Record 5th Gold For Allyson Felix As U.S. Women Hold Onto 4X100M Relay Title

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) -- The U.S. women have retained the 4x100-meter relay title and helped Allyson Felix win her record fifth Olympic gold medal.

The Americans, who needed to set a qualifying time in a solo rerun hours after dropping the baton in the preliminaries and getting a second chance on protest, won the final in 41.01 seconds.

It was an impressive comeback after near disaster on Thursday, when Felix dropped the baton after being bumped by a Brazilian runner. That led to the re-run, and the Americans qualified fastest, taking the place of China in the final.

A Jamaican team containing Elaine Thompson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, took silver in 41.36. Britain won bronze in a national record 41.77.

The 30-year-old Felix entered the games as one of six women with four Olympic gold medals in track and field.

Felix ran the second leg for the Americans, the same section as 100- and 200-meter gold medalist Thompson, and passed to English Gardner, who ran a powerful curve to give her team the lead.

Tori Bowie ran the anchor leg and held off Fraser-Pryce as the Americans only narrowly missed the world record.