Both U.S. 400-meter relay teams drop batons

Posted Thursday, August 21, 2008 5:30 AM ET BEIJING - Clank. The American men dropped the baton. Ping. The American women did, too. Two American gold-medal contenders didn't even advance to the finals. Two more chances for the U.S. track team to turn around a disappointing Olympics were lost on the rain-soaked track at the Bird's Nest. "I take full blame for it," Gay said of his bad exchange with Patton. "I kind of feel I let them down." The drop means Gay, the defending world champion in the 100 and 200, will leave Beijing not just empty-handed, but without even running in a final. And Williams will now go down as the American involved in not one but two faulty Olympic exchanges that cost her team medals. In 2004, she misconnected with Marion Jones in the final and the Americans were disqualified for making the exchange... [read full story]