The United States is awaiting the result of an appeal after being disqualified from the mixed 4x400m relay on the opening day of track and field action in Tokyo.
Lynna Irby, the second runner for the US, waited too far up the track to receive the baton and despite finishing first, the Americans were ruled out for breaking rule 24.19 which states: “For all takeovers, athletes are not permitted to begin running outside their takeover zones, and shall start within the zone. If an athlete does not follow the this rule, their team shall be disqualified.”
Irby was out of position when getting ready to receive the baton from Elijah Godwin. She needed to be behind the blue line you can see in the photo below, but she waited in front of it by mistake.
There’s no doubt Irby was in the wrong place but the US has appealed, claiming she was told to stand in the incorrect spot by a trackside official. American sports reporter David Woods tweeted: “I’m told Team USA is appealing DQ in mixed 4×400 relay because officials put No. 2 runner Lynna Irby at wrong exchange line. So what looked like Irby’s error might be official’s error.”
American four-time Olympic gold medallist Michael Johnson also said Irby did nothing wrong.
“Our @BBCSport coverage saw 2 athletes in heat 2 also lined up in the wrong place and corrected themselves last minute,” Johnson tweeted.
“Officials either lined them up wrong or didn’t give direction. US should win appeal.”
Adam Kilgore, a journalist for the Washington Post, then reported Irby’s coach Lance Brauman also blamed the mix-up on an official.
“It wasn’t her fault that they made the mistake, and she ran very well,” he said.
If the disqualification stands, it will rob American star Allyson Felix of the chance to win a record 10th Olympic medal.