With the Jamaican team of Raheem Hayles, Junelle Bromfield, Zandrion Barnes, and Stephanie Ann McPherson never really in it from the start, Bol, who got the baton in fourth position, bided her time before exploding in the stretch to sweep past American anchor Kaylyn Brown.
The Dutch team, which also included Eugene Omalla, Lieke Klaver, and Isaya Klein, won in an Area Record of 3:07.43, just outside the American’s World Record of 3:07.41. The Americans were second in 3:07.74, with Great Britain third in a National Record 3:08.01.
Jamaica initially crossed the line sixth in 3:11.67, but were later upgraded to fifth after the disqualification of the French team.
Jamaica’s bad luck at the Paris Olympic Games, particularly on the female side, again reared its ugly head as the country’s quartet suffered a mishap in the 4x400m relay final and failed to finish at the Stade de France on Saturday.
With Shanieka Ricketts’ silver medal in the triple jump being the only medal won by a female athlete among Jamaica's six medals tallied ahead of the much-anticipated curtain call relays, the quartet of Stacey-Ann Williams, Andrenette Knight, Shiann Salmon, and Stephanie Ann McPherson would have hoped to end the athletics segment on a high.
However, it was not to be, as Knight, while in second position on the second leg, had the baton knocked from her hand by an Irish athlete, and as the instrument clattered on the track, so did the country’s hopes of a medal.
McPherson shared the team's disappointment.
"I don't know what happened; I watched the replay three times before I realised what happened, but it was like World Relays all over again. So, of course, we are disappointed. We all trained really hard for this," an emotional McPherson said, her eyes filled with tears.
Salmon tried to put on a brave face.
"My face might not be showing it but I am very heartbroken. The aim was to finish on the podium, and I am sure that everybody is disheartened that we didn't even get to finish the race, but sometimes things happen that we have no control over, and we have to just move on from them. The overall (Olympic) experience for me was excellent; I can't complain about it. I got two lifetime bests in this championship, and I thank God I finished healthy, so I am just looking forward to the rest of the season," Salmon shared.
The event was won by the United States with an Area Record of 3:15.27, just shy of the longstanding 3:15.17 World Record. The Netherlands, through a blistering anchor leg from Femke Bol, took second in a National Record of 3:19.50, while Great Britain also clocked a National Record of 3:19.72 for third.
While the disappointment of a majority of Jamaica’s athletes and fans alike will be profound, after the legendary Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson suffered injuries ahead of their events and Ackera Nugent clipped a few obstacles, which ruined her chance at a medal in the women's 100m hurdles final, among other misfortunes, the country still had much to celebrate.
Rajindra Campbell won an historic bronze in the men’s shot put; Kishane Thompson copped silver in the men’s 100m; Wayne Pinnock was also a silver medallist in the long jump; and Rasheed Broadbell won bronze in the men’s 110m hurdles.
But the biggest accomplishment of the Games came for discus thrower Roje Stona, who achieved an Olympic record to land Jamaica’s solitary gold medal on his debut at the global multi-sport showpiece.
