RIO DE JANEIRO _ A U.S. women's team that only a day earlier appeared not to even advance to the Olympic Games' 4x100-meter relay final, ran away with the gold medal with a 41.01 clocking Friday night at Olympic Stadium.
The U.S. team of Tianna Bartoletta, Allyson Felix, English Gardner and Tori Bowie posted the second-fastest time in history. On Thursday they appeared to be eliminated when Felix and Gardner dropped the baton on the second exchange in the prelims. But a judges panel ruled that Felix had been bumped by a Brazilian runner during the exchange. The U.S. was given a chance to qualify in a Thursday night time trial.
A Jamaican team containing Elaine Thompson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, was second in 41.36. Britain won bronze in a national record 41.77. The U.S. win gives the 30-year-old Felix a fifth career Olympic gold medal.
Kenya's Vivian Cheruiyot smashed the Olympic 5,000-meter record earlier Thursday night. Cheruiyot's time of 14 minutes, 26.17 seconds, knocked more than 14 seconds off the old mark of 14:40.79 set by Romania's Gabriela Szabo in 2000. Silver medalist Hellen Obiri of Kenya (14:29.77) and the bronze medalist Almaz Ayana of Ethiopia (14:33.59) were also under the old record.
