by Stuart Weir
Swiss 3x100m, photo by 2020 Inspiration Games / Wanda Diamond League
Netherlands 3x100m, photo by 2020 Inspiration Games / Wanda Diamond League
USA 3x100m, photo by 2020 Inspiration Games / Wanda Diamond League
The 3 x 100m relay was an exciting way to end the Inspiation Games. Stuart Weir sent us this piece on this unusual event.
An unusual relay
The women’s sprint relay is always one of the highlights of the Zurich Weltklasse with the crowd screaming the home team on. So it’s appropriate that the Inspiration Games should include a 4 by 100 relay – or at least three quarters of one! This was not the 4 by 100 but the 3 by 100 – budget cuts I imagine! To make it fair, all three countries had home advantage. The Dutch running in Papendal, the national Olympic training facility. Switzerland in Zurich and USA in Walnut, California.
Team USA 3 x 100m team: Allyson Felix, Tianna Bartoletta, Candace Hill, photo by Inspiration Games
An impressive USA team of Candace Hill, Tianna Bartoletta, Allyson Felix won in 32.25 from Switzerland 32.50 with Dafne Schippers’ Dutch team in the bronze medal position. While we await verification, RunBlogRun is confident that three national, three stadium, three area records and a world lead time were recorded in the 3 by 100 women’s relay.
The victorious USA runners said afterwards
Team USA 3 x 100m team, photo 2: Tianna Bartoletta to Allyson Felix, photo by Inspiration Games
Candice Hill “At first, I was really nervous because they [Felix & Bartoletta] were on the world record breaking 4 x 100 [relay team] so I couldn’t necessarily mess this up. It is a nice opportunity to run with them and I hope to be like them one day in the future”.
Team USA 3 x 100m team, photo 3: Tianna Bartoletta to Allyson Felix, photo by Inspiration Games
Tianna Bartoletta. “I’m really happy with my fitness levels considering I had to have an emergency surgery and blood transfusion. I was really happy to get the call for this 3 x 100, and see it all coming together. I’m really grateful for training, and this just validates the good progress I’ve been making. We know each other well which made this race a little easier”.
Team USA 3 x 100m team, photo 4: Tianna Bartoletta to Allyson Felix, photo by Inspiration Games
Allyson Felix “We literally just did it! [get together for this event]. With the situation here where tracks are still not open, it is difficult, but we got it done and we had fun. We can see where sport falls, and how important it is to unify and bring people together. That’s what today was all about”.
Swiss 3x100m team: Mujinga Kambundji takes the baton, take 2nd in 32.50, photo by Inspiration Games / Wanda Diamond League
Mujinga Kambundji for Switzerland commented: ” We did the relay practice yesterday (laughs). That was good and then we knew we were just going to be alone, we had to focus on ourselves. It is always fun to run with each other. It was nice to have a relay even if it was a special relay. It was nice for all of us”.
Netherlands team, 3x100m: Dane Schippers takes the baton, photo by Inspiration Games / Wanda Diamond League
A bemused, Dafne Schippers commented: “Seriously I have no clue what this time means. It’s totally different. I think the changes were not very good”.
A fun race to end a fun event.
