World record threatened as USA pips Botswana to men's 4x400m title in Paris

USA and Botswana stormed to the second- and third-fastest men’s 4x400m performances of all time to take respective gold and silver at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on Saturday (10).

USA ran an Olympic record of 2:54.43 to take the title, just a tenth of a second ahead of Botswana in an African record, as they narrowly missed the world record of 2:54.29 set by USA in Stuttgart in 1993.

There was also an area record for Great Britain & Northern Ireland as they clocked 2:55.83 to improve the European record and claim bronze.

USA secured a 19th Olympic title in the event as 400m hurdles champion Rai Benjamin brought the baton home in record time, while the Botswana team, anchored by 200m champion Letsile Tebogo with a 43.04 split, secured their nation’s fourth ever Olympic medal.

Following his run for the US team in the heats, 16-year-old Quincy Wilson became the youngest ever men’s Olympic gold medallist in athletics.

USA, Botswana and Great Britain were pretty evenly matched after the first leg, as Christopher Bailey handed over to Vernon Norwood, Bayapo Ndori – after a 44.30 split – passed the baton to Busang Collen Kebinatshipi, and Matthew Hudson-Smith took over from Alex Haydock-Wilson.

Botswana then edged ahead but Hudson-Smith, the individual silver medallist, caught Kebinatshipi with the fastest split of the second leg – 43.09 – and they were joined at the changeover by Norwood, who ran 43.26. Bryce Deadmon went out hard for USA and put them ahead on the third leg with a 43.54 split, as Botswana’s Anthony Pesela passed Britain’s Lewis Davey before the final exchange.

Then it was down to Benjamin and Tebogo. Benjamin remained a couple of strides ahead of his rival until the final bend, when Tebogo upped the pressure again. But Benjamin responded and they pushed each other to two of the three fastest times in history – Benjamin running a split of 43.18 and Tebogo 43.04.

Charles Dobson ran the anchor for Britain and held on to bronze ahead of Belgium in a national record of 2:57.75, South Africa in a national record of 2:58.12 and Japan in an Asian record of 2:58.33.

"I feel like this Olympic Games we were connected as a team, and we fed off each other's energy,” said Benjamin. "Vernon and Bryce, Shamier (Little) and KK (Kaylyn Brown) set this off for us on the first day (in the mixed 4x400m) and they were just infectious after that.”

Reflecting on his anchor leg, he added: "I calculated that run very well, to a tee. I have a really high track IQ on people and how they run, so I didn't have to get out too hard – let's just save it up to come home, because lessons will be coming. Any guy that can run 19.4 can split 43 low, so I just had to be ready for that.”

Jess Whittington for World Athletics

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