U.S. Women's Relay Team Drops Baton, Lodges Appeal [Update]

Shit went down in a preliminary women’s 4x100 relay race today. The American team, which came into these Olympics as one of the favorites to take gold in the event, crashed out when Allyson Felix failed to hand the baton to English Gardner.

A replay showed that Felix stumbled and then attempted to toss the baton into Gardner’s hand:

The American team has filed an appeal, though, claiming that Felix was bumped by a Brazilian runner in the lane next to her, thus causing the failed exchange. In the screencap below, you can see Felix colliding with the Brazilian sprinter’s arm, which is what caused her initial stumble:

If the protest is upheld, Felix and her teammates should advance to the 4x100 relay finals.

Update (11:49 a.m.): Team USA’s appeal has been granted, and they will get another chance to qualify for the finals: