Heading into the race, few doubted that the U.S. women would win the 4x400 relay at the Olympics. The more pressing questions were how much they’d win by and whether a world record set in 1988 by the Soviet Union would finally be broken.
Team USA, with its powerhouse lineup of Shamier Little, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Gabby Thomas and Alexis Holmes, dominated the race from start to finish.
Little gave the U.S. a strong start, after battling Jamaica for the lead in the first leg.
But once the baton was passed to McLaughlin-Levrone, the race was effectively over. McLaughlin-Levrone quickly pulled away, widening the gap between Team USA and its competition.
McLaughlin-Levrone, who also secured gold in the 400-meter hurdles earlier in the Games while breaking her own world record, according to USA Today, continued to showcase her dominance. She completed her leg of the relay in 47.70 seconds before handing the baton off to Thomas.
Despite a slight stumble during the handoff, Thomas, who had already won gold in the 200 meters and 4x100 relay this summer, per the Olympics, maintained the lead, further distancing Team USA from the other teams.
Though Team USA faced no real challenge for the gold, the challenge of breaking the world record remained.
Holmes anchored the team, bringing them to a final time of 3:15.30, just one-tenth of a second shy of the world record, according to World Athletics.
While the Soviet Union’s world record still stands, Team USA set a new American record with their performance, and if this race is any indication, the world record is not likely to stand for much longer.
The Netherlands took silver with a time of 3:19.50, while Great Britain claimed bronze at 3:19.72, according to the Olympics.
“I think this generation of track and field is just on a different level,” McLaughlin-Levrone said about the race, per USA Today. “Everything is improving including us, including our technique, including how we prepare.”
“I don’t think anything is impossible at this point, and I think we’re continuing to prove that every time we step on the track,” she added.