Although their handoffs weren’t as smooth as their competitors’, Asha Philip, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Dina Asher-Smith, and Daryll Neita set a British record in qualifying with a time of 41.55 seconds.
The United States of America and Jamaica finished first and second, respectively, with the former posting the second-fastest time ever to win the gold medal.
The British trio of Philip, Asher-Smith, and Neita who took bronze in Rio 2016 join the ranks of the silver medalists from Great Britain in the same event in 1932, 1952, 1964, 1980, and 1984.
Thirty-year-old Philip from Leyton, England, remarked “I’m sorry that our transition wasn’t smoother; I know we’ve all worked very hard on this. We’ve been warned about a pandemic and the worst-case scenarios, yet we always manage to pull through.
“We have such an amazing team and staff, and they are the main reason we were able to make it to the big stage and deliver.”
Our performance wasn’t flawless, but we still managed to win a medal.
However, Rio’s lone newcomer, Lansiquot, acknowledged the tenseness of the swaps.
In her words: “I’m sorry that the close finish gave everyone a heart attack, especially my grandma and grandpa.
“There will inevitably be upsets during the Championships, but the fact that we have the necessary trust and chemistry between ourselves is the most crucial factor.
We were Confident in Our Ability to Win and Knew we’d Medal.
I can’t even express how happy I am with myself. My first Olympic medal is just the beginning of a brilliant career for me. I’m over the moon.”
Since Asher-Smith was unable to win an individual medal, she focused on helping her team win.
Quote from Asher-Smith “There were a lot of people, so I decided to go.
“For what it’s worth, I’m one of the best bend runners in the world, and I come into Daryll like a train because of this.
Final Words
Neita declared: “Just trying my best for the team while waiting for Dina to come to me and trusting in myself was key.
“In 2016, my team and I finished in third place, so I was confident we could do it again. I’m very pleased with how hard everyone has worked, because now we can do anything.