#ParisOlympics: Jamaica team drop baton in women’s 4×400 relay final
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica failed to add to their six medals on the final day of the Olympic Games after dropping the baton in the women’s 4x400m relays at Stade de France in Paris on Saturday.
Jamaica had failed to medal in any of the four relays they had qualified in. They were fifth in both the mixed 4x400m and the women’s 4x100m and had failed to make the finals in the men’s 4x100m race.
Roje Stona’s gold medal in the men’s discus throw was the best finish by a Jamaican, along with three silvers from triple jumper Shanieka Ricketts, men’s 100m runner Kishane Thompson and long jumper Wayne Pinnock and two bronze medals from shot putter Rajindra Campbell and sprint hurdler Rasheed Broadbell.
On Saturday, intermediate hurdles specialist Andrenette Knight dropped the baton as she was being passed by Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke on the back stretch and stopped running.
Stacey-Ann Williams, usually the anchor leg runner, was brought in to run the opening leg and did a good job handing over second behind the American team to Knight.
The coaches had made two changes to the team that had won their qualifying race, taking out Ashley Williams and Charokee Young and replacing them with Williams and Shiann Salmon.
The USA strolled to an easy win, running a North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) record of 3:15.27 seconds, the Netherlands were second with a national record 3:19.50 seconds and Great Britain took the bronze medal, also running a national record 3:19.72 seconds.
— Paul A Reid