In the first track and field final of the Games, Molly Huddle took part in one of the fastest 10,000-meter races in history. Though she finished sixth overall, her time of 30:13.17 smashed the previous American record by more than nine seconds, and she helped push those in front of her to record times as well.
The race’s victor, Ethiopian Almaz Ayana, broke the 23-year-old world record by more than 14 seconds. Behind her, three other runners all finished with top-five fastest times ever. So Huddle’s performance, while not medal-worthy, would have won gold in almost any other Olympics since the event was introduced in 1988.