By Clayton Clarke

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil: (Saturday, August,20): The Bahamian women’s 4x400m team made their Olympic debut in grand style setting a new national record in first round at the João Havelange Olympic Stadium last night. Lanece Clarke, Anthonique Strachan, Carmeisha Cox and Christine Amertil combined to clock 3:26.36 to break the previous record of 3:28.46 set in the heats of the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, China by just over two seconds. Despite the record breaking run, the team finished in sixth place in heat two and did not advance to the finals. The performance was more phenomenal as Olympic 400m champion Shaunae Miller was not in the line up. Miller anchored the team in Beijing. Finishing ahead of Bahamas were Jamaica (3:22.38), Great Britain (3:24.81), Canada (3:24.94), Italy (3:25.16) and Germany (3:26.02). The US (3:21.42) topped heat one with Ukraine (3:24.54), Poland (3:25.34) and Australia (3:25.71) following behind.

Day Eight

Medal Standings
USA 27 (10 gold, 9 silver, 8 bronze)
2nd Jamaica 9(6 gold, silver, 2 bronze)

13th Bahamas 1 (1 gold)
gold-Shaunae Miller-women’s 400m
24th Grenada 1(1 silver)
silver-Kirani James-men’s 400m

Points standings
(Based on top eight finishes)
3rd Jamaica-92 points

19th-Trinidad and Tobago-17 points

25th Bahamas 13 points
Gold-Shaunae Miller-women’s 400m
Sixth-Pedrya Seymour-women’s 100m hurdles
Seventh-Donald Thomas-men’s high jump

35th-Grenada-9 points
60th-Guyana-2 points

Evening

Women’s 4x400m-Heats
(First 3 in each heat and 2) the next 2 fastest times advance to FINALS)
Qualified for the Finals
2nd-Jamaica (Day, McLaughlin-Whilby, Gordon, Williams-Mills) 3:22.38 SB (1h
Did not qualify for the Finals
11th- Bahamas (Lanece Clarke, Anthonique Strachan, Carmiesha Cox, Christine Amertil) 3:26.36 NR (6h2)