The United States men’s relay program has long carried a reputation that no team desires. Time and again, the baton has slipped from their grasp, and with it, the chance at medals. It started with the 2008 Beijing Olympics ending in shock when both men’s and women’s 4x100m squads dropped their batons. Following that, at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the 4x100m men fell apart again when Christian Coleman and Kenny Bednarek failed at the first exchange, leaving the squad disqualified. Now, a year since that incident on track yet again, a misstep in the men’s 4x400m prelims left fans stressed. Why? Christopher Bailey’s quartet finished sixth after Zambia’s interference. And this in turn threw America’s qualification hopes into doubt.

Moreover, the appeal initially failed, deepening the disappointment. Yet World Athletics intervened, ruling that both the United States and Kenya had been impeded, and granted a re-run. This gave them a ray of hope. A rare second chance to seize the victory again. After the earlier stumble had drawn fierce online scrutiny, Bailey, Demarius Smith, Bryce Deadmon, and Jenoah McKiver, knew they had to prove their worth. 

“Well that went better the second time 😅.” That was exactly what Citius Mag reported as Team USA lined up again and delivered a controlled performance despite being under pressure. Clocking 2:58.48, the Americans edged past Kenya to secure the ninth lane in the final and posted the fourth-fastest qualifying time overall. Their splits told the story of a disciplined recovery. Bailey opened at 44.67, Smith followed with 45.00, Deadmon surged with 44.35, and McKiver anchored in 44.46. American men have never missed the final at the Worlds for 4x400m. And the boys have just managed to keep that record alive. 

Amid America’s struggle to grab a lane for finals, South Africa clocked 2:58.81, while Qatar finished at 3:00.15 to pass the qualifiers. On the other hand, the Netherlands’ timing of 3:00.23 and Botswana’s men clocking 2:57.98 too ensured their advancement. Australia briefly celebrated an Oceania record of 2:58.00. However, they unfortunately got disqualified for an exchange outside the zone, handing Portugal a place in the final with 2:59.70. Great Britain and Jamaica held strong onto their spots for the finals. Amid such fine margins, the Americans’ re-run result turned out to be quite impressive.

Is the American relay team waiting for a déjà vu from Paris in the 4x400m relay?

Quincy Wilson’s entry into the US 4×400 m relay team at the Paris Olympics already was a matter for headlines. At just sixteen, Wilson assumed the lead-off leg, a decision that immediately placed the red-hot favourites in precarious circumstances. However, the performance Wilson delivered on the track in Paris turned out to e questionable. Had the risk of choosing the youngest star to represent the country on the international stage just backfired?

He trailed in a distant seventh, forcing Vernon Norwood and Bryce Deadmon to navigate the field with urgency. “Wilson trailed in a distant seventh, leaving Vernon Norwood and Bryce Deadmon to work their way through, but they still needed Bailey to come from a fourth to overtake Japan and snatch the third automatic qualifying slot,” the race report from Reuters noted.

However, despite that turbulence, the men decided to change the narrative. With newly crowned individual champion Quincy Hall and 2022 world champion Michael Norman waiting on the sidelines, the team geared up for the final. Amidst this, Letsile Tebogo and his team set a mark that the Americans had to overcome. Winning the first heat in 2:57.76 minutes, just ahead of Britain, raised the stakes of the Paris relay showdown.

Ultimately, the gamble of introducing a sixteen-year-old prodigy was vindicated. The US men navigated the perilous first leg with precision. Norwood and Deadmon held to the momentum while Bailey delivered the picture-perfect anchor performance to secure gold. Shattering all doubts, Wilson’s delivery of the best run gave America the gold for the 4×400 m relay. And now the question that comes to our mind is, will the boys manage to pull off the same in Tokyo as well?