Botched relay exchanges wreck night for U.S.
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BEIJING -- Tyson Gay’s Olympics became a complete loss Thursday night, when the reigning world champion in the 100 meters could not handle the baton on the final exchange in the preliminary heat of the 400-meter relay.
On a rainy night, the baton slipped out of Gay’s left hand as Darvis Patton tried to pass it to him. That knocked the United States out of a showdown with Jamaica in the final.
A botched exchange in the heats also cost a U.S. men’s sprint relay team a likely medal in the 1988 Olympics.
Gay, recovering from a hamstring injury, failed to make the 100 final.
Then, unbelievably, 30 minutes later, the U.S. women’s relay went out on another botched relay exchange, as Lauryn Williams could not close her hand around the baton Torri Edwards handed to her.
This is the second straight Olympic relay mishap for Williams, who in 2004 was called for running out of the zone on the anchor exchange with Marion Jones.
-- Philip Hersh
