SHAUNAE Miller of the Bahamas fell over the finish line to beat Allyson Felix in a dramatic women’s 400 metre final last night.Felix, who won the 2015 world title in the event, ran the individual 400 for the first time at the Olympics. But she does have two Olympic 4×400 golds. Her others came in London in the individual 200 and the 4×100 relay.
Miller had a sizeable lead coming into the final 100 meters, but Felix closed the gap only to see Miller surge ahead as the line loomed. Steps from home, Miller appeared to overstride and stumble, but she caught the wire 0.07 seconds ahead of Felix.
Felix was trying to break a tie with five others who have four golds each: Fanny Blanker-Koen of the Netherlands, Betty Cuthbert of Australia, East Germany’s Barbel Eckert-Woeckel and Americans Sanya Richards-Ross and Evelyn Ashford.
Felix became the most decorated U.S. woman in Olympic track and field history with seven medals, breaking a tie with Jackie Joyner-Kersee.
At 30 years and 271 days, Felix also became the oldest woman to medal in the 400. Shericka Jackson of Jamaica got bronze.