Two disqualifications later, the semifinal round of the Women’s 4x100m Relay came to a finish in front of a surprised crowd at the Bird’s Nest on Thursday night.
Fans of Team USA must be having a deja-vu experience of sorts after witnessing the same fault that disqualified the US women in Athens four years ago. After a shocking baton drop during the handoff between third leg runner Torri Edwards and anchor Lauryn Williams, the United States is now out of the running for a medal in the event. This comes, literally, just moments after the US men were disqualified for the same reason in their semifinal 4x100m Relay.
“We’re not sure what happened. We need to watch the video and see what happened. The stick was there, I really don’t know what happened,” said a confused Williams. “I guess I dropped the stick. It seemed like it was right there and it jumped right out [of my hand].”
Edwards was just as baffled by the bad pass. “I don’t know what really happened, I’m obviously disappointed. It was my chance to be a gold medalist.”
With no medals coming to the US team through what is historically one of the country’s strongest Athletics events, Williams is taking it in stride. “It’s definitely very humbling for Team USA and we’re going to hold our head high and get through it.”
Angela Williams and Mechelle Lewis were the other two runners on the disqualified US squad.
The Italian team was ousted through IAAF rule 170.14, early/late take-over. With two teams out of competition for spots in the final, Belgium, reigning world bronze medalist, breezed through as first place winner of heat one, clocking 42.92s. Olivia Borlee ran first, followed by Hanna Marien, Elodie Ouedraogo and Kim Gevaert.
“This is our time. It’s the best British team since the ’80s and we have a great chance, especially with the Americans out,” said a positive Jeanette Kwakye, who took off as the first runner for Great Britain. The talent of Montell Doublas, Emily Freeman and Emma Ania helped the British follow the Belgians in second with 43.02s.
Rosemar Coelho Neto, Lucimar de Moura, Thaissa Presti and Rosangela Santos of Brazil took the last automatic qualifying spot as third in the heat, coming in at 43.38s.
With Women’s 100m Olympic champion Shelley-Ann Fraser bursting out the blocks, two-time Women’s 200m Olympic title holder Veronica Campbell-Brown running the anchor and top athletes Sheri-Ann Brooks and Aleen Bailey sandwiched between, the Jamaican team cruised through heat two with a time of 42.24. Coming in second in 42.87 was Athens 2004 silver medalist Russia, thanks to Evgeniya Polyakova, Aleksandra Fedoriva, Yulia Gushchina and Yuliya Chermoshanskaya. Running across the finish line third was Marion Wagner of the German team, who was supported in the relay by Annett Mollinger, Verena Sailer, and Cathleen Tschirch. They clocked 43.59.
After the official results came in, it turned out that heat one’s fourth and fifth place teams, Nigeria and Poland, respectively, qualified for the final with the two next fastest times out of this round. Nigeria clocked 43.43 and Poland came in at 43.47.
Jamaica is the undisputed gold medal favorite for the event now that the US is out. “We were confident that we would be victorious today,” said Brooks.
The defending Olympic gold medalists may be victorious again in the final, scheduled to start at 9:15 p.m. (UTC/GMT +8) on Friday, August 22.
(Source: en.beijing2008.cn)
