US men and women win gold in 4x400M, give Americans 34 Olympic track medals in Paris

SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Gabby Thomas teamed up for America’s 14th gold and 34th overall medal at the track Saturday, wrapping up the Olympic action at the Stade de France with a 4.23-second runaway in the women’s 4×400 relay.

The gold medalists in the 400 hurdles and 200 meters took care of legs two and three for the United States, handing a 30-meter lead to Alexis Holmes, who didn’t lose any ground.

The U.S. finished in 3 minutes, 15.27 seconds, only .1 short of the world record.

The American men won gold in the same race in a much closer finish about 15 minutes earlier.

Rai Benjamin held off Letsile Tebogo on the anchor leg to give the United States a gold medal and an Olympic-record time in the men’s 4×400-meter relay at the Paris Games on Saturday night.

Benjamin added this Olympic title to the one he claimed in the 400-meter hurdles a night earlier and prevented 200-meter champion Tebogo from giving Botswana another triumph over the Americans.

It was Tebogo, the 21-year-old sprinting sensation, who stole the spotlight — and the gold — from the U.S. in the 200 on Thursday, relegating Kenny Bednarek to silver and Noah Lyles, who tested positive for COVID-19, to bronze.

The U.S. quartet of Christpher Bailey, Vernon Norwood, Bryce Deadmon and Benjamin completed the four laps in 2 minutes, 54.43 seconds, nearly a second faster than the American 4×400 team ran at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. And Saturday’s time was just .14 seconds off the world record set by the United States in 1993.

Botswana was a tenth of a second back Saturday, with Tebogo joined by Bayapo Ndori, Busang Collen Kebinatshipi and Anthony Pesela.

Britain was third in 2:55.83.

The 34 track medals were the most for the U.S. at a non-boycotted Games since the early 20th century, when there were more events and fewer countries, and the 14 golds are the most in a non-boycotted Olympics since 1968.

Related

Thunder trade former ASU G Lu Dort to Hawks in deal that includes former No. 1 pickSam Burns’ strong Saturday takes the lead in a British Open he planned to missJoey Chestnut eats 66 hot dogs to win 18th title at Nathan’s hot dog eating contestBrendan Sorsby to become eligible for 2027 NFL Draft, decides against suing leagueWyndham Clark avoids record collapse to win US OpenUS Open: Wyndham Clark fires lowest 36-hole score at Shinnecock for 4-shot lead