THE United States of America set a new world record in the heats of the mixed 4x400m relay at the Paris 2024 Olympics tonight, while Nigeria got eliminated.
The quartet of Vernon Norwood, Shamier Little, Bryce Deadmon and Kaylyn Brown timed 3 minutes, 07.41 seconds to smash the previous record of 3:08.80 set when the US won World Athletics Championship gold in Budapest last year.
There were also national records in the heat won by the US for France (3:10.60), Belgium (3:10.74), and Jamaica (3:11.06) in second, third, and fourth positions.
Britain won the second heat in 3:10.61, also a national record, ahead of the Netherlands and Italy.
The Dutch quartet did not feature Femke Bol, the 400m hurdles specialist who is aiming for a potential treble gold haul as she is in the squads for both the mixed relay and women’s 4x400m relay.
Jamaica and Poland qualified as the two fastest finishers outside the three automatic spots in each heat.
Nigeria finished ninth overall, just outside the final spots, despite setting a new national record.
The quartet of Samuel Ogazi, Ella Onojuvwevwo, Emmanuel Ojeli and Patience Okon George clocked a new national record of 3:11.99 but it was not enough to get them into tomorrow’s final.
The mixed relay made its Olympic debut at the COVID-delayed Tokyo Games in 2021.
Poland won the gold medal in the Japanese capital ahead of the Dominican Republic and the US.
