The Women’s 4 x 100-meter relay was the biggest upset of the entire World Champs. who in their right mind thought that the Jamaican women’s 4 x 100m relay team was going to come in second, with 3 gold medalists on the team?
The crowd was on their feet as the US 4 x100m women’s relay team of Melissa Jefferson, Abby Steiner,
Jennifer Prandini and Twanisha Terry ran 41.14WL to Jamaica’s 41.18.
Jamaica’s 4 x100m team consisted of Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shelly-Ann Frazier-Pryce, Shericka Jackson, and Kemba Nelson was the opening leg.
From the outset, it was an all-out battle. Not a centimeter was given up by the US team. Melissa Jefferson, the USATF champ at 100 meters, gave the US team a clear small lead, but a lead nonetheless, which Melissa fought for, one meter at a time, on the first leg. Abby Steiner, NCAA 200m champ and USATF 200m champ, blasted a screamingly fast second leg. After a crisp pass between Jefferson and Steiner, Steiner handed off with precision to Jennifer Prandini. Prandini is the Mark Lutz of curve running in the 4x100m relays (Lutz was an American in the 1970s who could flow around a turn in the relays, oh go to YouTube).
Prandini flew around the curve and extended the lead as she handed off to Twanisha Terry, who ran swiftly, inspired by the 21,000 screaming fans in Hayward Field.
The Jamaican hand-offs were, how do I put this? Not as flawless as in past years. Perhaps some overconfidence, but as Shericka Jackson took the anchor leg, she was behind Twanisha Terry, who just willed herself not to be caught.
The U.S. team showed the best example of what this writer has spoken about for years. The U.S. team, with strong hand-offs, was able to hold off a team of three gold medalists!
