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Jamaica missing out on the 4x100 relay shows you just how brutal track can be

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For The Win (usatoday.com) 

This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.

Good morning, Winners! Welcome back to TMW! Thank you so much for rocking with us today. We appreciate you.

Here’s your daily medal count as of 9 a.m. ET:

— United States: 95 (27 gold, 35 silver, 33 bronze)

— China: 67 (26 gold, 24 silver, 17 bronze)

— France: 51 (13 gold, 17 silver, 21 bronze)

— Great Britain: 49 (12 gold, 17 silver, 20 bronze)

— Australia:  43 (18 gold, 14 silver, 11 bronze)

Now, let’s talk a bit about Jamaica.

The track can be such a monster

For years, the Jamaican men’s side has dominated the men’s 4×100 relay.

Usain Bolt is easily the greatest male sprinter ever. But right behind him were Asafa Powell, Yohan Blake, and more. They were literally like the Celtics in the 1980s with this event. For you kids out there, don’t think too much about that. It just means they won it. A lot.

Since 2004, Jamaica has dominated. The only exceptions were in 2008, when Jamaica was disqualified, and 2020, after Usain Bolt retired.

This year, in a jarring turn of events, the Jamaican men didn’t qualify.

The Jamaican side missed out on qualifying for the final by .06 seconds after a botched handoff disrupted the team’s rhythm.

It’s devastating to watch.

Brutal. Just brutal. That’s how much of a monster track can be. Especially in the 4×100 relay.

You can be the fastest person in the world (which Kishane Thompson was only a few thousandths of a second away from being, btw!), but one slight mishandling of the baton means it’s over.

Not having Jamaica there is going to be so weird. Put it this way: Imagine LeBron James missing an NBA Finals in the 2010s. You can’t, right? That’s what this is. Jamaica may not have won it all, but you just know they would be there in the end. It’s Jamaica.

This is pretty bittersweet. The 4×100 probably just got a bit easier for Team USA, which is a good thing, I guess. But at the same time, I wanted to see a great race, and I’m sure Team USA did, too. Jamaica won’t be there to give us that, and that’s pretty sad.

Track is brutal, folks.

Put some respect on Artistic Swimming’s name

(Photo by Manan VATSYAYANA / AFP)

Here’s Michelle with another dispatch from Paris. This time, she talks about seeing artistic swimming live for the first time. What a moment.

SAINT-DENIS, France — Bonjour, les gagnants! Have you ever been to an artistic swimming competition in person? Me either, until last night, and let me tell you: It was something special.

Of course, it was cool that the Americans won their first Olympic medal in the team competition in 20 years (and with the help of the 1996 gold medal-winning team), taking silver behind China and ahead of Spain.

But the athleticism on display was truly extraordinary.

Growing up as a competitive swimmer, I never gave much thought to artistic swimming — once known as synchronized swimming. My mindset changed many years ago, but seeing the competition in person reinforced why my misconceptions were, in fact, misconceptions.

Artistic swimming is like combining the relentless treading water skills of water polo with the coordination and acrobatics of gymnastics, plus the choreography of Moulin Rouge dancers. Set to an eclectic variety of music ranging from The Lion King soundtrack to Snoop Dogg and the can-can, what they do above water is beautiful. But the real work is hidden underwater, highly evident in Team USA’s viral moonwalking routine.

The team competition is over, but the duets are still to come. And especially with the possible advantage of TV showing underwater angles, I’d recommend tuning in.

The closing ceremony awaits

Can you believe that we’re only a few days away from the Olympics’ closing ceremony already? It feels like just yesterday we were cracking Assassin’s Creed jokes and talking about a headless Marie Antionette at the thirstiest opening ceremony ever.

Now, we’re picking the athletes for the close of it all. Sheesh, time is flying.

Their peers voted Katie Ledecky and Nick Mead as the flag bearers for the closing ceremony. Ledecky, herself, answered the call with tears in her eyes after learning she’d been picked.

What a well-deserved moment. I can’t believe we’re already here, but I can’t think of anyone better to bear the flag than these two gold medal-winning stars.

Quick hits: Brandon Aiyuk spurns the Patriots … Elmo still hates Rocco after all these years … and more

— Brandon Aiyuk made clear that he doesn’t want to play for the Patriots. Robert Zeglinski has more here.

— Simone Biles reviving the Elmo and Rocco feud is giving me life today. Here’s Cory Woodroof with more on it.

— Thank you, Colorado, for giving us the first meme of the CFB season. Here’s Blake Schuster with more.

— The Olympics might be almost done but Breaking starts tomorrow! Here’s Prince Grimes with the explainer.

— Christian D’Andrea has the scoop on 1 veteran who could be cut or traded by every NFL team this preseason

— Here’s Robert Zeglinski on the best five coaches in the NFL.

That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for reading. Let’s talk again tomorrow. Peace.

-Sykes