Andre De Grasse, Brendon Rodney, Jerome Blake and Aaron Brown of team Canada at Paris Olympics.© AFP
Andre de Grasse anchored Canada to victory in the Olympic men’s 4x100m relay in Paris on Friday. The Canadian quartet, also comprising Aaron Brown, Jerome Blake and Brendon Rodney, clocked 37.50 seconds for gold. South Africa took silver in an African record of 37.57sec and Britain bronze (37.61). Defending champions Italy, featuring 2021 100m champion Marcell Jacobs on the second leg, finished fourth in 37.68sec. The United States, missing Covid-hit 100m champion Noah Lyles, initially crossed the line in seventh in 37.89, but were later disqualified.
Christian Coleman botched the first baton handover with Kenny Bednarek, the latter coming to an almost total standstill.
Kyree King and Fred Kerley could do nothing to drag the quartet back into the running.
It continues the sprint powerhouse’s dismal Olympic run.
The last time the US men medalled was with a silver at the 2004 Athens Games.
There was a botched handoff in the heats of the 2021 Tokyo Games, while the US were disqualified at the 2016 Rio Games and failed to medal in London in 2012 whilst also coming a cropper in the semi-finals in Beijing in 2008.
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