The total of 34 medals is the most since Americans won 40 at Los Angeles in 1984, and the most in a non-hosted Olympics since 42 in 1912. There is a chance for a 35th and final track & field medal, as the women’s marathon takes place the morning of the final day of competition.
Racing a few minutes before the women, the men set the stage as they posted an Olympic Record to defend their title from Tokyo. The quartet of Christopher Bailey, Vernon Norwood, Bryce Deadmon and Rai Benjamin crossed the line at 2:54.43 to break the previous record of 2:55.39 set by the U.S. at Beijing in 2008. Botswana took second with 2:54.53 and Great Britain rounded out the podium with a 2:55.83. Benjamin, the newly crowned 400m gold medalist, threw down the fastest split for the U.S. with a 43.18 as he fought to hold off Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo on the anchor leg.
“It was probably my most calculated anchor leg that I’ve ever run,” said Benjamin. “I knew it wasn’t going to be easy… so I had to be really, really smart and I did my best to hold him off.”
Notably, the men were without Quincy Hall, the 400m champion here in Paris, and he was not used in the heats yesterday. However, 16-year-old Quincy Wilson did race in the first round, making him the youngest male track and field gold medalist in Olympic history. The relay gold marks number 19 in the event for the U.S., seven above the nearest competitor, Great Britain.
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