SAINT-DENIS, France — The Olympic medal drought continues for the U.S. men’s 4×100 relay, which was disqualified after crossing the finish line in seventh place on Friday.
Canada finished first in 37.50 seconds, followed by South Africa in 37.57 seconds and Great Britain in 37.61 seconds to claim the bronze medal.
Torn by failed exchanges at previous Olympics, Team USA allowed the problem to rear its ugly head again in Paris.
Christian Coleman, Kenny Betnarek, Kyrie King and Fred Kerley – The team – alternated between Coleman and Betnarek. The exchange was delayed and Bednarek had to come to an almost complete stop to accept the baton. By the time he got to it, the American team was out of position.
The team was later disqualified for running out of zone after Coleman passed the baton out of the handball zone.
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“Obviously we’re all going to push ourselves. Track and field is an individual sport, so in sprinting we do our own thing. So when we come together as a team, that’s the fun part. Obviously, it’s a little thing. It’s disappointing, especially for America, that we have to do that. “We wanted to bring it home and we knew we had the speed to do it,” Coleman told reporters. “It didn’t happen, but we’re human too. We’ve had ups and downs in life. It’s one of those times where you have to keep your head down and keep pushing.”
Also:Shakari Richardson and Gabby Thomas lead the U.S. women to gold in the 4×100 relay.
Regardless of the runners who make up the U.S. men’s team, it has struggled badly with the baton exchanges at the Olympics. They have not won a medal in the 4×100 relay since winning silver at the 2004 Athens Games. The team last won a gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
American track star Noah Lyles, who won the 100m gold and contracted Covid-19 on Tuesday, missed the men’s relay final due to his illness. But with the consistency of other talented sprinters, Lyles won’t need a medal for the U.S. if the handsets are clean.
“We’re all world class and I expect we’ll all be back in LA,” Coleman said. “On home soil, I think we can get the confidence to bring it home.”
Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.
