Decoding USA women's dominance in 4x100m relay at the Olympics
The women's 4x100 relay Olympic gold is back with USA as the American team triumphed at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The star-studded team featuring Gabby Thomas, Sha'Carri Richardson, Melissa Jefferson, and Twanisha Terry cruised to first place, clocking a season-best 41.78 seconds. Meanwhile, this was USA's 12th Olympic gold in the women's 4x100 relay. Here we decode the American contingent's dominance in this event.
USA aced the final after topping Heat 1
The USA relay team started its campaign by topping Heat 1, clocking an impressive 41.94sec. They further enhanced their timing in the final and recorded 41.78se. Notably, USA finished second in the women's 4x100 relay at the 2020 Tokyo Games as Jamaica prevailed. The American contingent won gold medals in the previous two editions (2016 and 2012).
12 gold medals for USA
12 of USA's 16 Olympic medals in the women's 4x100 relay have been gold. The tally also includes two silver and as many bronze. Meanwhile, East Germany (2) is the only other nation with multiple golds in this regard. 1932, 1936, 1952, 1960, 1968, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2012, and 2016 are the other Olympic editions that saw the USA women's relay team prevail.
Here are the multiple medalists
Former USA sprinter Evelyn Ashford has the most Olympic golds in this event (3). Annette Rogers, Alice Brown, Carlette Guidry, Gwen Torrence, Tianna Bartoletta, and Allyson Felix are the other Americans with multiple relay gold medals (2 apiece). The USA quartet of Tianna Madison, Allyson Felix, Bianca Knight, and Carmelita Jeter own the Olympic record for registering 40.82sec at the 2012 London Games.
American men's team disqualified in 4x100 relay
While the women's 4x100 relay team brought medal to USA, the men's team had a forgettable run. They were disqualified for an illegal pass as Christan Coleman crashed into teammate Kenny Bednarek while making the exchange between the first and second legs. This ouster meant the American men's team extended its drought to 20 years without an Olympic medal in the 4x100 relay.
