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Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and the United States blew away the field in the women’s 4×400-meter relay to win gold.
McLaughlin-Levrone blew up the rest of the race on the second leg with a split of 47.70 seconds.
After that, all Gabby Thomas and Alexis Holmes had to do was run a clean race with a massive lead.
The quartet of McLaughlin-Levrone, Thomas, Holmes and Shamier Little set an American record with a 3:15.27.
1. United States – 3:15.27
3. Great Britain – 3:19.72
McLaughlin-Levrone won the race for Team USA on the second leg.
The two-time gold medalist in the 400-meter hurdles turned a slender leg into one of the biggest advantages you will ever see on the track in the span of 47.70 seconds.
McLaughlin-Levrone’s split was the best on her team by a full second. No one else in the field ran a split better than 48.60 seconds.
McLaughlin-Levrone got the baton from Shamier Little, who turned in a solid first leg of 49.48 seconds. It was good enough to put Team USA near the front and to allow McLaughlin-Levrone to explode on the second leg.
Thomas, who won the 200 meters at the Paris Games, extended the advantage with a 49.30-second split on the third leg.
Holmes brought the race home in 48.78 seconds with no challengers remotely close to the Americans.
The real race was for second place, which was won by Femke Bol for the Netherlands. Bol turned in the best non-American split of 48.62 seconds on the final leg to edge out Great Britain for silver. Team GB held onto bronze over Ireland.
The women’s 4×400 relay victory produced the 14th track and field gold medal for Team USA. McLaughlin-Levrone and Thomas will both go home as dual gold-medal winners from Paris.