by Larry EderIn the rounds, US with a team of Trell Kimmons, Justin Gatlin, Maurice Mitchell and Travis Padget ran 37.79 WL. Trinidad and Tobago ran 37.92 and Jamaica ran 38.02.
In the finals, the US team changed to Trell Kimmons, Justin Gatlin, Doc Patton and Walter Dix.
In the finals, first two exchanges went well for all teams. On the third exchange, after looking at the videos, it looks like Doc Patton, in his lane, was hit by Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, in his lane. Patton was hit, we believe, near the groin with the British runner’s arm and baton. This was not intentional, but it did happened. Patton fell and slid on his chest, the US team not completing the final pass. Great Britain did not finish either.
By this time, Yohan Blake handed off to Usain Bolt and Bolt was gone, running 37.04 a new World record and the only world record of the World Champs. France, (Teddy Tinmar, Christophe Lemaitre, Yannick Lesourd to Jimmy Vicaut) took the silver in 38.20, their seasonal best.
In third, Saint Kitts & Nevis( Jason Rodgers, KIm Collins, Antoine Adams, Brijesh Lawrence) ran 38.49 for the bronze. Poland was fourth in 38.50. Italy was fifth in 38.96. Sixth was Trinidad and Tobago in 39.01.
After the race, Justin Gatlin, after speaking with Jon Drummond, the relay coordinator, had this to say for the men’s team:
“We had great stick passing in the prelims and the
heats. We really came together as a team this year in this relay. We had
a game plan , it has been six years since we won and we really wanted
to do it tonight.
With Doc Patton, it has been a tough for Doc, since he was on the relay when the last situation happened. It
has been on his mind. Watching the replay, we believe that the Great
Britain runner hit Darvis in the lower part of his body, with his hand
and his stick, that made him go down. This gives us ambition for next
year. Hopefully, this will give us a moral victory for next year for the
2012 Olympics.”
