US in drop zone after double relay errors
Darvis Patton and Tyson Gay dropped the baton on the final changeover in the men’s race, while Torri Edwards and Lauryn Williams were the guilty duo for the women, also on the last leg.
World champion Gay — who failed to make the final of the individual 100m — said: “The stick was in my hand but when I went to grab it he had already let go. It takes a second to feel it. It is probably my fault. I am going to take the blame for it. I have never dropped a stick in my life. It is just the way it has been happening for me this year.”
Williams said: “I really don’t know what happened, I guess I dropped the stick.
“I thought my hand was there, maybe someone has a voodoo doll of me. If people want to blame me they can blame, I don’t care. It’s definitely very humbling for Team USA and we’re going to hold our head high and get through it.”
Jamaica cruised to victory in the second semi-final with Campbell-Brown running the anchor leg 90 minutes after her 200m triumph.
There was at least an American 1-2-3 in the men’s 400m, although not in the expected order as defending champion Jeremy Wariner was surprisingly beaten into second place by team-mate LaShawn Merritt.
Merritt took gold in a time of 43.75s with David Neville’s desperate lunge at the line securing the bronze.
World record holder Dayron Robles duly won the 110m hurdles in a race robbed of much of its excitement by the absence of Chinese superstar Liu Xiang through injury.
Cuba’s Robles surged clear over the second half of the race to win gold ahead of American duo David Payne and David Oliver.
Robles’ time of 12.93s was just 0.02s outside the Olympic record set by Liu in Athens in 2004.
“I’m happy I’m champion, I’m ecstatic, it’s always been my dream,” Robles said. “I’ve learnt a lot over the past couple of years and my technique has improved significantly this year.”
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