Phenomenal race GB nailed this perfectly Proud of Nigeria, excellent styff. US almost pulled it off greene closed like a train. Lewis Francis held his nerve there major credit . That 3rd leg from devonish was sensational
After attending a works event in Birmingham a few years ago, I saw Jason Gardener having breakfast in the hotel restaurant. I kept telling colleagues who he was and felt slightly annoyed that no-one remembered him. I was a bit star struck, so one of my colleagues approached him and he happily agreed to have a picture taken with me. He was genuinely happy to be remembered. A real gentleman.
Quite right to be annoyed friend that none of you're buddies wouldn't remember one of our RARE Golden Boys. But nice to hear one of your friends asked & got a picture taken with him. Still would've held a grudge with you're friends for not knowing after telling them. Mark Lewis Francis ran the leg of his life holding of the USA but also man 1 Gardener to man 2 Darren Campbell was rapid as was Darren to man 3 Marlon whilst US man 2 to Gatlin man 3 was sloppy BUT of course the USA thought they just had to get the baton round even with caution would be enough 😂 OOPS!
Olympics - Athens of all places... the flagship, closing event! Of all the times and places to do it! This effort is the UK all over, punching above our weight, setting an example, being more than the sum of our parts! This moment means so much to me - you guys are legends forever!
@@misterbreezeoftharedpillma1710 not luck really. A shit performance from USA & Jamaica, yes. Luck, no... anyway you make your own luck! Like when we beat your Yankee world recording holding 4x4 team with a 200 metre and 400 hurdle specialist on the last two legs? Was that luck? Yeah, remember that one? We do... cos it happens once in twenty years so we remember it well over here lol... 👍
I was 9 years old when I watched this and I vividly remember this race. My dad is a huge pessimist when it comes to UK sports, he was completely silent until the last 50 meters and he got up and started shouting “RUN RUN RUN” I have never heard anyone shout so loud 😂😂
@@meleciastone9765 more embarrassing that the USA havent won 20 years than the UK. Forgetting the dominant Jamaicans, we've seen T&B, Italy and Canada all win it with USA not even medal in 20 years let alone win one.
"Mark Lewis Francis has it for Britain in the front, Maurice Greene coming down on him, Mark Lewis Francis has a chance of glory here." Other-worldly on comms! People forget how good Maurice Greene was and the chokehold he had on sprinting back then.
Still to this day my favourite GB Gold. A team of top guys all just slightly past their prime pulling it together to taks down the americans. The commentary, the co-commentary, everything was perfect.
It being the Olympics just about makes it a tie for me with Kris Akabusi chasing down the individual world champion in the anchor leg of the 4x400m at the Worlds.
See that lean forward by Mark Lewis-Francis at 4:51? That pushed him faster into his drive phase and gave him the extra milli-second to bring the race home for GB...but Maurice Green from 4:57 to 4:59; now that's some predator-like sprinting, dang!
In the weeks before Athens Olympic Games, there was a lot of speculation that the traffic will be terrible, nobody could move etc. So we chose to go on vacation with my family, even though we could have tickets to any event due to my job. As days were by, we realized that the situation was pretty normal. Thus we came back and attended 4 events during the last 3 days, including the last day of Athletics. It is a day none of us will forget.
“They can’t catch me, they mustn’t catch me, they daren’t catch me”. That quote and Steve Cram’s commentary of “Mark Lewis Francis has a chance of glory here” is proper spine tingling! I remember this vividly watching it in hospital a day after my son was born 🇬🇧
That line gives me the exact same reaction, along with the line preceding it: "He's got Maurice Greene coming down on him!" Epic commentary (if you're British)
Thank you so much for this. The clarity is amazing. Also as an American and self-described Anglophile, I enjoyed watching it from the British perspective.
The best part of this race was the end when Darren Campbell called out Colin Jackson, who earlier had said that Campbell was "faking" a hamstring injury.
Didn't he have beef with Michael Johnson as well for always criticising them? Seem to recall him making sure Johnson knew who the winners were after this.
@@jossym yes indeed, good memory! I remember Campbell saying into the camera "Colin, this is what a Olympic gold medal looks like" with Colin Jackson infamously failing to win an Olympic gold during his illustrious career
@@manni192 Yeah, I have another vague memory of Jackson going into the 110m hurdles final as the red hot favourite and then hitting almost every hurdle, lol.
