They were reinstated for Saturday's finals - official's error they said.
The decision to reinstate the U.S. relay team capped what were surely a confusing few hours for its members, all of whom are competing in their first Olympics. Bryce Deadmon, 24, was the veteran of the group that competed Friday.
Lynna Irby (USA) competes in the 4x400 relay mixed qualification round 1 heat 1during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Olympic Stadium.
The sequence in question happened early in the race. Irby
appeared to be standing well outside the zone before Godwin got to her, lining up roughly 10 meters from the bulk of the other No. 2 runners in her heat. But Irby's coach Lance Brauman told IndyStar, which is part of the USA TODAY Network, that officials at the track did not line the runners up correctly.
The disqualification came as a shock to members of the U.S. relay team as they walked off the track. Several of them blinked back tears as they spoke to reporters.
"We come out, we try our best," Godwin said. "It was a complete surprise to all of us. We heard the news. All we can do is prepare for the future, see what happens next."
"Next" will now come Saturday night. And it could end with the Americans putting medals around their necks.
The U.S. is the reigning world champion in the mixed relay event, making it the favorite to win gold at the Tokyo Olympics.
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