USA wins eighth successive Olympic women's 4x400m gold in Paris

USA won their eighth consecutive Olympic title in the women's 4x400m, earning gold in Paris with the second-fastest time in history.

Shamier Little, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Gabby Thomas and Alexis Holmes teamed up to win by more than four seconds in a North American record of 3:15.27.

The Netherlands, anchored by Femke Bol, came through to take silver in a national record of 3:19.50, while Great Britain claimed bronze in 3:19.72, also a national record. Ireland also produced a national record, 3:19.90, but finished just outside of the medals in fourth.

With memories still fresh of their loss to the Netherlands at last year’s World Championships and this year’s World Indoor Championships, the USA didn’t want to leave anything to chance. Shamier Little, silver medallist in the mixed 4x400m at the start of the Games, got the USA off to a strong start with a 49.48 split, putting her team almost a second ahead of the Netherlands, led off by Lieke Klaver (50.25).

McLaughlin-Levrone then effectively put the USA out of reach with a stunning 47.71 split on the second leg. At this point, Rhasidat Adeleke had moved Ireland into second place, running a 48.92 split, while Cathelijn Peeters of the Netherlands was trying to keep Britain’s Laviai Nielsen at bay. Jamaica’s Andrenette Knight, meanwhile, dropped the baton, meaning for the first time since 1996 Jamaica would not feature on the women’s 4x400m podium.

Thomas, gold medallist in the 200m a few days ago and in the 4x100m on Friday, took up the running for the USA and produced the fastest split of the third stage, 49.30, extending her team’s lead. Nicole Yeargin moved Great Britain into second place, just ahead of Ireland and the Netherlands. But the latter had Bol on their final leg.

Holmes, who anchored the USA to victory in the mixed 4x400m at last year’s World Championships, maintained her team’s lead of about 40 metres on the final leg, running a 48.78 split to cross the line in 3:15.27.

Their winning time is just 0.10 shy of the world record set by the Soviet Union at the 1988 Olympics, and takes 0.24 off the North American record set in that same race 36 years ago.

“We were watching people win medals all week, I was so inspired watching my teammates do what they do," said Thomas after earning her third gold of the Games. "I know what it takes. I know how hard it is to win a medal in track and field. It’s a very cut-throat sport, especially at this level. I was absolutely inspired and very motivated to do it with these girls.”

Bol ran a 48.62 anchor to move the Netherlands from fourth to second, taking more than a second off the Dutch record they set in Budapest last year with 3:19.50. Anning held off Ireland’s Sharlene Mawdsley to take bronze in a British record of 3:19.72.

Ireland finished just outside of the medals in fourth, but were rewarded with a national record of 3:19.90. Their time would have been enough to take silver in every Olympic final apart from 1988. Hosts France also set a national record, 3:21.41, for fifth place with Canada (3:22.01) and Belgium (3:22.40) rounding out the finalists.

Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

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