There was a time when the Team USA relay team was feared as a powerhouse on the track and field, but those days now feel distant. A year ago, their relay hopes were crushed when a disastrous baton exchange between Christian Coleman and Kenneth Bednarek, outside the takeover zone, led to disqualification. The setback extended the men’s 4x100m Olympic gold medal drought to two decades.

Months later in Guangzhou, the men’s 4x100m squad, featuring Kenny Bednarek, Courtney Lindsey, Kyree King, and Brandon Hicklin, fell short again, finishing behind South Africa. Now, with back-to-back setbacks, the relay team—led by Ronnie Baker, Trayvon Bromell, Christian Coleman, and Maurice Gleaton is gearing up for the World Championships, but coordination woes still threaten to overshadow their efforts.

Recently, Track & Field Gazette took to their X handle to report on the baton exchange between Ronnie Baker and Trayvon Bromell. At first glance, it appeared smooth, but a closer look revealed that Bromell struggled to pass the baton cleanly to Baker. While it wasn’t disastrous for practice, it highlighted just how precarious the situation is for the U.S. relay team, and this is not something new.

It was such an embarrassing moment that Michael Johnson grabbed the mic to declare, “It’s laughable at this point.” Not stopping there, nine-time Olympic champion Carl Lewis took to X to call out the entire system behind the fiasco: “It is time to blow up the system. This continues to be completely unacceptable. It is clear that EVERYONE at [USA Track & Field] is more concerned with relationships than winning. No athlete should step on the track and run another relay until this program is changed from top to bottom.”

Following the Paris Olympics disaster, Team USA’s relay squad faced another humiliating defeat in Guangzhou, marking back-to-back losses. Things are getting tough, and fans’ concerns are clearly mounting.

Track and Field fans worried as Team USA relay team practice session intensifies scare

What are the expectations for Team USA’s relay squad? For now, fans seem to be bracing for disappointment. One social media user expressed, “Can’t help but to expect a dropped baton or DQ in the 4×100. Hopefully not by both.” Another noted that the baton exchanges still fall short of professional standards: “Hand off are still sloppy.”

Some fans recalled past struggles, pointing to the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, where a problematic exchange between Fred Kerley and Ronnie Baker disrupted the team’s rhythm and contributed to a sixth-place finish: “Yea nahh cut this s–t out… put the real team out there… Ronnie f—-d it up in 2021.”

Not all fans were critical, however. One defended the team, noting the difficulty of the exchange: “It’s important as they sometimes drops the stick.. #Relay.” Another added their observation: “That wasn’t clean tho.”

While the U.S. men’s 4x100m relay team boasts individual talent, recurring issues with baton exchanges, strategic decisions, and historical performance trends have led to doubts about their reliability in major competitions. Will the team address these issues before their performance? Well, time will tell.