RIO DE JANEIRO — Medals came from rare and unexpected places for American runners on the last day of the track and field portion of the Rio Games, although they also tapped the reliable gold mine of the women’s 1,600-meter relay for a sixth straight Olympic championship in that event and Allyson Felix’s ninth career medal.
When the evening was over, the U.S. team total stood at 31 with Sunday’s men’s marathon to go, three more track and field medals than the 2012 U.S. won in London and the most at a non-boycotted Games since 1956. The breakdown was seven golds and 15 total for the men’s squad, to six goals and 16 for the women.
They did it in spectacular fashion Saturday, with Maryland-born Matt Centrowitz holding off several late challenges to become the first U.S. man to win the Olympic 1,500-meter race since 1908. It was so unlikely an outcome that even he couldn’t believe it.
“Doing my victory lap I literally kept screaming to everyone I know, ‘Are you kidding me?’” said Centrowitz, who said he felt his legs begin to buckle in the last 20 meters but held on for a reasonably fast finish to an overall plodding time of 3 minutes 50 seconds, the slowest winning time in decades.
“As soon as I crossed the line I was looking at the board, like, ‘Did somebody go by me? Did I really just win, did I beat that caliber of field in the Olympic final?’” said Centrowitz, who edged Taoufik Makhloufi of Algeria (3:50.11) and Nick Willis of New Zealand (3:50.24). “I couldn’t have scripted it any better.”
Some of those medals, though, came and went and came back.
Paul Chelimo of the U.S. Army’s World Class Athlete Program initially was listed as the runner-up in the 5,000-meter race behind Mo Farah, who completed a distance double-double by winning the 5,000 and 10,000 in London and again here. But Chelimo and two other runners were disqualified soon afterward for unknown reasons, moving U.S. teammate Bernard Lagat from sixth to third. Roughly 15 minutes later Chelimo was reinstated on appeal, bouncing Lagat from bronze medalist to fifth.
After all the recalculating was done, Chelimo had the first U.S. medal in the 5,000 since 1964.
He was timed in 13:03.90 to the magnificent Farah’s 13:03.30. “I don’t really know what happened,” a stunned Chelimo said, “but I am happy to be back in it and I’m happy to call myself the 5,000-meter Olympic silver medalist.”
Felix became a six-time gold medalist by anchoring the U.S. women’s 1,600-meter relay to victory over Jamaica in 3:19.06, smiling as she crossed the line as she added more distinction to her remarkable career. With nine medals (six gold and three silver) she tied Merlene Ottey (three silver and six bronze) for the most Olympic track and field medals won by a female athlete. The Jamaicans were timed in 3:20.34, with Britain third in 3:25.88.
Courtney Okolo, Natasha Hastings, Phyllis Francis and Felix got the baton around and carried it home without incident, a nice change following the mishap in the 400-meter relay preliminary that led to an appeal and a re-run before Felix anchored that group to gold.
It was a calm and happy ending to a sometimes rugged journey for Felix, who was unsure she’d be able to compete here after she severely injured her right ankle in late April.
She didn’t make the U.S. team in the 200 and couldn’t defend the Olympic title she won in London; she made it in the 400 but was nosed out for gold by the diving Shaunae Miller of the Bahamas.
“This one wasn’t an individual medal and the great thing is I get to share it with these great friends. I am so blessed,” Felix said. “Track and field is such a big part of my life. In track and field, there are always bumps in the road and each one of us had a unique journey to get here, but we pushed through.”
The U.S. men’s 1,600-meter relay quartet also prevailed over their Jamaican rivals. Arman Hall, Tony McQuay, Gil Roberts and LaShawn Merritt were timed in 2:57.30, ahead of Jamaica (2:58.16) and the Bahamas (2:58.49).
But not every event Saturday had a happy ending for the American contingent.
Chaunte Lowe finished fourth in the high jump, which was won by Ruth Beitia of Spain with a top jump of 1.97 meters (6 feet 5{ inches). Vashti Cunningham, 18, went out early, at 1.88 meters (6-2), and finished 13th.
And in the women’s 800, Kate Grace of Santa Monica finished eighth in 1:59.57, behind heavily favored winner Caster Semenya of South Africa (1:55.29), Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi (1:56.49) and Margaret Wambui of Kenya (1:56.89). “These women are strong. They’re world-class people. They’re amazing women and I was happy to be there,” Grace said.
But she was better for the experience. “Seeing all these U.S. athletes medaling,” she said, “was really, really inspiring for me.”
She wasn’t alone in feeling that way.
