Oh those US Relays!

Apologies for being late with this report.
This blog is a one man operation, and I've been working round the clock to prepare, then post my reports, wanting to make THIS your best source for OG results & news & analysis!
So sleep interfered, and I didn't post this hours ago, as I'd planned!
BUT---here it is!

I've said enough (??) about the banning of the INNOCENT Yelena Isinbayeva, but it wasn't only her absence that diluted this event's quality.
Jenn Suhr came up VERY sick---coughing blood, etc (Maybe Zika, as someone suggested??), so was NOT anywhere near her best!
Fabiana Murer hadn't made it out of qualifying.
Nikoleta Kiriakopoulou was a DNS.
Yarisley Silva wasn't in the best shape!
Demi Payne, one of the few 16 footers in history, didn't make the US team!

But this is the Olympic Games, and from somewhere deep inside, the remaining group of women produced a stirring battle for medals, with quality marks!

Eliza McCartney, the 19 year old New Zealand National Record holder (and Age 19 record holder!!) started early--at 14-9--with a clearance of maybe FEET!!
And she bounced from the pit--exuberant!
Sandi Morris also cleared 14-9 at first try.
McCartney made the next height--15-1--and was joined there by Ekaterina Stefanidi and Morris.
Suhr, NOT looking well---slower run-up, weaker going over the bar, feverish face--took two attempts to make 15-1.
Stefanidi and the Kiwi made 15-5 on first tries.
Morris needed two!
Suhr, totally out of it, missed all three!

McCartney, looking like a sure medalist---and maybe even Gold!!--leapt over 15-9 with ease, matching her NR and PR and Age 19 record!!
Both Morris and Stefanidi needed two tries to make it!
But everyone else was now gone, so the medalists were these three---but in which order?
The Greek and the American both made 15-11 on their 2nd!
McCartney, so very poised at 19---but still a TEEN--just missed her attempts at a PR!
She'd get Bronze!!
The remaining pair both missed all 3 tries at 16-0.75, so the medals were decided on fewer misses at lower heights.
Stefanidi for the Gold, Morris for the Silver!!

The Women's 4X400 Relay heats saw the US (3:21.42) and Jamaica (3:22.38) win their respective races.
In the first, Ukraine, Poland, Australia, and France finished in places 2 through 5.
The Netherlands ran 3:26.98 in 6th, setting their National Record!
They are now 23rd A-T Nation!!
Great Britain and Canada were next in line behind the Jam's, but well over 2 seconds back!
In 4th came Italy's 3:25.16, their new National Record!
They move from 19th to 16th on the World Nation list!
Germany was 5th, while the Bahamas's 3:26.36 is their new National Record!
They are Nation number 22!!
Oddly, knocked OFF my DDD was the Netherlands 3:26.98 from the first heat!!

Without Pawel Fajdek, who had failed to make it to the final (!!), the Men's HT final was a CLOSE battle for medals, but lackluster in the Records and Marks departments!
Dilshod Nazarov's 258-2 took Gold, Ivan Tikhon's 255-2 won Silver, and Wojciech Nowicki won Bronze with his 255-0.
Krisztian Pars finished just 7th!

The Men's 4X400 Relay heats were pretty close to the Women's in quality.
Heat 1 went to Jamaica over the US, 2:58.29 to 2:58.38.
Botswana, in third, ran 2:59.35, their National Record!
They move from 17th A-T Nation, tied with 1 other, to 14th!
Poland also got under 3 minutes with their 2:59.58 in 4th.
But Trinidad & Tobago were DQ'ed!!

Belgium--with the trio of Borlee's on the last 3 legs--won heat 2 with their National Record time of 2:59.25!
However, their 0.03 second PR leaves them 13th A-T Nation!
The Bahamas were 2nd in 2:59.64, with Cuba next in 3:00.16.
Great Britain got a DQ, as did India!

That 5000 World Record attempt by Almaz Ayana---talked to death on MB's after her amazing WR in the 10K--never came to pass!
(Maybe too tired by her 10K, as well as the media blitz & emotional exhaustion??)
It began with 2000 in 6:01.
Then Ayana made her move, but it wasn't as strong as in the 10.
She was obviously running to win, and not for time!
This gave Vivian Cheruiyot an opening.
Smelling blood, both she and Helen Obiri gave chase.
When Ayana slowed from a 65 back to a 68, Cheruiyot passed her as if Ayana was a statue!
And when Obiri also came sprinting past, Ayana went into survival mode.
While she held on for Bronze, in 14:33.59, it was Cheruiyot's 14:26.17 which gave her the OG Meet Record, as well as the Age 32 record!!
Obiri ran 14:29.77, a PR, and moves from 23rd A-T World to 14th!
Mercy Cherono's 14:42.89 beat Senbere Teferi's 14:43.75 for 4th.
Yasmine Can and Karolina Grovdal also got in under 15 minutes--by 2 or 3 seconds!
Susan Kuijken's 15:00.69 was a solid PR in 8th!
Shelby Houlihan finished her first OG final in 15:08.89, but in 11th place!
GenGen LaCaze, this year's PR machine, got yet another, her 15:10.35 giving her 12th!
Nikki Hamblin finished 17th in 16:14.24, maybe wiped out by her fall (and instant viral popularity!!).
Abbey D'Agostino was in the stands, crutches at her side, cheering Nikki (and most likely Houlihan!!) on!!

Then came those dang 4X100 Relays!!

The United States had gotten in by the skin of their teeth---See my previous post!---but they were there, and so was their baton!
Only question was, would said baton still be in their hand when they finished--IF they finished??
Yes to both!
From lane one, they dashed around the track, going into an instant lead, and remaining ahead.
Their 41.01 is the 2nd fastest time in history!!
Jamaica ran wonderfully too, their 41.36 giving them the best 2nd Place record!
Also a National Record!!
They move from 6th A-T Nation to 5th!

Germany took 3rd in 42.10, which tied the best 4th Place mark!
Triniad & Tobago's 42.12 gave them the best 5th Place mark!
Ukraine nabbed the best 6th Place mark with their 42.36.
Canada was next in 43.15.
Then came Nigeria's 43.21, which got them the best mark for 8th Place!!

That one was a total success!!

Not so much the Men!!

Tyson Gay's hand-off to Trayvon Bromell--the anchor--apparently took place BEFORE the first zone line!!
Not only that, Bromell was running hurt---against Usain Bolt!!
DQ or not, they might as well have handed Bolt & Co the Gold, and went to the mixed zone to try to explain---for the umpteenth time!---why they EFFED UP yet ONE MORE TIME!!!

Jamaica's 37.27 easily beat a startling Japan, whose 37.60 is a National Record, and the best 2nd Place mark!!
They remain Nation number 4!
Canada--with Andre De Grasse anchoring--got 3rd in 37.64, their National Record!
They remain 5th A-T Nation.
They also get the record for best 3rd Place ever!
China's 37.90 gave them the best 4th Place mark!
Great Britain's 37.98 is the best 5th Place mark!
Brazil, to huge cheers, finished 6th in 38.41.

Besides the US, Trinidad & Tobago also got a DQ!

One more report to go!!
I'll combine today's events with tomorrow's Men's Marathon report!
That will be posted soon after the 26.2 race finishes!

And then comes my post-Games analyses---including my Best & Worst report---which should be LOADS of fun!!

See you soon!