio Games' Jury of Appeals reviewed the replays and agreed that it was interference from another team that had caused Felix to lose her rhythm and ultimately drop the baton during the exchange.
It soon came to light that it was the Brazilian runner in the lane alongside Felix who had impeded her progress. To the disappointment of the home crowd, Brazil were disqualified and USA were given another chance to qualify. The recorded time in their heat deemed unfair and was obviously not going to be enough to qualify.
So as night descended on Rio, the four runners took to the track again for a third heat – with no other team to compete with. Their target? Beat China’s eighth-place finishing time of 42.70 seconds to qualify for the final.
“We just had fun out there. We were laughing and joking going in, staying light, and that was the whole point.” – Gardner
As USA ran what Gardner dubbed a "glorified practice" run, it was evident that they were not a team to be messed with. With clean, crisp exchanges on a deserted track where every call of "Stick" and "Go!" were audible during each baton exchange, USA set the fastest time among all teams – a season best 41.77 seconds – almost a second faster than eighth-placed China.
Sadly, China were knocked out and they filed their own appeal to protest. However, that was immediately denied by the Rio Games’ Jury of Appeals. But there was no question that USA deserved to qualify for the final.
Not many teams are successful with appeals in the 4x100m relay, be it dropped batons or cutting lanes. But, this time, there was a legitimate reason to lodge one and USA delivered when they received a second chance.
Had they not completed the race, they would never have had the chance for finishing the race is the main requirement to lodge a protest. Felix’s presence of mind paid off and they now have a shot at the gold medal in the final on Saturday, 20 August at 6:45 AM IST.
For 42 seconds, Tianna Bartoletta, Allyson Felix, English Gardner and Morolake Akinosun had the track at the Rio Olympic Stadium all to themselves with the spotlight very much on the four runners instead of the usual 32 in a 4x100 relay.
“We already knew we were going to execute the first time,” Gardner explained after the ‘race’. “It’s just that was had an unforeseen circumstance.
“All we had to do is the same plan that we had the first time, just get out of there and actually execute it.”
Women’s 4x100m finalists
| # | Country | Heat | Time (s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 3 | 41.77 |
| 2 | Jamaica | 1 | 41.79 |
| 3 | Great Britain | 1 | 41.93 |
| 4 | Germany | 2 | 42.18 |
| 5 | Ukraine | 1 | 42.49 |
| 6 | Nigeria | 2 | 42.55 |
| 7 | Trinidad and Tobago | 2 | 42.62 |
| 8 | Canada | 1 | 42.70 |
| 9 | China (elimintaed) | 1 | 42.70 |
