SAINT-DENIS, France – The opening day of track and field at the 2024 Summer Olympics witnessed a blazing display from the U.S. mixed 4×400-meter relay team, who stormed to a new world record of 3:07.41 in the preliminary heats.
The quartet comprising Vernon Norwood, Shamier Little, Bryce Deadmon, and Kaylyn Brown delivered an electrifying performance, surpassing the previous world record of 3:08.80 set at the 2023 World Athletics Championships.
“We always knew we had the potential to run fast,” commented Shamier Little after the race. “We aimed to set a record to secure our spot in the final, and we executed it perfectly.”
The team’s achievement was underscored by their commanding lead, finishing over three seconds ahead of France, which also set a national record with a time of 3:10.60.
Vernon Norwood kicked off the relay with a swift 44.47 seconds in the first leg, followed by Shamier Little who clocked 49.32 seconds in her 400-meter stretch. Bryce Deadmon continued the momentum with the fastest leg of the competition, completing his segment in 44.17 seconds before handing off to Kaylyn Brown, who anchored the team home with a split time of 49.45 seconds.
“We knew we had to execute to win, and setting the world record was part of that plan,” noted Vernon Norwood, reflecting on their strategy.
The U.S. team’s exceptional performance included all four runners achieving sub-50 second splits, distinguishing them as the only team across all preliminary heats to accomplish this feat.
“We’ve definitely got more in the tank,” exclaimed Bryce Deadmon. “Today’s performance was beyond expectations, and we’re eager to see what we can do in the final.”
The U.S. mixed 4×400-meter relay team will advance to the final scheduled for Saturday at 2:55 p.m. ET, poised to continue their pursuit of Olympic glory.
You Might Be Interested In:
