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"Time to blow up the system" - Carl Lewis slams USATF following USA men's 4x100m relay fumble
Carl Lewis condemned the USATF after the USA men's 4x100m relay team's blunder at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The USA men's team, including Christian Coleman, Kenny Benarek, Kyree King, and Kenny Bednarek fell short of expectations in the much-anticipated finals of the event.
The American team was disqualified following a fumble during the baton exchange. Coleman ran the first leg and handed over the baton to Bednarek. However, the two sprinters clashed, leading them to exchange the baton outside of the legal zone.
The disruption interrupted the flow for the next two legs, forcing the team to finish in seventh place. However, the team was later handed a disqualification for passing the baton outside the exchange zone. Following the slip-up, the former 10-time Olympic medalist Lewis expressed his frustration with USATF.
He claimed that the system is completely flawed and focuses on maintaining relationships rather than prioritizing success. The legendary sprinter, who was one of the torch bearers during the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, also suggested a complete revamp of the system.
"It is time to blow up the system. This continues to be completely unacceptable. It is clear that EVERYONE at @usatf is more concerned with relationships than winning. No athlete should step on the track and run another relay until this program is changed from top to bottom," Lewis wrote (via his X handle).
"Talk to the coaches" - Carl Lewis suggests holding coaches responsible for any failure in relay events
Carl Lewis suggested that coaches should be questioned for failure in any USA relay events at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Apart from the men's 4x100m relay mishap, the USA men's 4x400m team also faced setbacks during the qualification round.
The American team with Quincy Wilson, Vernon Nonwood, Bryce Deadmon, and Christopher Bailey, was the frontrunner to dominate the qualifying round.
However, Wilson, who ran the first leg for the team, clocked a below-average lap time of 47.27 seconds (the seventh-fastest first leg of the lineup). The team settled in third place behind Botswana and Great Britain.
Before the team's qualification round, Carl Lewis suggested that if the team falls short of delivering a victorious performance, the coaches should be held accountable for the results.
"If @TeamUSA wins all relays tomorrow, you talk to the athletes. If something happens and they do not sweep. ONLY talk to the coaches. Yes, I said it!!!"
The men's 4x400m relay is slated for August 10, 2024, at 21:00 (Paris Time).
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