Team USA wins silver at 4x100m women's relay final: 'Not the smoothest but great race'

Jamaica added to its gold tally by winning the women’s 4×100 meters relay finals at the Tokyo Olympics. Briana Williams, Shericka Jackson, Elaine Thompson-Herah, and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce won the gold as they clocked an extraordinary 41.02 seconds. Coming in second was the United States, a victory that American fans have been desperately waiting for.

Jenna Prandini, Javianne Oliver, Teahna Daniels, and English Gardner of Team USA clocked 41.45 seconds, narrowly relinquishing gold to the Jamaican squad. The Olympic and world record in the women’s 4x100 meter relay is 40.82 seconds, set by the US in London 2012. That still has not been broken. The American relay team had won in Rio in 2016.

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Winning bronze at the Games was the Great Britain squad. Asha Philip, Daryll Neita, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, and Dina Asher-Smith together clocked 41.88 seconds. Asher-Smith helped Great Britain to a national record in the semis despite a hamstring injury, which caused her to fail to make the 100 meters final in Japan. Last Saturday, Asher-Smith was reportedly in tears after missing out on the 100 meters final due to her not recovering in time from a hamstring tear sustained in June. 

Following the race, Asher-Smith said, "After the 100m I did say there was no way I wasn’t going to be here for the 4x100m girls. I only had one day off then my coach, John Blackie, had me back on the training track. Essentially, all I need is a few more weeks and sessions. He was saying if I had a few more days it would have been the 100m final, another week and it would have been 10.8. It’s one of those things where I’m chasing times. Give me a few more training sessions and I’ll be closer to where I’m used to being. But it is about me getting back on the training track and making sure I bring my absolute A-game to this race."

The Jamaican athletes have all gained substantial glory in the Games at Tokyo. Jackson has won two medals. Thompson-Herah has won three - all gold. Fraser-Pryce has won two. And Williams has won one. 

Online, the Jamaican squad received nothing but praise. “A surpassing Olympics for Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah: three gold medals, an Olympic record to beat an all-time 100 meters field and many sentences that included her name and Florence Griffith Joyner’s. And the U.S. women take silver in the 4X100 relay,” a tweet read. Another tweet said, “Jamaica wins the women's 4x100 meter relay, with a national record that is also the second-fastest time ever in the event. The US wins the silver and Great Britain wins the bronze. For a race with some shaky handoffs, to see the second-fastest time ever, well that is awesome.”

But the American team received applause as well. “USA with the silver for Women’s 4x100 relay. Women always gotta come through in the clutch while the Men end up failing #Olympics,” one person tweeted. Another person tweeted, “The final pass in the women's 4x100 relay between Gabby and Jenna was not the smoothest, but they all ran a great race. We've gotten use to team USA owning that race, but finishing with silver is still fantastic.”

But there was criticism as well. One person tweeted, “Why did the US switch the women’s 4x100 relay?!!! English Gardner would’ve ate that curve tf up and Aleia Hobbs would’ve been the perfect anchor.”