USA 4×100 Sends Resounding Message with Paris 2024 Olympics Qualification

May 6, 2024

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - AUGUST 26: (L to R) Christian Coleman, Tamari Davis, Noah Lyles, Fred Kerley, Twanisha Terry, Gabrielle Thomas, Sha'Carri Richardson and Brandon Carnes of Team United States celebrate after winning the Men's 4x100m Relay Final and Women's 4x100m Relay Final during day eight of the World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023 at National Athletics Centre on August 26, 2023 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images for World Athletics)

USA 4×100 sent a global message at the World Relays this weekend, as they qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics with a couple of world-leading (WL) times.

In the men’s competition, Courtney Lindsey, Kenny Bednarek, Kyree King, and Noah Lyles combined to run 37.49 in the prelim heats Saturday before winning the finals in 37.40 Sunday evening.

Only a little under four-tenths off the American record of 37.10, the run is the 21st fastest time ever. ALSO READ: World Relays make a triumphant return to the Bahamas

“Who’s going to stop us?” Lyles confidently shouted after he crossed the finish line, capping a meet of U.S. dominance, as the stars and stripes look to claim their first Olympic title in the 400m Relay since the Sydney Games.

Meanwhile, the American women paced their Saturday night heat before taking care of business in the final. Tamari Davis, Gabby Thomas, Cerela Barnes, with Melissa Jefferson anchoring the women’s version of the event, qualified on time for Sunday’s final and, more importantly, the Paris Olympics in 42.14 and 41.85, respectively, with the latter being a new WL.

In the finals, a Canadian lineup of Brendon Rodney, Aaron Brown, Jerome Blake, and 200m Olympic Champion Andre De Grasse ran a season-best (SB) 37.89 as France took bronze in 38.44.

Although the likes of 100m Gold Medalist Lamont Jacobs and 4x100m Gold Medalist Fillipo Tortu initially finished third in 38.11, they were later disqualified.

This proved to be one of four Paris relay teams USA qualified for, including the Women’s 4×1, the Women’s 4×400, and the Mixed Gender 4x400m Relay.

Although they initially crossed the line first in the 4x400m heats, the American men were subsequently disqualified for an exchange violation.

Eventually, the United States went on to win all five of the finals its runners qualified for, also setting WL in the Women’s 4x400m (3:21.70) and Mixed Gender 4x400m Relay in a CR of 3:10.73 as Kendall Ellis held off Dutch phenom Femke Bol.

Matthew Boling, Lynna Irby-Jackson, and Willington Wright rounded out the team, while Quanera Hayes, Bailey Lear, and Alexis Holmes joined a busy Gabby Thomas in the 4x400m.