USA Women Will Rerun 4x100m Relay Qualifier After Baton Exchange Obstruction

The United States women's team will be allowed to rerun their 4x100-meter qualifier at the Rio Games because of an obstruction that caused the team to drop the baton, the IAAF announced Thursday:

NBC Olympics shared an image of the violation in question: 

According to the IAAF, the United States will have to run faster than the 42.70 seconds posted by China and Canada to advance to the final. But that's just the first complication in the event.

As the IAAF explained, via Paul Myerberg of USA Today, "A successful rerun will create a second problem: Both China and Canada finished with identical 42.70-second times. Therefore, should the USA post a faster time, China and Canada would need to race again to decide which team makes the eight-country final."

China protested the USA's reinstatement, though it was rejected by the IAAF, per Tim Layden of Sports Illustrated:

The United States, one of the favorites in the event, will be expected to qualify given the reprieve, though Allyson Felix is the only returning runner from the relay team that won gold at the 2012 London Games and set a world record in the process with a time of 40.82 seconds.

Felix explained in her own words what transpired as she tried to hand off the baton:

"

Felix explains the botched handoff in the 4x100R. #TeamUSA will re-run at 8pm Rio time. https://t.co/8MXXlqgUXR https://t.co/muPEg9NTXR

— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 18, 2016"

Brazil was disqualified for obstruction.

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