U.S. Women Earn Silver In 4x100, Felix and Chelimo Hang On For Bronze

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Getty Images/Jinny Purrier

Allyson Felix's enduring power to inspire, lead and affect change worldwide added another milestone achievement as the Tokyo Games neared the end of its run Friday. 

Felix, in her fifth Olympics at age 35, ran to the bronze medal in the 400 meters in 49.46 seconds. It's her 10th Olympic medal, including her first bronze, making her the most decorated female track and field athlete in history, breaking a tie with former Jamaican and Slovenian sprinter Merlene Ottey.

And she could potentially add an 11th in the 4x400 relay before the meet is concluded, which would break a tie with fellow Americans Carl Lewis and Ray Ewry for most in U.S. history and leave her second all-time behind only Finland's Paavo Nurmi, who earned 12 Olympic medals from 1920-28.

The 10th medal may go down as one of the most important of Felix's career, in addition to signifying her longevity, as she matched Jamaican sprinter Veronica Campbell-Brown along with Ottey by earning a medal in her fifth Olympics.

In the five years since Rio, Felix has publicly challenged her former sponsor, Nike, over its treatment of female athletes, and endured a perilous pregnancy and birth of her daughter, Camryn. 

She has re-emerged as a cultural icon and mother who is a champion for women's athletes and the underserved. 

In the 400 final, Bahamian favorite Shaunae Miller-Uibo ran to expectations and dominated the race with a winning time of 48.36 seconds. That is a personal-best time and the 10th-fastest performance in history.

Most of the performances ahead of her on the all-time list fall into the highly suspicious category due to state-sponsored doping. She is the first repeat Olympic champion since Marie-Jose Perec of France did it in 1992 and 1996. In combination with men's winner Steven Gardiner, the Bahamas celebrated a 400-meter sweep not seen since the U.S. in 1984. 

Silver medalist Marileidy Paulino from the Domincan Republic, a 24-year old, barely outran Felix over the final 50 meters and finished in 49.20. 

In a fierce showdown among some all-time greats in the women's 1,500 meters, Kenya's Faith Kipyegon fended off the talented and ambitious Sifan Hassan of The Netherlands to repeat as champion in an Olympic record time of 3:53.11.

Hassan, who was aiming to add the 1,500 and 10,000 to the 5,000 that she already won, did not have enough in her legs to contend with Kipyegon or Great Britain's Laura Muir, who ran the signature race of her career to secure silver with 3:54.50. 

Kipyego is the first repeat winner of the 1,500 since former Soviet Union athlete Tatyana Kazankina in 1976 and 1980. 

Hassan, who runs in the 10,000 final Saturday, got the bronze in 3:55.86. 

Americans Elinor Purrier St. Pierre (10th in 4:01.75) and Cory McGee (12th in 4:05.50) were unable to go with the pace of the leaders in the final 800. Australian Jessica Hull, a former star at Oregon, was 11th in 4:02.63.

Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei lived up to sky-high expectations and won the men's 5,000 meters in 12:58.15. The win validated his jaw-dropping world records in the 5,000 and 10,000 during the pandemic-stricken 2020 season. 

Moh Ahmed of Canada, who is based in Portland and runs with the Nike Bowerman Track Club, also made good on the promise of his wildly successful 2020 showings and ran to silver in 12:58.61 

And American Paul Chelimo, the U.S. champion, earned his second Olympic medal in the 5,000. Chelimo clawed and scratched his way to a bronze in 12:59.05, edging out Kenya's Nicholas Kipkorir Kimeli by 0.12 seconds to earn the final spot on the podium.

Ahmed's BTC teammates Grant Fisher and Woody Kincaid, were ninth and 14th, respectively. 

Former Syracuse star Justyn Knight, representing Canada, secured seventh in 13:04.38. Northern Arizona star Luis Grijalva, competing for Guatemala, finished in a national-record 13:10.09 for 12th. 

The Jamaican women won the 4x100 relay, led off by Florida-born teen Briana Williams and loaded with the three medal winners from the 100-meter final. The came up a bit short of the world record, but Elaine Thompson-Herah helped bring the baton home in 41.02 seconds for a national record and her third gold medal, with Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Sherica Jackson, silver and bronze medalists in the 100, running the final two legs. It was the third-fastest time in history, behind the U.S. in 2012 and 2016.

The U.S. quartet of Javianne Oliver, Teahna Daniels, Jenna Prandini and Gabby Thomas were second in 41.45, with Great Britain taking third in 41.88. 

The men's sprint relay, which took place without the U.S., provided one more shining moment for Italy. Lamont Marcell Jabobs, the 100-meter gold medalist, took the second leg and helped power the Italians to an exciting finish over Great Britain, 37.50 to 37.51. 

Maggie Malone, who broke the American record in the javelin a couple of weeks ago, had difficulty putting a big throw together in the warm, sticky air and only had three throws -- none of which went beyond 60 meters. She placed 10th with a best of 196-3 (59.82m). It was still the best throw by an American woman at the Olympic Games. 

Shiying Liu of China won the gold medal in the women's javelin with a mark of 217-8 (66.34m). Maria Andrejczyk, the world leader coming into the Olympics, took silver with 211-11 (64.61m). Kelsey-Lee Barber of Australia got the bronze with 211-9 (64.56m).

Antonella Palmisano helped Italy sweep the 20-kilometer racewalk titles, clocking 1:29:12. Sandra Lorena Arenas of Colombia earned silver in 1:29:37, followed by Hong Liu of China taking bronze in 1:29:57.

Robyn Stevens, the U.S. champion, finished 33rd in 1:37:42.

Dawid Tomala of Poland powered his way to the men's 50-kilometer racewalk gold in 3:50:08, holding off a strong surge from Jonathan Hilbert of Germany (3:50:44). Evan Dunfee of Canada made a late move and earned bronze in 3:50:59.