USA defeats Jamaica in the 4×100 meter relay! Dynamo hum! I did not think I would see that soon!
In a stunning 4×100 meter relay race, Team USA held off Team Jamaica for their first defeat since 2008!
Mike Rodgers lead off for the USA with Nesta Carter leading for the Jamaican team. In leg two, Justin Gatlin blew the race open, running against Kemar Bailey-Cole, the CG gold medalist from last summer. Gatlin’s hand off to Tyson Gay was a near disaster, but Tyson Gay and Justin Gatlin both kept their cool, and Gay was off with Nickel Ashmeade in hot pursuit.
Tyson Gay’s handoff to Ryan Bailey who missed the first grab by a foot, was saved as Ryan Bailey, running the race of his young life, churned down the track.
Usain Bolt took the baton about four meters behind and just could not make up any real estate on Ryan Bailey, who began to celebrate just before he finished in a Championship record of 37.38 to Jamaica’s 37.68.
Kudos to Team Japan (Kazuma Oseto, Kenji Fujimitsu, Yoshihide Kiryu to Kotaro Taniguchi, who ran 38.20 for the bronze.
Okay sports fans, this is what I really think. If I am Coach Mills of Team Jamaica, I am happy as can be, because I am going to make those guys hurt so bad the next four months, as all that matters is Beijing!
If I am the American coaches, I am going to say, ” I have my team, and now, dammit, time for some relay camps and get those hand offs down. Dream about them. No screw ups in Jamaica because Team Jamaica is going to come to Beijing ready to roll.”
But tonight, Mike Rodgers, Justin Gatlin, Tyson Gay and Ryan Bailey, I would spend some time having fun tonight!
Great race!!!!!!!
Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."
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