The US 4×400 medley relay team set a world record on the first day of track and field trials in Paris. (0:46)
SAINT-DENIS, France — As Team USA sprintersThey seek to use those Olympics to reaffirm their prestige as the fastest in the world, their combined 4×400-meter relay team did on a Friday night.
The team formed by Vernon Norwood, Shamier Little, Kaylyn Brown and Bryce Deadmon achieved it by easily completing first place in the first of the event, setting a world record with a time of 3:07. 41.
“I knew we were going to run fast,” said Little, the second leg sprinter. “And we’ve talked about it, it’s going to take a record to get a medal. But it took a record to win our preliminaries. So I was excited. “
After Norwood began the relay by putting the team in third place, Little took the lead and pulled away, creating a margin so large that no other team came close to cutting it until the end of the race.
However, Little made a mistake in getting Norwood to change.
“I just thought I had locked myself in,” Little said. “I had to realize that I wasn’t where I intended to be, I’m stuck where I intended to be. I just know that I gained a little momentum, so I can get the Array back and that kind of push I needed. “
When asked, sarcastically, if he intended to do all that, Little responded with a laugh: “Let’s just say we did it that way. “
Little’s dominant leg gave the third running back, Deadmon, the distance he needed to hold the lead before handing it to Brown, who completed the record-breaking feature with the second running back more than 40 yards behind. Deadmon said he had no idea of a potentially record-breaking game when he began his sprint.
“I knew we were up there,” Deadmon said. “I passed it to Kaylyn and she took it home and it said ‘world record’ and she was like, ‘Oh wow. She’s crazy. ‘”
The Americans claimed they knew the world record before the race: “3:08. 80,” they replied in unison when asked. They know it. After all, the previous combined record was set just a year ago at the World Championships thanks to none other than Team United States.
The American team can aim for another world record and an Olympic gold medal Saturday night in the relay final. The Dutch and Italian relays finished in the 3 most sensible groups of the first round. The two will also face each other in the finals.