The United States’ struggles with the men’s 4×100-meter relay continue at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The team hasn’t medaled in this event since winning silver in 2004. In the years since, they’ve either failed to make it to the finals or have been disqualified during the race.
At the 2024 Olympics, Team USA was disqualified from the 4×100-meter relay final due to an invalid handoff after the first leg. Although they finished with the seventh-best time, they were officially placed in eighth because of the disqualification.
Why was Team USA disqualified in the 4x100m relay final?
In the relay final, Christian Coleman started the race but the handoff between him and Kenny Bednarek was problematic. Bednarek received the baton outside of the designated transfer zone, leading to the disqualification. Even if this issue hadn’t occurred, the team’s performance was already impacted, resulting in a finish that would have placed them seventh, but officially they were disqualified.
Noah Lyles, a star sprinter who won gold in the 100 meters, was supposed to be part of the relay team but missed the race due to COVID-19. His absence might have contributed to the communication problems and the handoff error. Courtney Lindsey replaced Lyles in the first round, where the team finished first. However, Lindsey didn’t run in the final; Bednarek was substituted in his place, and the lineup was altered. The reason behind these changes isn’t clear.
The relay team’s performance showed a lack of coordination and preparation, which undermined years of hard work.
Olympics: History of the U.S. Men’s 4x100m Relay Team
The U.S. men’s 4×100-meter relay team has faced ongoing difficulties at the Olympics since 2004. Here’s a summary of their performance over the years:
- 2008: Rodney Martin, Travis Padgett, Darvis Patton, Tyson Gay – Did Not Finish (DNF) in Heat 1
- 2012: Trell Kimmons, Justin Gatlin, Tyson Gay, Ryan Bailey – Disqualified (DQ) in Final due to doping violations
- 2016: Mike Rodgers, Justin Gatlin, Tyson Gay, Trayvon Bromell – Disqualified (DQ) in Final
- 2020: Trayvon Bromell, Fred Kerley, Ronnie Baker, Cravon Gillespie – 38.10 seconds in Heat 2, did not make the final
- 2024: Christian Coleman, Kenneth Bednarek, Kyree King, Fred Kerley – Disqualified (DQ) in Final
This ongoing issue highlights a troubling trend for the U.S. team in this event, reflecting repeated problems with handoffs and race execution.
