Usain Bolt wasn’t the only Olympian making history on the track Friday night.
Just before Bolt picked up his final gold medal of the 2016 Olympics in the men’s 4×100 meter relay, Allyson Felix and the U.S. women took the track seeking their own dominance in the 4×100 meter final.
And dominate they did.
With Felix running the second leg and Tori Bowie running the anchor, Team USA obliterated the field in Rio de Janeiro, taking home gold with a blistering time of 41.01 seconds, the second fastest time ever.
The Americans did all this despite running in Lane 1, a disadvantageous position they earned after having to rerun their preliminary heat when they suffered a failed baton transfer but were illegally contacted by the Brazilian team in the exchange zone.
Their second chance set the stage for Friday’s dominant final and allowed Felix to become the first female Olympian to capture five gold medals.
Felix hasn’t hinted at retirement yet, but she does turn 31 in November, so Friday night’s race very well could have been her last in Olympic competition. If so, that’s not a bad way to go out.
Thumbnail photo via Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports Images
