It took just one day on the Paris Olympic track for a world record to fall.
The U.S. mixed 4x400m relay team smashed the world record by over a full second on Friday evening, blazing to to victory in 3:07.41.
It's incredibly rare for a world record to fall in a preliminary round, but the the U.S. squad of Vernon Norwood, Shamier Little, Bryce Deadmon and Kaylyn Brown did just that. The Americans shot out to an early lead behind leadoff man Norwood. Norwood started smoothly and gave way to Little, making her Olympic debut, with the U.S. holding onto a commanding lead.
Little handed the baton to Deadmon, who subsequently blistered down the track to balloon the American lead. From there, 19-year-old Brown, running the anchor leg, rocketed down the purple track en route to a victory and a world record.
“We knew what the record was, and we knew what it was going to take," said Norwood, the 32-year-old elder statesmen of the relay team. "Our job was just to come out and execute. Tomorrow we’re going to do it again.”
The previous record (3:08.80) was set at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest by the U.S. team of Justin Robinson, Rosey Effiong, Matthew Boling and Alexis Holmes.
“Sometimes I’m so nervous that I don’t even know what’s going on until I pass on the baton," Deadmon said. "I didn’t know what was going on. I knew we were up there.”
The U.S. advanced to the final, slated for Saturday afternoon. Great Britain, the Netherlands, Italy, France and Belgium also survived the heats and will race on Saturday.