The United States has a men's 4x100-meter relay problem.
In the last four Olympics—2008 in Beijing, 2012 in London, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro and 2021 in Tokyo—the Americans have medaled zero times. That trend continued Friday in Paris, when a botched baton pass resulted in Kenny Bednarek, Christian Coleman, Fred Kerley and Kyree King being disqualified from the event.
All told, the United States is without a medal in the event since 2004 in Athens and without a gold medal in the event since 2000 in Sydney—a stunning fall-off for the nation in an event it used to dominate.
American track icon Carl Lewis, who won golds in the event in 1984 in Los Angeles and 1992 in Barcelona, took to social media Friday to indicated he'd seen enough.
"It is time to blow up the system. This continues to be completely unacceptable. It is clear that EVERYONE at (USA Track and Field) is more concerned with relationships than winning," Lewis wrote. "No athlete should step on the track and run another relay until this program is changed from top to bottom."
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. https://t.co/Re6THj8QTm
— Carl Lewis (@Carl_Lewis) August 9, 2024
When Lewis talks—and he did so after Tokyo as well—the United States's Olympic power brokers would be wise to listen.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Carl Lewis Assails USA Track and Field After Another Men's 4x100-Meter Relay Flop.
