https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLcLyHnSf38
US men DISQUALIFIED from 100m relay: The moment drug cheat Gatlin and crestfallen sprinters learn they've lost out on medal is caught on camera
- Team USA's was disqualified again during the 4x100m relay on Friday
- Officials said baton exchanged illegally outside the zone at first change
- Canada as a result was elevated to the bronze-medal position
- This was the ninth time since 1995 that U.S. men have been disqualified or failed to get baton around at Olympics or world championships
- Usain Bolt anchored Jamaica to yet another win — his ninth Olympic gold medal — and Japan finished a surprising second
s
The US men's relay team proudly did a victory lap around track with on Friday after thinking they had clinched bronze following the Men's 4x100-meter relay.
But disappointment quickly appeared on their faces as they realized they had been disqualified shortly after the race for an infraction.
Mike Rodgers, Justin Gatlin and Tyson Gay were captured live on camera reacting to the news as the upset trio removed the US flags draped on their shoulders.
Scroll down for video
Team USA's Tyson Gay, Justin Gatlin and Mike Rodgers were captured live on camera reacting after learning they had been disqualified from the Men's 100m relay in Rio on Friday
Team USA, who has medaled since 2004, was disqualified for an infraction after the baton was passed illegally outside the exchange zone between the first and second runner
Gay, who has still never landed an Olympics medal, is pictured looking heartbroken after learning his team has been disqualified
Officials said the baton was passed illegally outside the exchange zone between the first and second runner.
During the race, Rodgers passed the baton to Gatlin on the first exchange, but it happened outside the takeover zone.
Speaking to Daily Mail Online, Gatlin called the team's elimination a 'nightmare.'
'It was the twilight zone. It was a nightmare,' he said.
'You work so hard with your teammates, guys you compete against almost all year long. All that hard work just crumbles.'
He denied this was his last Olympics even though he will be 38 when Tokyo games take place.
'I don't really know the rules but I know if you get it before, you're disqualified.
'That happened to us in 2009 if I'm not mistaken. But he's saying he didn't grab it until he got across it so, hopefully, we can do some type of appeal.'
Forfeiting the bronze medal following the disqualification, Canada was elevated to third place in a national record 37.64 seconds
Gay, Rodgers and Gatlin pictured during their victory lap. Officials said the baton was not completely passed in the exchange zone between the first and second runner
The US men's team was pictured posing after believing they had finally clinched silver but shortly after learned that was no longer their reality
During the race, Rodgers passed the baton to Gatlin on the first exchange, but it happened outside the takeover zone
'Hell, we already did the victory lap and then when we talked to TV, they told us,' he continued.
'It has to be the worst luck for this country ever. It's always something weird, stupid. Simple mistakes always cost us.'
Team USA has not medaled since 2004 and on Friday at the Summer Olympics in Rio, their hopes of finally breaking the streak was taken from them once again.
This is also not the first time the relay team has struggled with baton passing.
In fact it was the ninth time since 1995 that the U.S. men have been disqualified or failed to get the baton around at an Olympics or world championships.
In 2008, the team was disqualified after a failed baton exchange between Gay and Darvis Patton.
During the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, the team was disqualified after they were found to have made a changeover outside the box.
Then last year, the team was stripped of its silver medal it won during the 2012 Olympics as a result of Gay's suspension for drug use, according to CBS Sports.
Usain Bolt of Jamaica, and Trayvon Bromell of the US men's team wait for batons to be passed in the Men's 4x100m relay final
Usain Bolt in action as Bromell crashes to the ground during the race at the Rio Olympic Games on Friday
Usain Bolt of course secured his ninth gold medal over three Olympics cementing his legacy as the greatest sprinter ever
A limping Bromwell is helped by his teammate, Rodgers (back), after falling during the men's 4x100m relay final
Following the race, Japan took silver in 37.60, with Aska Cambridge holding off Bromell by 0.02
In an interview following the event as the trio watched the footage of the pass, Rodgers questioned whether the disqualification was fair.
'I see him throwing his hand back but I see when he has possession of the stick he's inside the zone,' Rodgers said as he recalled the pass with Gatlin.
'He has his hand back there, but he doesn't have the stick. He has the stick now. It hasn't left my hand yet.'
Meanwhile, Gatlin who was heard saying the pass was not a 'DQ' kept a positive tone, noting the pass was a clean exchange and that he did not have full control of the stick when he was in the zone.
'We did the best we could,' he said. 'I'm proud of my teammates.'
He added he and his teammates 'went out there and did a great job.'
Following the race, Gatlin said he did not know if an appeal had been filed, and a US track and field spokesman also said they were not sure if one was in process, according to USA Today.
However, Rodgers noted he was 'confident' the decision would be overturned and that the U.S. had appealed the disqualification.
He said he believed the confusion likely arose among judges during the time he and Gatlin were both holding the baton and that he thinks the team has a good case after watching the replay of the relay.
'I have seen the replay, and to me it is pretty clear,' he said. 'I think we have a good case, because to me it doesn't look like [an infraction].'
During the relay, Team USA's Trayvin Bromell fell over the line, just pipping Canada but it was all for nought.
After being disqualified, Canada was elevated to third place in a national record 37.64 seconds.
Relay runner Aaron Brown of Canada told Daily Mail Online: 'We set a national record. We ran a great race.
'We finished fourth and got moved up so we are feeling very happy about that. And we are going to take it away.'
Andre De Grasse said he had heard the US were to lodge an official protest over the bronze fiasco.
Usain Bolt completed his triple-triple, anchoring the Jamaica 4x100-meter relay to victory in the final to ensure three gold medals at three consecutive Olympics
Usain Bolt greets fans after winning gold in the men's 4x100-meter relay on Friday during the 2016 Summer Olympics
The Jamaica team, the gold medal winners, left, and the Japan team, silver medal winners, pose following the race
On Friday after coasting across the finish in a winning time of 37.27 seconds Usain Bolt won his ninth Olympic gold medal
He told Daily Mail Online: 'I don't even know what to think about that right now. That's why I'm trying not to get too high and celebrate because I'm not even sure that we got it yet.
'We are just going to wait for the protest and see what happens.
'Either way we ran a great race. We set a national record. I think Japan surprised us a little bit to see them up there. But congrats to them for their performance. Next time around we will just try to get better.'
Usain Bolt completed his triple-triple, anchoring the Jamaica 4x100-meter relay to victory in the final to ensure three gold medals at three consecutive Olympics.
The Japanese team was technically flawless and had the lead going into the last baton change, but Bolt pulled away, as he has done so often, in what is most likely to be his last run at the Olympics.
Bolt waved the baton to the crowd after coasting across the finish in a winning time of 37.27 seconds for his ninth Olympic gold medal.
Japan took silver in 37.60, with Aska Cambridge holding off Bromell by 0.02.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3750044/Moment-men-s-team-disqualified-100m-relay.html#ixzz4HqRisGd7
