For the primary time in 20 years, Jamaica’s males won’t be part of the 4×100 meters relay last on the Olympic Video games.
In Thursday’s qualifying heats, Jamaica might solely muster a fourth-place end behind Canada, France, and China. Solely the highest three from the 2 heats robotically qualify, with the subsequent two quickest occasions from both warmth rounding out the eight-team last. Sadly for Jamaica, who had the good thing about realizing how briskly the primary warmth was, missed out at 38.45 seconds, which was slower than all however one workforce from Warmth 1.
The quartet of Ackeem Blake, Jelani Walker, Jehlani Gordon, and 100-meter silver medalist Kishane Thompson have been anticipated to succeed in the ultimate and add one other chapter to the Jamaica vs. United State rivalry, however poor baton exchanges from Walker to Gordon and particularly Gordon to Thompson doomed their possibilities of advancing. Gordon didn’t run flip and his handoff to Thompson practically occurred past the change zone (outlined by the yellow marker on the observe), which might’ve been a disqualification. By the point Thompson had the baton, he was left with an excessive amount of to do.
This shock consequence means there will likely be no rematch between Thompson and Noah Lyles on the anchor leg in Friday’s last. The US gained their warmth in 37.47 seconds with out Lyles or Kenny Bednarek, who’re in Thursday night time’s 200-meter last. The People would be the overwhelming favorites to win their first Olympic 4x100m relay gold since 2000.
Unhealthy relay exchanges have sometimes been the area of the American males, who dropped the baton within the 2008 Olympics, have been disqualified in Rio 2016 for an unlawful change on the anchor leg, didn’t advance out of the heats in Tokyo 2020 attributable to poor exchanges, and have had 5 different DNFs or baton-related DQs in World Championships relationship again to 1995.
Through the peak of Usain Bolt’s profession, Jamaica have been actually unbeatable within the relay, profitable three Olympic golds (one in all which was annulled after Nesta Carter’s constructive drug check) and 4 consecutive world titles from 2008-2016. Since 2017, which noticed Bolt’s profession finish mendacity on the observe injured, Jamaica have solely gained two World Championship bronze medals however nothing extra.
The excellent news for Jamaica is that their ladies did make the ultimate regardless of the absences of Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shericka Jackson, and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, all of whom gained’t be collaborating attributable to their respective accidents.
