In the world of track and field, let’s talk about the United States women’s 4×400 meters relay team. They’ve been on a winning streak, grabbing seven out of the last eight World Championships and the last seven Olympic gold medals.
But a surprise twist happened one Saturday. During the semifinals, their baton hand-off went wrong, and they got disqualified. The U.S. was behind Britain after three parts of the race. Alexis Holmes couldn’t grab the baton from Quanera Hayes at first, and when she finally got it, she seemed to step out of bounds.
The U.S. still managed to finish second in that round, just behind Britain. But they were marked as disqualified. They’re thinking of appealing this decision. Moving on to the finals were Jamaica and Canada, the fastest teams in the Sunday final.
Now, let’s switch to the U.S. men’s team. They’ve been dominating too, winning eight of the last nine world titles and four out of the last five Olympics. But this time, they faced a tough challenge from India.
Justin Robinson was able to finish the race in 2:58.47, but he had to fight off Rajesh Ramesh in the last curve. This close race led India to an Asian record of 2:59.05, a first for them to break the three-minute mark. Britain secured the third spot by a tiny fraction, only eight thousandths of a second, ahead of Botswana. Luckily, Botswana’s time as a slower loser still got them through to the next round.
In the midst of all this, Jamaica, who usually come second, won the second heat in 2:59.82. France and Italy also made it to the final round. Belgium, who usually win bronze, didn’t make the cut this time. And so, the world of track and field continues with its mix of victories and challenges, each story writing its mark in history.
