USA women’s sprint medley team sets world record
PHILADELPHIA » Team USA took that ‘It’s not how you start, but how to finish’ adage literally at the 124th Penn Relays Saturday afternoon.
After dropping the first race in the USA vs. World competition, the women’s 4 x 100-meter relay, Team USA swept the next five events at Franklin Field, a run that included a world record performance in the women’s sprint medley relay.
USA went 1-2 in the men’s 4 x 100, and swept the sprint medley and 4 x 400-meter relays, much to the chagrin of the thousands of Jamaican fans who packed the lower section of Franklin Field as they do every year.
The highlight was the world record performance of 1 minute, 35.20 second set by the USA Red team of Destinee Brown, Aaliyah Brown, Kimberlyn Duncan, and Raevyn Rogers in the women’s sprint medley, which consists of two 100-meter dash legs followed by a 200- and a 400-meter leg.
That victory avenged USA Red’s loss to Jamaica in the 4 x 100. Both Browns and Duncan were on the 4 x 100, but revenge or setting the world mark was not on the team’s mind.
“We just wanted to win,” Brown said. “So I feel like when you want to win, the best things come out in those kind of situations as well as losing the 4 x 100, so it was even more that kind of energy, and I think we all channeled that into, let’s go out here and do our best and win. So I feel like just having that mindset and just being all savages, we kind of got that to happen.”
USA Red (Jaide Steptor, Jasmine Blocker, Kendra Chambers, Daina Harper) topped Jamaica in the 4 x 400 to make the USA women 2-1 on the day.
USA Red (Lashon Collins, Justin Gatlin, Tevin Hester, Justin Walker) topped USA Blue for the title in the 4 x 100. Cordero Gray, Bryce Robinson, Jevon Hutchinson and Jesse Garn were the winners for Team USA in the men’s sprint medley (200-200-400-800). USA Red (Marqueze Washington, Michael Cherry, Marcus Chambers, Mike Berry) brought the baton home in 3:01.31 to win the 4 x 400.