Team USA won Olympic gold in the men’s relay and 4X400 relay on Saturday, with the men breaking an Olympic record and falling just 0. 1 shy of the world record.
Just a few moments into the women’s race, the tension is even greater among the men. 400 hurdles gold medalist Rai Benjamin edged out 200m champion Letsile Tebogo to give the United States a 0. 1-second victory over Botswana, the biggest mystery of a packed nine-day meet.
Rai Benjamin edged out Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo in the anchor adjustment to give the United States a gold medal and an Olympic record time in the men’s 4×400-meter relay at the Paris Games on Saturday night.
Benjamin added that Olympic name to the one he had won the day before in the 400 meters hurdles and prevented the 200 meters champion, Tebogo, from giving Botswana the victory over the Americans.
It was Tebogo, the 21-year-old board sensation, who stole the display (and gold) from the United States in the 200 meters on Thursday, relegating Kenny Bednarek to silver and Noah Lyles, who tested positive for COVID-19, to bronze. .
The American quartet of Christopher Bailey, Vernon Norwood, Bryce Deadmon and Benjamin finished all 4 laps in 2 minutes and 54. 43 seconds, almost a moment faster than the American 4×400 team that competed at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. And Saturday’s time was just 0. 14 seconds shy of the world record set through the United States in 1993.
Botswana took 10th place on Saturday, with Tebogo joining through Bayapo Ndori, Busang Collen Kebinatshipi and Anthony Pesela.
Great Britain third in 2:55. 83.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Gabby Thomas teamed up to win United States No. 14 gold and track gold on Saturday, ending the Olympic action at the Stade de France with a 4. 23-second run in the women’s 4×400 relay.
The gold medalists in the 400 hurdles and two hundred meters took care of the second and third stages for the United States, giving a 30-meter lead to Alexis Holmes, who did not lose ground.
The United States finished in 3 minutes and 15. 27 seconds, just 0. 1 short of the world record.