SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — Roy Benjamin held off Letzile Tepoko on the anchor leg to give the United States a gold medal and an Olympic record time. Paris Games Saturday night.
“I timed that run to the tee pretty well,” Benjamin said. “I have a good, high ‘track IQ’ on people and how they run and how to do it quickly so I don’t have to go out too hard: let’s save that for coming home.
Benjamin added this Olympic title to his claim 400 meters steeplechase A night earlier and 200-meter champion Tepoko prevented Botswana from giving another victory over the Americans.
It was DebokoThe 21-year-old sprinting sensation, who stole the spotlight — and gold — from the U.S. in the 200 on Thursday, edged Kenny Bednarek for silver and Noah Lyles tested positive. COVID-19For bronze.
The American quartet of Christopher Bailey, Vernon Norwood, Bryce Dedman and Benjamin finished the four laps in 2 minutes, 54.43 seconds, nearly a second faster than the time the American 4×400 team ran at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. And Saturday’s time was just .14 seconds off the world record set by America in 1993.
It was the Americans’ 19th gold in the relay’s 26 runs at the Summer Olympics. No other country has more than two golds in the men’s 4×400.
“Team USA has always dominated 4×4, and we want to continue that,” Bailey said.
Quincy WilsonThe 16-year-old from Virginia made it to the first round of the relay, which earned him the gold medal, making him the youngest male U.S. athlete to win a track and field medal at any Summer Olympics. Wilson left the Americans in seventh on his opening lap on Friday, but Bailey’s strong anchor allowed the team to qualify.
On Saturday, Botswana were one-tenth of a second behind, with Deboco joined by Bayabo Ndori, Busang Golan Kebinatshibi and Anthony Besela.
Catch up on the latest from Day 15 of the 2024 Paris Olympics:
Britain finished third in 2:55.83.
“Competing at the U.S. Trials, we know what to expect. That’s the hard part; that’s the easy part,” Benjamin said. “So coming out here and believing in ourselves and believing in each other – that’s what makes this work, makes us so successful when it comes to these global championships.”
That victory soon led to another — and much easier — one for America Women’s 4×400 RelayIt ended the track and field component of the 2024 Olympics.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Gabby Thomas helped the U.S. women win by 4.23 seconds, giving the country 14 golds and 34 overall medals.
___
AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
