The United States failed to qualify for the finals of the
women’s 4 x 100 meter relay at the Rio Olympics Thursday but was given a
reprieve after a protest was upheld.
In the qualifying heats, US runner Allyson Felix seemed to
stumble as she entered the exchange zone and could not catch English Gardner,
the third runner in the relay, flipping the baton in desperation. The baton hit
the ground as Gardner and Felix crashed into each other. The US team did finish
the heat, coming in last.
The US protested to the International Association of
Athletics Federation, and the statement from the IAAF:
"The Jury of Appeals for the Rio Games upheld the USA’s
appeal, saying that Felix was indeed obstructed on the second exchange. The
relay team will re-run the race alone tonight (7 p.m. ET), needing to post a
time of at least 42.70 seconds to advance into the finals.
"But a successful re-run will create a second problem:
Both China and Canada finished with identical 42.70-second times. Therefore,
should the USA post a faster time, China and Canada would need to race again to
decide which team makes the eight-country final."
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