The United States solidified its dominance in the Olympic 4x400m relay on Saturday, but not without a nail-biting finish. Rai Benjamin, the individual 400m hurdles champion, anchored the US team and held off a determined challenge from Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, the 200m champion.
The American team, as expected, made a strategic change from the heats, replacing the struggling Quincy Wilson with Benjamin for the final leg. Chris Bailey started the race, handing the baton to Vernon Norwood, who ran a strong second leg, setting up Bryce Deadmon for a lead exchange.
Meanwhile, Botswana, the bronze medalists in Tokyo, closed the gap on the final lap with Anthony Pesela. Tebogo, a late addition to the team for the heats, shadowed Benjamin closely and appeared poised to overtake him. However, Benjamin’s remarkable one-lap speed endurance proved too much for Tebogo, allowing him to cross the finish line first in an Olympic record time of 2:54.43.
This victory marks the US team’s 19th gold medal in the event, solidifying their place as the dominant force in the 4x400m relay. Botswana earned the silver medal, setting a new African record of 2:54.53, while Great Britain secured the bronze medal in a European record time of 2:55.83.
The remarkable quality of the race extended beyond the top three, as Belgium and South Africa both set national records in fourth and fifth place, respectively. Japan also claimed an Asian record in sixth place, showcasing the global talent in this event.
