The four-member American team that set the mixed 4x400m relay world record in Friday’s preliminary round came up short in the finals.
According to Yahoo! Sports, the U.S. squad, consisting of Vernon Norwood, Shamier Little, Bryce Deadmon, and Kaylyn Brown, displayed impressive speed and endurance to secure the new record. However, the Netherlands’ breakout star, Femke Bol, surpassed the team in Saturday’s finals, crowning them as the champions at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Bol ran the anchor leg for the final stretch of the relay race, taking the baton in fourth place. She then overtook Brown to secure the gold medal for the Netherlands, leaving the U.S. with silver.
One for the history books 👏
The world-record setting mixed 4×400 relay wins silver at the #ParisOlympics! pic.twitter.com/ZfLown8SCS
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) August 3, 2024
The 24-year-old track star’s 47.93-second split on the anchor leg propelled the Netherlands to 3:07.43, just two hundredths of a second shy of the world record the Americans set the previous day, per Yahoo Sports.
The U.S. team comprised a blend of young and veteran talent, with members ranging from 19 to their early 30s. Norwood, 32, remained positive about his and his team’s accomplishments following the event.
“We’re still world record holders,” Norwood said. “To come away with a silver medal with this group, with Kaylyn Brown holding us down, I couldn’t be more proud of us.”
Friday’s prelims began with an American lead, as Norwood overtook several runners before passing the baton to 29-year-old Little, who also made her Olympic debut, according to NBC Sports.
DOWN GOES THE WORLD RECORD 🤯
Vernon Norwood, Shamier Little, Bryce Deadmon, and Kaylyn Brown shattered the world record of 3:08.80 set last year at Budapest 23 with their 3:07.41 in the HEATS! 💥#ParisOlympics #JourneyToGold pic.twitter.com/ig8OlUWH5Q
— USATF (@usatf) August 2, 2024
The team maintained the lead as Deadmon and Brown fulfilled their roles, culminating in a victory and a world record.
“We knew what the record was, and we knew what it was going to take,” Norwood said, per NBC Sports. “Our job was just to come out and execute. Tomorrow we’re going to do it again.”
The US mixed 4x400m relay runs a new World Record in the PRELIMS!!!🇺🇸 3:07.41 by Vernon Norwood, Shamier Little, Bryce Deadmon and Kaylyn Brown. Talk about a statement!!!!👏🏼 pic.twitter.com/cdxAX6jXDp
— Grete Griffin (@GGriffinIII) August 2, 2024
Deadmon explained that he was unaware of what was happening during the race but knew they had the lead.
“Sometimes I’m so nervous that I don’t even know what’s going on until I pass on the baton,” he said. “I didn’t know what was going on. I knew we were up there.”
