Alexis Holmes celebrates USA's mixed 4x400m world record at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 (© Getty Images)
The United States won the mixed 4x400m world title here tonight at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23, improving their own world record to 3:08.80 after the Netherlands’ world indoor 400m record-holder Femke Bol hit the deck three strides from home while appearing on the brink of anchoring her team to victory.
Handed the baton with a narrow lead, the world 400m hurdles silver medallist could not bring it home as the USA's Alexis Holmes moved up to challenge her over the final 50 metres.
Bol stumbled and fell, landing very close to the spot where her Dutch teammate Sifan Hassan had sprawled face downwards as she came under similar pressure while seeming ready to win the preceding women’s 10,000m final.
“I do not know what happened,” Bol said. “It has never happened to me before. I cramped towards the finish line. I was pushing, pushing, pushing. I was disappointed that my body did not have it in to finish the race strongly.”
The new mark set by Justin Robinson, Rosey Effiong, Matthew Boling and Holmes bettered the time of 3:09.34 set by the United States in winning this event when it made its debut at the 2019 World Championships in Doha.
In the end they did not need the expected addition of individual 200m runner Gabby Thomas to achieve all their objectives.
Great Britain took silver in a national record of 3:11.06, with bronze going to the Czech Republic in 3:11.98, also a national record.
Mike Rowbottom for World Athletics
| MIXED 4X400m MEDALLISTS | ||
| 🥇 | United States 🇺🇸 USA | 3:08.80 WR |
| 🥈 | Great Britain & NI 🇬🇧 GBR | 3:11.06 NR |
| 🥉 | Czechia 🇨🇿 CZE | 3:11.98 NR |
| Full results | ||
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