Never mind the rain. Team USA lap relayists continued to roll from Worlds wins in ’22 and ’23 to the top of the Olympic podium. (KIRBY LEE/IMAGE OF SPORT)
IT MIGHT NOT HAVE been a textbook example of a flawless performance, but the U.S. women recovered the title they last won in ’16 with a 41.78 victory. With Great Britain just 0.07 behind, it was the closest Olympic finish in this event in the last 32 years.
The victory was foreshadowed by the foursome’s producing the fastest time in the heats,with a 41.94 finish ahead of Germany’s 42.15. Great Britain positioned itself as the challenger in winning the second heat in 42.03, with France at 42.13.
Conditions changed markedly for the final, with rain falling steadily as the runners took to their marks. The U.S. lined up the same athletes in the same order as in the heats: Melissa Jefferson, TeeTee Terry, Gabby Thomas and Sha’Carri Richardson. Britain made two substitutions, bringing in Dina Asher-Smith on leadoff and Daryll Neita on anchor.
The defending champions from Jamaica put together a makeshift team after being hit by injury and withdrawals. Tia Clayton, who had finished 7th in the 100 final, would anchor.
The quickest start went to Britain in lane 8, as Asher-Smith got out splendidly, clocking an 11.02 for her opener. The Germans in 7 made it to the handoff next, followed by the United States in lane 5, with Jefferson running her leg in 11.46 to deliver a snappy pass to Terry.
Past the German team on the backstretch, Terry’s 9.98 run narrowed the gap but did not quite catch Britain’s Imani Lansiquot. Terry’s handoff to Thomas wasn’t pretty, but it got the job done. Thomas (10.25) ran an effective curve but couldn’t reel in Britain’s Amy Hunt, who had handed off smoothly a stride earlier. Germany’s Amy Lückenkemper stormed the curve in 9.89, handing off even with the Brits.
The Thomas-Richardson hand-off was problematic, and the 100 bronze medalist had to dig her way out of a hole once she got the stick. Both Germany’s Rebekka Haase and Britain’s Neita ran ahead. Richardson drove hard and as she was moving into the lead with 20m to go, she took a good look at her competitors to the right before crossing the line in 41.78.
It was the slowest winning time since the Russians won gold on ’04 after a U.S. disqualification. Surely this time the rain was a major factor.
Great Britain took the silver in 41.85, moving a step up the podium from Tokyo’s bronze. Germany, in 41.97 celebrated its bronze, the first medal it had won since reunification — East Germany captured silver in ’88. France took 4th in 42.23 and Jamaica 5th in 42.29. It was the worst finish for the island nation since its DNF in ’08.
Said Terry, “We just came in here with a goal of trusting each other and doing what we needed to do. Just relying on each other, because we don’t practice together often.”
“I just remember trusting my third leg,” said Richardson, “Trusting Gabby and knowing that she’s going to put this thing in my hand no matter what, and to leave my best on the track.”
The rain, Terry added, was not a problem. “We were prepared for moments like this… This didn’t throw off anything, it was just a matter of staying focused.”
Said Britain’s Hunt, “We didn’t really think much about the weather. I mean, being British, I guess it was kind of familiar.”
WOMEN’S 4 x 100 RESULTS
FINAL (August 09)
(temperature 79F/26C; humidity 64%)
1. United States 41.78
(Melissa Jefferson 11.46, TeeTee Terry 9.98, Gabby Thomas 10.25, Sha’Carri Richardson 10.09);
2. Great Britain 41.85
(Dina Asher-Smith 11.02, Imani Lansiquot 10.13, Amy Hunt 10.37, Daryll Neita 10.33);
3. Germany 41.97
(Alexandra Burghardt 11.35, Lisa Mayer 10.27, Gina Lückenkemper 9.89, Rebekka Haase 10.46);
4. France 42.23
(Orlann Oliere 11.54, Gemima Joseph 9.98, Helene Parisot 10.12, Chloe Galet 10.59);
5. Jamaica 42.29
(Alana Reid 11.50, Kemba Nelson 10.34, Shashalee Forbes 10.25, Tia Clayton 10.20);
6. Canada 42.69
(Sade McCreath-Tardiel 11.65, Jacqueline Madogo 10.34, Marie-Éloïse Leclair 10.43, Audrey Leduc 10.27);
7. Netherlands 42.74
(Isabel Van Den Berg 11.79, Marije van Hunenstijn 10.03, Minke Bisschops 10.51, Tasa Jiya 10.41);
… dq—[6]Switzerland [42.67]
(Salome Kora 11.49, Sarah Atcho-Jaquier 10.34, Leonie Pointet 10.27, Mujinga Kambundji 10.57).
(lanes: 2. Netherlands; 3. Canada; 4. Jamaica; 5. USA; 6. France; 7. Germany; 8. Great Britain; 9. Switzerland)
(reaction times: 0.129 Canada, 0.134 Switzerland, 0.143 Jamaica, 0.144 Netherlands, 0.155 USA, 0.156 France, 0.166 Germany, 0.177 Great Britain)
HEATS (August 08)
I–1. United States 41.94; 2. Germany 42.15 (Sophia Junk, Mayer, Lückenkemper, Haase); 3. Switzerland 42.38; 4. Australia 42.75 (Ella Connolly, Bree Masters, Kristie Edwards, Torrie Lewis); 5. Poland 42.86 (Magdalena Niemczyk, Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, Magdalena Stefanowicz, Ewa Swoboda); 6. Italy 43.03 (Zaynab Dosso, Dalia Kaddari, Irene Siragusa, Arianna De Masi);… dq—Belgium, Côte d’Ivoire.
II–1. Great Britain 42.03 (Bianca Williams, Lansiquot, Hunt, Desiree Henry); 2. France 42.13; 3. Jamaica 42.35; 4. Canada 42.50 NR; 5. Netherlands 42.64; 6. Nigeria 42.70 (=fastest non-qualifier ever) (Tiana Eyakpobeyan, Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma, Tima Seikeseye Godbless); 7. Spain 42.77 (Sonia Molina, Jael Bestue, Paula Sevilla, Maria Isabel Pérez); 8. Trinidad 43.99 (Akilah Lewis, Sole Frederick, Sanaa Frederick, Leah Bertrand).
Jeff Hollobaugh is a writer and stat geek who has been associated with T&FN in various capacities since 1987. He is the author of How To Race The Mile. He lives in Michigan where he can often be found announcing track meets in bad weather.
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Publish date : 2024-08-29 08:53:00
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