Arkansas’ relay runners were golden for the United States on Saturday at the Paris Olympics.
Former University of Arkansas All-American Chris Bailey ran the leadoff leg on the U.S. men’s team that won the gold medal in the 1,600-meter relay in an Olympic record 2 minutes, 54.43 seconds at Stade de France.
A few minutes later, Arkansas volunteer coach Shamier Little and Alexis Holmes, who trains at Arkansas, helped the women make it a sweep for the U.S. in the 1,600 relay by winning in an American record 3:15.27.
Kaylyn Brown, an Arkansas freshman this year, also will get a gold medal for the 1,600 relay victory because she anchored the U.S. team to the fastest time in Friday’s heats.
The U.S. won the gold medal in the men’s 1,600 relay for the 19th time while the U.S. women won for the 14th time.
Amber Anning, an NCAA champion for the Razorbacks as a senior this year, earned a bronze medal by anchoring Great Britain to a third-place finish in the women’s 1,600 relay in a national record 3:19.72.
Bailey, who finished sixth in the 400 final Wednesday, ran his relay leg Saturday in 44.45 followed by Vernon Norwood (43.26), Bryce Deadmon (43.54) and Rai Benjamin (43.18).
Brown, 19, didn’t run in the final so the U.S. team could add two individual Olympic champions in Sydney McLaughlin (the world record-holder in the 400 hurdles) and Gabby Thomas (200).
Little ran the leadoff leg in 49.48 followed by McLaughlin-Levrone (47.71), Thomas (49.30) and Holmes (48.78).
Thomas also won a gold medal on the U.S. 400 women’s relay and Little and Brown won silver medals running on the second-place 1,600 mixed relay team.
Holmes, a former Kentucky All-American who finished sixth in the 400 final, earned his first Olympic medal.
After Bailey ran a strong anchor leg (44.14) Friday to help the U.S. rally from seventh to third in its heat and make the final, he moved to the leadoff spot so Benjamin — the Olympic champion in the 400 hurdles — could anchor in the final.
Bailey was in third when he handed off to Norwood, who got the U.S. the lead for good on his leg.
“It was a new experience. I rarely get to pop off a relay,” Bailey told reporters of leading off. “It could have been better. I don’t feel as though I was giving a 100% effort out there, and that’s on me.
“But for that to be my fifth 400 in seven days, I can’t be too upset about it.”
Arkansas assistant Doug Case coaches Bailey, who transferred from Tennessee in 2023 and as a senior helped the Razorbacks win an NCAA team title indoors by anchoring the 1,600 relay to victory and taking fifth in the 400.
“Chris is so strong that sometimes I don’t think he feels he’s as tired as he should be after a race and that he did enough,” Case said of Bailey’s comment about not going 100%. “But trust me, he did a lot this week and still ran really fast in his final race.
“To run five races in a week at the Olympics in a very taxing event like the 400, that’s amazing and speaks to his commitment to his training.
“He never backs down from a workout, he doesn’t complain about any workout. He just does it, and when you coach, you appreciate things like that. The guys that are really good, that’s how they react.”
Former Arkansas All-American Nikki Hiltz finished seventh in the women’s 1,500 final Saturday, running 3:56.38.
Romaine Beckford, who as a Razorback senior this year swept NCAA men’s high jump titles indoors and outdoors, finished 10th for Jamaica on Saturday with a best clearance of 7 feet, 3 1/2 inches.
Former Razorback NCAA champion Ackera Nugent, competing for Jamaica in the women’s 100 hurdles, didn’t finish in the final. She hit the first hurdle, struggled to regain her form and hit the seventh hurdle, then veered off the track.
Yaseen Abdalla, a graduate transfer at Arkansas from Tennessee, finished 33rd in the men’s marathon out of 81 starters. His time of 2:11.41 set a national record for his native Sudan.
Little, 29, was an NCAA champion in the 400 hurdles at Texas A&M and won two silver medals in her signature event at the World Championships, but won her first Olympic medals running on relays.
In the mixed 1,600 relay heats, Little and Brown helped the U.S. set a world record by running 3:07.41.
Little said she was ready to run four relay legs in Paris after six races at the U.S. Olympic Trials, where she finished fourth in the 400 hurdles and ninth in the 400.
“Just thinking about the series I put together this week, it’s nothing that surprised me after what I did at the Olympics Trials,” Little told reporters. “I had to come out there and fight for my position on both of the relays, and I really felt like I showed my strengths and what I’m capable of.
“It’s definitely teaching me to just be grateful. I think there was a point in time in which I downplayed the relays. What I used to want was the individual [races], but fortunately we had a different plan, and now I walk away from this meet with a world record and gold medal and a silver medal. I couldn’t be more proud.”
Anning set a record for Great Britain when she finished fifth in the 400 final in 49.29 and also was part of a national record-setting team in the mixed relay which she anchored to a bronze medal finish.
Anning thanked Arkansas women’s Coach Chris Johnson along with the Razorbacks’ support staff and the British team for their help and support.
“For me to run consistently fast every round, all thanks to Coach Johnson for getting me here and the whole team at Arkansas and the Great Britain team for looking out for me here,” Anning told reporters. “It wouldn’t have been possible without them.
“For it to be my first Olympics and set three national records — two with the team and one individually — and finish [Saturday] with another medal, it means so much.”
Anning, 23, said her first Olympics was a learning experience.
“I think I still have a lot more to give,” she said. “I’m excited to continue going and pushing for faster times. I’m just grateful I’m still healthy and able to run fast.”
Case said what Bailey accomplished in Paris should be a major confidence boost.
“I hope it made him see that he can perform at the highest level,” Case said. “I think he might have questioned that a little bit prior to this season.
“But quite honestly, I knew he could do this. I could tell from the workouts he was doing that he was capable of competing at this level.
“I think, and I hope, that he sees now he needs to continue to race and compete. Hopefully, he makes the U.S. team in four more years and does even better, maybe medal in the open 400.”
Bailey was already talking about the 2028 Olympics, which will be held in Los Angeles, and how he wants to build on what he did in Paris.
“A lot of fuel to charge me not only for L.A. in ’28,” Bailey said, “but for the championships in between.”
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