The US women controversially made the final of the 4x100-meter relay final earlier today, with the team of Tianna Bartoletta, Allyson Felix, English Gardner, and Morolake Akinosun making it through after re-running their semifinal.

The team successfully claimed that a failed baton change between Felix and Gardner was affected by a knock the former received and then set the quickest time in their re-run.

However, the Jamaican team had no such issues in making the final.

Jamaica safely through in first semifinal

In heat with very little drama, it was the Jamaican quartet who eased to victory in a time of 41.80 seconds.

Anchored by two-time 100-meter champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who took the bronze medal in this year’s race, there were no real issues as one of the favorites to take the title cruised into the final.

Also impressing were the Great British team, who were comfortably in second place, whilst the quartet from Ukraine had to work a little harder to secure the third and final automatic qualifying spot.

However, largely due to the carnage in the second semifinal, Canada, and China, who both crossed the line in a time of 42.70s, both originally took the fastest loser spots; however, they would eventually have to wait to see if the US team could make it through at the second time of asking.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce leads the Jamaican team to victory in the semifinal of the 4x100m relay (Getty/Cameron Spencer)
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce leads the Jamaican team to victory in the semifinal of the 4x100m relay (Getty/Cameron Spencer)

Germans survive carnage in heat two

Amidst all the carnage in heat two, it was quartet from Germany who made it safely through in a time of 42.18s.

Also making it through were the teams from Nigeria, in second place, and Trinidad and Tobago in third place, though it was the controversy surrounding the US team that dominated the aftermath of the race.

The team go off to a great start, with Bartoletta safely handing over to Felix, though it seemed at the time of the race that Gardner and herself had made a mistake.

However, a replay showed that a member of the Brazilian team knocked Felix. The US were allowed a re-run, whilst the Brazilian team, who finished in fourth, were disqualified. The Kazakh team were also disqualified.

US clean in replay

The sight of the US team walking out on their own was certainly a bizarre one, though they were clearly unaffected as they ran the fastest time of the day.

All the changeovers were very clean, with Akinosun safely bringing it home in a time of 41.77s, meaning the Chinese team was taken out of the final.

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About the author
Oliver Dickson Jefford
20. English Literature student at the University of Southampton. Aspiring sports journalist from Hertfordshire.