Not again! U.S. men's team gone after another messy relay

However, Congratulations! to China, Canada & Italy who finished 1-2-3.

The Japanese commentators said that the U.S. has had a history of bad passes. With such a history, it would seem natural that they could practice more on the passes to ensure a better performance on the global stage. Maybe too much emphasis on the individual races rather than on the team effort involved in the relays, unfortunately. Hopefully, the longer 4 x 400 will be a better race for them.

Baton passes are to the US relay teams what penalty shootouts are to the England football team.

I expect the relay team will be hauled before Bach and the head of NBC to explain their actions in likely causing a considerable drop in viewership.

Perhaps if less time kneeling and more time practicing baton twirling they could have move ahead. Get over it.

Once again “Congratulations!” to China, Canada & Italy who ALL finished Numbers 1, 2, & 3. 

There’s still more of Tokyo’s GOLD to be had !!

Go for it, WORLD ATHLETES !!

TAKUSAN TOTTE, douzo !!

Eddie Pells.

This article is very anti-American and slowly seeps negativity.

No need to be negative on the athletes and derogatory.

No need to rub salt in the wound.

Our track team in HS had awesome relay teams. The sprint coach used to make them practice baton passing incessantly, which I thought was excessive, but we never dropped or rarely fouled up a pass so it became apparent why. The US coach needs to drill them the same way because I'm getting tired of expecting the US team to mess up the baton pass for these past 20 years.

This article is very anti-American and slowly seeps negativity.

Um. Possibly the most biting quote in that entire article was from Carl Lewis.

@Slickdrifter: The article is from the Associated Press...

This article is very anti-American and slowly seeps negativity.

What do you want? The writer to give the American athletes a pat on the back? When it's bad, it's bad.

Unless Jamaica suffers from americanitis in the finals, they are the clear favourites, but it would be interesting to see whether China can at least get a medal, which would be great for an Asian nation. In the individual 100m, Su Bingtian really exhausted himself in the SF to get the best qualifying time and it showed in the finals where he came last.

The choice of words is what is what I find derogatory, There have been many mishaps at this Olympics,

We all know its bad. Agreed very very bad.

And Carl Lewis has always been an outspoken critic about this and previous teams.

No. I stand my ground on this. If it was about China or any other country. I would feel the same.

No need to rub it in like that. Uncalled for. Choose better wording.

I am not writer so, I will say what I say write what I feel, And I do not sugar coat the either.

These athletes come and try to give the best performance they can.

 Baker whiffed-Negative.

Quarter-century of misery-Negative and false!!!

If the article is a paste and copy A.P., Choose better articles and ones that perceive what Americans are seeing and feeling here at the evet or in the Japanese Media. Or in Japan!

Most readers here I can only assume are in Japan.? *Most not all.

And bringing politics in to it. Yada ne.

The editors at AP @TristisQuepe are in on the “anti-N.American” push as much as, presumedly, the local media. The original 12pm headline read;

“U.S. men’s relay team out again after finishing 6th in qualifying heat.” -

The US team with such a terrible run still achieved a much faster time ( 38.10 ) than the Japanese team ( 38.16 ) which qualified from their heats! The last placed team in heat 2 Denmark ( 38.16 ) had the same time as Japan the third team in heat 1!

It’s seems a prevalent theme here in recent weeks @slickdrifter 2:42pm:

“This article is very anti-American and slowly seeps negativity.” -

“No need to be negative on the athletes and derogatory.” -

“No need to rub salt in the wound.”

Changed the original headline to do exactly that:

“U.S. men’s relay team out again after finishing 6th in qualifying heat.” -

Eddie Pells: I take it you are an American but please remember you're not writing for your local gazette. All your articles are heavily US-centred, and doesn't belong here.

The Japanese commentators said that the U.S. has had a history of bad passes. With such a history, it would seem natural that they could practice more on the passes to ensure a better performance on the global stage.

I agree.

Maybe too much emphasis on the individual races rather than on the team effort involved in the relays, unfortunately. Hopefully, the longer 4 x 400 will be a better race for them.

No, I think a lot of athletes in the States are too focused on political correctness and social justice, gender and identity politics, and wanting to make a stand and bring attention to a social situation that really has no business being in the games, I think the US as a team is extremely focused, the difference is, they become individual social justice warriors trying to make a point of view breaking that focused team bond because their minds are all over the place.

The US women's soccer team is a great example of that. So many of the players put politics before the games and look what happened. A few years ago, the women were the undisputed champions of the world in that sport, they were laser-focused, they had a goal, a dream, a clear determination of where they wanted to be and this new brand of players isn't anything near to that and that is because their hearts are not in it and if they would put the team and love for the country first instead of themselves and hatred, they and a few other athletes in other sports events (not just soccer or Track and field) wouldn't be in this embarrassing spot

I think the US as a team is extremely focused, the difference is, they become individual social justice warriors trying to make a point of view breaking that focused team bond because their minds are all over the place.

I think you are on to it. So many American athletes are suffering from mental health issues it’s hard not to conclude that there is something from the social and cultural environment back home that is affecting them. They are soft, fragile and prone to mental lapses compared to the competition.

@Wolfpack don't assume or underestimate the will, the heart and desire to win or lose the US IS NEVER OUT!!

Can't win them all. U.S. tends to dominate the 4x100m women and 4x400m men and women. U.S. media tends to sugarcoat the U.S. medals. The real medal table is ranked by number of golds not number of total medals. U.S. has their work cut out for them to reach China's number. The only way is to win more Track & Field golds as well as the basketball teams. Chinese dominated sports are just about finished except for men's diving coming up.

No, I think a lot of athletes in the States are too focused on political correctness and social justice, gender and identity politics

I was wondering when you'd once again bring politics into the realm of running fast. There is literally nothing that you won't make political. It must be a miserable existence trying to make political excuses for athletic shortcomings. They lost because they couldn't run fast enough or pass the baton fast enough, or that someone was better than them, not because they were 'woke', or 'SJW' or whatever moniker you think made them fail.

They lost because they couldn't run fast enough or pass the baton fast enough, or that someone was better than them, not because they were 'woke', or 'SJW' or whatever moniker you think made them fail.

In years past I would agree with you. But athletes are by their own admission doing more than athletics in this age of ubiquitous social media activism. They all talk about they’re “platform” and “social justice”. To be successful at the highest levels a single minded focus on your sport is necessary. Increasingly, activism and sports are going hand in hand in the US. The results are what you see before you in Tokyo. An overall decline in excellence.

Too much ego, they can't cooperate.