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After dropping the baton at the 4×100-meter relay’s first-round heat at the Rio Olympic Games on Thursday, the USA women’s track and field team will race again later in the evening after winning an appeal through the International Association of Athletics Federation.

It all went down after sprinter Allyson Felix dropped the baton during a handoff to teammate English Gardner. Felix claims that a nudge from a Brazilian runner shook her balance. “I got bumped coming into the exchange zone and it just completely threw me off balance,” Felix said. “I tried to hold it together to get it to English.”

Team USA will have to beat out Canada or China, who placed seventh and eighth, to earn a spot in the finals.

The Brazilian team was disqualified after the race for obstruction, according to The Washington Post.


Brianna Rollins, Nia Ali, and Kristi Castlin flourished last night in the women’s 100-meter hurdles, making history as the first medals sweep for the USA women’s track and field team. Rollins took home gold, Ali won silver, and Castlin snagged the bronze.

As they crossed the finished line, the women embraced while waiting for their time announcements. “We are genuinely friends,” Rollins said.

After their win was announced, they took the stage, making emotional speeches on behalf of their historic win.

“I would like to dedicate this medal to victims of gun violence,’’ Castlin said. “Women hurdlers are so strong in the U.S., and we have overcome controversy. We are three strong hurdlers.”

Ali, who walked away from the track for a year to give birth to her 15-month-old son Titus, held him on stage while she said, “He won’t remember this, but he will see photos and see that you can do anything you put your mind to.’’

SOURCE: NBC News, USA Today, The Washington Post | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty, Twitter

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Women’s Olympic Track & Field 4×100-Meter Relay Gets Another Shot, 100-Meter Hurdlers Sweep Event  was originally published on newsone.com