Given a reprieve thanks to an IAAF ruling regarding their ill-fated run during the semifinal heat of the women’s 4×100 relay, the U.S. earned a spot in Friday’s final with the fastest time posted by any of the competing teams.
The quartet of Tianna Bartoletta, Allyson Felix, English Gardner and Morolake Akinosun completed their heat in 41.77 seconds, doing so on an empty track due to a protest that was upheld by the IAAF. During their original run Felix’s passing of the baton to Gardner was botched, resulting in the Americans finishing last in their heat. Felix argued that she was contacted by a runner in another lane, but without the decision to pick up the baton and complete their heat the…
