TOKYO — A slow exchange left the American 400-meter relay team in an all-too-familiar spot at the Olympics on Thursday — out of medal contention.
The team of Trayvon Bromell, Fred Kerley, Ronnie Baker and Cravon Gillespie failed to make the final after finishing sixth in its qualifying heat, extending a quarter-century of misery for the country that brings the deepest track team to the Games.
“We’re just all running fast right now so, you know, the timing and everything, the couple of practices we had,” said Baker, who ran 9.95 seconds to finish fifth in the men’s 100 last weekend.