USA and Canada claim 4x100m upsets on dramatic penultimate day in Oregon

On paper, Jamaica’s women’s 4x100m team looked unbeatable. The US squad shredded those predictions, using better teamwork to win the gold medal at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22.Similarly, the Canadian team claimed an upset in the men’s 4x100m on Saturday (23), as Andre De Grasse anchored the quartet to gold ahead of USA.

On a day of 4x100m surprises, there was also a second world javelin title for Anderson Peters, Pedro Pichardo added world gold to his Olympic triple jump title, Gudaf Tsegay took the 5000m title and Emmanuel Korir kicked to 800m victory.

In the women’s 4x100m final, as Twanisha Terry held off a hard-charging Shericka Jackson on the home stretch, the crowd at Hayward Field produced the loudest roar in nine days of competition.

“It was not expected of us today and I am glad we pulled it through,” said Melissa Jefferson, who ran the first leg for USA.

She added that she and her teammates “have a lot of confidence in ourselves and I knew we would show the world what we are capable of.”

The US team ran a world-leading 41.14, the second-fastest ever at a World Championships, with Jamaica clocking 41.18. They reversed positions from the Tokyo Olympics, where Jamaica claimed the gold and the US won the silver.

“The race was electrifying,” said Terry. “You heard the stadium. The stadium went crazy. We just brought it home.”

The US won its eighth gold medal and 13th overall in the event after placing third in 2019.

Jamaica, which captured its 16th medal, not only fielded the three world and Olympic medallists in the 100m, but in Elaine Thompson-Herah, the nation had the fastest woman alive in the 100m. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is the five-time and reigning world champion in the 100m and Jackson is the fastest woman alive in the 200m. They had five individual medals from this World Championships between them.

Kemba Nelson, the leadoff leg, was the 60m champion for the University of Oregon in 2021 and running on her home track.The members of the US team, by comparison, had no hardware to show from their individual events in Eugene. Jefferson was eighth in the 100m, Abby Steiner placed fifth in the 200m, Jenna Prandini did not reach the final in the 200m and Terry did not make the 100m final.But the US team had experience from the preliminary round, with Steiner replacing Aleia Hobbs as the only difference in team composition. For Jamaica, Nelson was the only carryover.

“Of course, we wanted to win,” said Thompson-Herah. “But we are glad for the silver tonight and we cannot complain.”

Fraser-Pryce won her third medal in Eugene — one gold and two silvers — for a total of 14 World Championships medals, tying compatriot Usain Bolt.

Germany won its first medal since 2009 in the 4x100m, clocking 42.03, while Nigeria placed fourth with an African record of 42.22.Dina Asher-Smith pulled up with an injury ahead of the final hand-off for Great Britain, the team going on to finish sixth.With a better final handoff and a determined De Grasse, Canada reclaimed the top spot on the men’s 4x100m podium for the first time since 1997.

“It’s not on home soil, but it felt like it,” De Grasse said of the cheering Canadians who came down for the World Championships.

The tight-knit Canadian quartet, who have grown up together in the sport, clocked a world-leading 37.48, with De Grasse running a final leg of 8.79 to keep Marvin Bracy-Williams-Williams of the US in his rear-view mirror. The US ran 37.55, with Great Britain taking the bronze in 37.83.

Aaron Brown led off for Canada, followed by Jerome Blake, Brendon Rodney and De Grasse. The US had a formidable team of Christian Coleman, the 2019 world 100m champion, two-time world 200m champion Noah Lyles, Elijah Hall and Bracy-Williams, who was second in the 100m. Fred Kerley, the world 100m champ, suffered an injury in the 200m and was not available for the relay.

“When Andre got (the baton) with the lead,” said Brown, “there’s no way they are going to catch him.”

However, De Grasse, who has struggled with injuries and Covid-19 this season, said he was tightening up a little bit. “I was hoping not to get caught,” he said.With a semifinal exit in the 100m and withdrawal from the 200m, the Olympic 200m champion said it was an advantage to have fresh legs instead of running six races.Bracy-Williams said the US had a “few things to clean up” on the exchanges. “Mine was not very good and that may have cost us the race,” he said. “Nonetheless, we got a medal, got the stick around. We will win next time.”

And after failing to make the final at the Tokyo Olympics, the US appreciated a medal of any kind. De Grasse’s victory brought some joy to his household after his partner, defending world champion Nia Ali, crashed out of the 100m hurdles heats.

(worldathletics.org)