U.S. mixed relay team sets world record in 4×400 prelim, but eyes more: ‘We’re going to do it again’

SAINT-DENIS, France — Shamier Little was about 20 meters up the curve of the lavender track at Stade de France. Eager to get the baton for her second leg, she watched intently at Vernon Norwood heading towards her in Lane 6. At some point, she realized she was alone out there.

“Oh my goodness,” Little said, with a bashful smile. “I thought I was locked in, I had to realize I wasn’t where I was supposed to be.”

Little indeed hustled back to the line with everyone else. Norwood got her the baton. Disaster was averted.

It took 3:07.41 for Norwood, Little, Bryce Deadmon and Kaylyn Brown to complete the first heat in the first round of the 4×400 mixed relays at the Paris Olympics on Friday. The world record was theirs. America blew the doors off the competition, winning the heat by more than three seconds.

The American quartet broke the record set by Americans Rosey Effiong, Matthew Boling, Alexis Holmes and Justin Robinson at the 2023 World Championships.

Judging by the aggression of their legs, the quartet had every intention of going for the world-record mark. It was top of mind heading into the race.

“Three-oh-eight eighty,” Norwood blurted without hesitation. “We knew what it was.”

France took second with a late push, edging Great Britain. Belgium, Netherlands, Jamaica, defending Olympic champion Poland and Italy rounded out the top eight. Nigeria set a national record but just missed making Saturday’s final.

In the Tokyo Olympics, America won the bronze medal in the 4×400 mixed relay. They won the first heat but had the third-best time heading into the final, for which the U.S. ran a different quartet.

The rules of mixed relays changed by the 2023 World Championships. Now, only one runner can be replaced. Who runs which leg can be shuffled around as long as the male-female-male-female format remains.

It’s unlikely any of the superstars hop in the mixed relay. Don’t expect to see Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone or Gabby Thomas. This event is traditionally for the second tier. Since the mixed relay doesn’t yet have much prestige and happens early in meets, it’s too risky to insert gold medal hopefuls and face the potential of injury or fatigue in keeping them from thriving in their main event.

Plus, this is a chance to spread the gold around the roster.

At the 2023 Worlds in Hungary, the U.S. made a replacement and changed the order.

Ryan Willie, the first leg in the heat, was swapped out for Boling, who ran the third leg in the final. Robinson took over opener duties. Effiong and Holmes remained in the second and fourth legs. The change produced a world record.

Would the U.S. dare make a change after setting a new world record? The mixed relay figured to be a good spot for high school phenom Quincy Wilson. Do they give him a crack at it? Or give the same group a chance to finish what it started?

“I guess we got a lot left,” Deadmon said. “I ain’t think we (were) gon’ do that today.”

They made Olympic history despite a rough start.

Norwood got behind early on the first leg. Although he entered the final 100 meters in fourth, he rallied over the final 50 meters or so to make sure Little got the baton first in the semi-staggered exchange.

Once Little clutched the baton, she exploded. By the end of the first turn, she was comfortably ahead.

“That was kind of the little push I needed,” she said, “that little spook, to kind of get me set up in the first 50 of the run.”

Deadmon’s third leg ended any doubt, though little remained. He ran a 44.17 — the fastest leg of the first round in either heat. The packed house appreciated the dominance.

“I was running down the back stretch on the last curve,” Deadmon said, “and I was like, … ‘Damn! It’s kinda loud in here.’ So that was definitely a great experience.”

By the time he handed off to Brown, the only question was the world record. She took care of that.

Her time of 49.45 seconds was the fastest of any anchor leg.

“Our job was just to come out and execute,” Norwood said. “And tomorrow we’re going to do it again.”

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.