By Gareth James
Jeremiah Azu insisted he had earned “redemption” with his 4 x 100m relay bronze medal at the Paris Olympics.
The Welsh sprinter was part of a Great Britain squad that finished third in a rain-drenched Stade de France on Friday night.
Canada’s veterans were the surprise package, however, with their quartet of ‘old war horses’ storming to gold, followed by South Africa for silver.
For Azu, the medal was all the more special as he had been disqualified from his opening heat in the men’s 100m earlier in the week after a false start.
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The GB team appealed but were turned down, leaving the Cardiff athlete determined to seize his opportunity in the team event.
“This medal feels a bit like redemption for me after what happened in the 100m heats,” said Azu.
“After a year’s worth of work, it’s great to leave here with something.
“I’m looking forward to going back to Cardiff. I’m always telling people it’s the best city in the world.
“Once I am done training in Italy, I am coming straight back to Cardiff. I can’t wait to share this medal with the people of Wales because I do this for those people.
“When I’m on the track, I want them to feel like they are there with me. It’s a big nation behind me and I’m proud to represent them.”
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Team GB’s men matched Great Britain’s women with a podium position.
Zharnel Hughes rocketed the quartet to a medal with his anchor leg, following runs from teammates Azu, Louie Hinchliffe and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake to finish in 37.61.
Yet again it was race to forget for the USA’s relay team, who ended up being disqualified after their first baton exchange.
The Canadian quartet of Aaron Brown, Jerome Blake, Brendon Rodney, and Andre De Grasse won from lane nine with a season’s best of 37.50 seconds.
South Africa’s relay runners clocked in at 37.57 for a silver-medal podium place. Italy finished just outside the medals in fourth at 37.68, with hosts France tumbling to sixth in 37.81.
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It will be a race to forget for the US’s men, however, after a disastrous first changeover by Christian Coleman and Kenny Benarek, led to their eventual disqualification.
The result condemns the US – who were without the Covid-stricken men’s 100m champion, Noah Lyles – to yet another medal-less Games in the men’s relay, having not podiumed in the race since the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
Bronze will be particularly sweet for Great Britain’s Hughes, who missed out on participating in the men’s 200m earlier in the week through injury.
He was also a part of the men’s 4x100m silver medal-winning team in Tokyo, who were subsequently stripped of their medals after CJ Ujah returned a positive test for a banned substance.
A bronze represents well-deserved Olympic recognition for Hughes after Tokyo heartbreak.
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