A special race was scheduled on June 30, 2024, a sunny Sunday. The athletes were the four members of the men’s 4x400m relay pool.
It was Team Jamaica’s final opportunity to earn a spot in the 4x400m Olympic competition in Paris. On the last day of the JAAA national championships, Tarees Rhoden, Malik James-King, Sean Bailey, and Reheem Hayles were unable to qualify.
The team finished in 2:59.87 seconds, missing Zambia’s record by 2:59.12 seconds. The outcome also ended their long-standing Olympic rivalry with Team USA. The competition between the United States and Jamaica over the 4×400-meter relay at the Olympics did not materialise for the second time since 1948. Vernon Norwood, however, disclosed their most recent opponents, who replaced Jamaica in Paris.
“I love the notion of USA-Botswana, but the USA vs. Jamaica is like an iconic rivalry,” the Olympic gold medallist told Chris Chavez during a Citus Mag interview. The Olympic record holder acknowledged this, but he also mentioned Great Britain. I have to give them credit. The 32-year-old highlighted, “They ran 2:55,” complimenting up-and-coming athletes like Charlie Dobson.
He wasn’t sure about Jamaica, though. The titan of track and field fared poorly in almost all of the track competitions. Legends like Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson-Herah suffered injuries. In the meantime, potential players like Oblique Seville and Kishane Thompson fell short of the mark. Vernon Norwood stated, “If they could rebuild, they could go back intothat hunt.”
But without the yellow-green bridge, the 4x400m final was a titanic battle between the three countries. Every leg of the lengthy race was suspenseful, with supporters finding it difficult to choose a victor even as the final leg neared its conclusion. Italy had led the first leg of the race, but Team USA, Botswana, and Great Britain closed the gap. In the second leg, Busang Collen Kebitnatshipi gave Botswana the lead.
Bryce Deadmon of Team USA was the one who turned everything around by separating himself from his most recent opponents by several body lengths. Letsile Tebogo, however, was Botswana’s ace in the anchor leg and he kept Rai Benjamin on edge all the way to the finish. Despite Team USA’s gold medal and Olympic record, Vernon Wood couldn’t help but give Team Botswana, commanded by Tebogo, his full support.
Vernon Norwood’s modest acknowledgement of Botswana’s top athlete
The four-time world champion gave the Botswana 4x400m team high marks, but Letsile Tebogo, the breakout star of Paris 2024, received the greatest recognition. Norwood acknowledged the adaptability of the 21-year-old by describing who can start in any leg of the 4x400m. The seasoned track and field athlete acknowledged, “Tebogo in that mix is risky.” Norwood added that the Olympic 200-meter champion’s greatest leg would come in “second.”
Even though Botswana’s current squad has “great depth,” their standout player might be the deciding factor. Indeed, he almost took Benjamin by surprise in the anchor leg after astounding Noah Lyles in the 200-meter finals. Botswana finished the race with a time of 2:54.53 seconds, placing them just 00:00.10 seconds behind Team USA. Vernon Norwood remarked, “To be honest, I’m pleased he ain’t in second (leg).”
“He’s going to cause me some issues,” the Olympic record holder said with humility.
The 32-year-old believes that Botswana and GB will be Team USA’s primary opponents in the 4x400m for the foreseeable future, barring Jamaica’s recovery or the arrival of a fresh competitor. But he thinks the Olympic winners who have won five times in a row will still be unbeatable in the future.
Vernon Norwood stated, “We’re going to be in the hunt because we just have the depth.” Still, what are your thoughts? Will Letsile Tebogo-led Botswana win the title at LA2028, or will Team USA continue to dominate the competition?
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