Photo: Patrick Smith/Getty Images
Team USA brought the heat in the women’s 4x400m relay at Paris 2024, storming across the finish line a whopping four seconds ahead of the competition! Clocking in at an electrifying 3:15.30, the American women not only claimed their eighth consecutive Olympic title in the event, but also set a new American record—the first since Seoul 1988!
With a dream team lineup featuring Shamier Little, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Gabby Thomas, and Alexis Holmes, the U.S. squad was unstoppable. At the first handoff, Little had already given the team a slight edge, but it was McLaughlin-Levrone who cranked up the pace, pulling nearly three seconds ahead of the pack by the 200m mark.
Gabby Thomas, fresh off gold in the 200m and 4x100m, kept the momentum rolling before passing the baton to Alexis Holmes, who brought it home in style. Their sizzling final time came within a hair of the World Record that’s stood for 36 years—talk about making history!
“It’s such an honor to compete with these women,” Thomas beamed after the race. “I knew they were going to get the job done. It’s not easy to compete on this stage with this type of pressure.”
The Netherlands, anchored by the ever-impressive Femke Bol, clinched silver with a time of 3:19.50. Bol, who showed her strategic brilliance, said, “I went full speed in the last 100 meters... Better I waited, waited, waited, and made sure I was there for the last push…But we got silver because we all ran so well together.”
Great Britain wasn’t far behind, flying across the finish line just 0.22 seconds after the Netherlands to claim their third-ever bronze in the event. “It's not easy to make the squad, it's not easy to be an Olympic finalist, it's not easy to be an Olympic medallist, and we've done all those things, so very proud,” said Laviai Nielsen, with her sister Lina adding, “This is everything I've ever dreamed of, and it was so emotional out there on the podium.”
And let’s give a shoutout to Ireland, making their debut in the women’s 4x400m Olympic final! They held onto a top-three spot for most of the race before just missing the podium, finishing a super-close fourth, only 0.18 seconds behind Team GB. An amazing effort from the Irish squad!
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