Summary
USA has finished no worse than silver at every Olympics since the 4 × 400 has been on the program, except the boycotted 1980 games. They have won every gold since 1996. Jamaica has medaled in every Olympics since 2000, behind USA. USA qualified in the heats with 3:21.44, running 3 seconds faster than the next best team, GBR behind them in the first heat. All the other qualifying teams were evenly matched, spread across a little over a second. Canada was the slowest qualifier with 3:25.77.
For the final, USA replaced three of the team members, Quanera Hayes, Aaliyah Butler and Kaylyn Brown in the heats, with 400 metres hurdle champion and world record holder, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, 200 metre champion Gabrielle Thomas and Alexis Holmes. Shamier Little was the lone carry over. Coming out of the blocks. Stacey-Ann Williams took the early lead for Jamaica in lane 8, almost swallowing up the entire 3-turn stagger gap to France's Sounkamba Sylla to her outside before the end of the backstretch. Williams came onto the home stretch with a 5 metre lead (deceived by the additional turn of stagger), but Williams would slow on her final 100m. Running a more controlled pace to her inside, Little and Lieke Klaver NED gained that last 100, Little passing to McLaughlin-Levrone clearly in the lead. McLaughlin-Levrone took off like she meant business, opening up close to 15 metres on the field by the break line. The race was now for the other medals. Andrenette Knight JAM had a slight lead on Cathelijn Peeters NED, but Ireland had also put their star Rhasidat Adeleke on second leg. Adeleke moved into third before the end of the straightaway, then in the turn as she was passing Knight, Knight stopped running. Jamaica was out. By the end of her leg, McLaughlin-Levrone handed off to Thomas with almost 30 metres on Adeleke who in turn had 5 metres on a tightening group of NED, GBR, Canada, Belgium and France. McLaughlin-Levrone's relay split of 47.71 was the fourth fastest relay split in history. [2] As Thomas took the baton she cut to the inside, cutting off McLaughlin-Levrone and making her do a tip toe dance off balance along the rail. Thomas didn't let off the gas, adding just a little more to the American lead. GBR 's Nicole Yeargin overtook Ireland's Phil Healy going into the final handoff. All Alexis Holmes had to do was not fall down and the USA would win. Holmes kept the pressure on to hold onto every inch of that huge lead. In pursuit, GBR had Amber Anning, part of the University of Arkansas super sweep at the NCAA meet, Ireland had Sharlene Mawdsley, who had already produced a 49.40 split earlier in the year and NED had Femke Bol with a slew of remarkable anchor performances over the last three years. Holmes pressed all the way to the finish, USA winning impressively with 3:15.27, coming just 0.1 second short of the Soviet 1988 World and Olympics record. Behind her, Mawdsley regained Ireland's advantage on the handoff, holding Anning to the outside through the penultimate turn. Anning got ahead on the backstretch. Closing behind was Bol, passing Mawdsley then Anning to take silver for the Netherlands. Mawdsley tried to follow Bol past Anning but didn't get there. GBR took the bronze. [3]
The American team improved upon the American and North American Record of USA at the 1988 Olympics, famously anchored by FloJo in 48.0. The next four teams each set National Records. In addition to McLaughlin-Levrone 's split, Bol's anchor was automatically timed in 48.00, the ninth fastest in history. For Little, primarily a 400 metres hurdler, #7 of all time, this was her second relay medal at these Olympics, this one gold, which was her first appearance after failing to qualify against the tidal wave of McLaughlin-Levrone and Dalilah Muhammad since 2016.
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