Came here after watching the new Olympic documentary on BBC and listening to Darren Campbell talk about dropping the baton in Atlanta. Can't wait to get to this part!
This race just goes to prove that you might have the fastest team on paper, like the States, but, you can lose if your baton changes are poor. Well done to the GB boys. Absolute legends.
Never look back. The incoming runner shouts hand, usually. The receiver then thrusts his hand back, grabs the baton and follows through for the first arm swing. Timing is critical!
Aussie me, but watching the arrogance of the lead yank sitting on the block and then doing the sly wink at the camera... Just makes me laugh to see them beat..! Well done GB to shove it to them!
If you watch at around 6:07-6:11, you'll see that Aliu and Greene both looked back before receiving the baton. MLF rightly didn't and that's where the gold was won
Absolutely, every millisecond counts and could be the difference between gold, silver and bronze. Deji had a good shout for the gold as the 3rd leg had a fantastic race, but they mixed up the baton exchange ever so slightly. But Greene in the last 10 meters was moving like the thunderbolt
@@rotimiadetunji8958 Nigeria were leading going into the last exchange after Gaitlin and Miller fumbled the 2nd exchange but the change from Egbele to Aliu wasn't that great
Thanks so much for uploading this ! My favourite sporting moment ever and i well up still 8 years later at seeing Darren Campbell cry xx baton changing was superb
I've read that the standard swap is left hand, right hand, and so on, but how they can shout for the arm to come out in that kind of noisy environment, and take off at the right time to hit full speed before leaving the handover box, fucking blows my mind, these guys trained as solo sprinters, they adapted to be in a relay team, it's nothing short of phenomenal
Stuart Storey described it as a baton-passing masterclass from Great Britain, flawless in execution and unexpected in its defeat of the Americans. This performance was a standout, especially considering the GB sprinters had faced scrutiny all season for only average performances, as Crammy noted. However, this event will be remembered in history. The American team's downfall came during the second exchange between Gatlin and Miller. Coby Miller started too soon, halted, and lost all momentum, which is why they were nearly stationary. Additionally, Gatlin compounded the error by stepping on Miller's shoe, causing a hole, a significant blunder. The final exchange also faltered, with Greene fumbling for the baton.
@@misterbreezeoftharedpillma1710 I'm tired of you keep on repeating the same thing. It wasn't luck it was Britian's precision fact is they worked better as a team and USA didn't (typical with all the big egos) hahahaha
the first of the US Mens team cocking up the baton exchange. This is the last time the USA Men's team received a medal in this event since Athens 2004. 2024 another disaster!
I'm not sure about Cram's commentary . He just thought it was going to be an exhibition from the USA . Anything can happen in the 4 x 100 , it's teamwork not individuals and maybe a little bit more support could have been given to his home country team . Just my opinion , thanks .
@@Mark64W you can't blame Crammy for thinking that with that team the USA had on paper Crawford won the 200m, Gaitlin won the 100m and on anchor was Greene bronze in the 100m, won it 4 years prior and was world record holder at the time.
@@classicsportclassictiyl8547 A very good point but if I may pinch a quote from the great Brian Clough ' They had a very good team on paper but unfortunately the race was on a track ' ( or near enough) . That's why I love the relay races ! Kind regards .
@@Mark64W Also what made it even more special was that the GB 4x100 team were in rebuild after The Clear and MLF had just come in as the new anchor for the team. Also all 4 USA members had run sub 10 that year Coby Miller is still the only person in the history of the US Olympic trials to run sub 10 seconds in the 100m and not make the individual team BRUTAL
One of my all time favourite moments in sport. I remember me and my family all screaming Lewis-Francis on down that last 100m and us all jumping around like mad when we won it.
I always loved watching Steve Cram on the track with that long, elegant stride and ability to win from the front. But I'm amazed to say that I enjoy his commentary even more than I loved his running.
20 Years ago today!
Great memories
I still dip for the finish line every time I watch this. What a race
Our beautiful boys. Watching this in 2021.
Phenomenal race
GB nailed this perfectly
Proud of Nigeria, excellent styff. US almost pulled it off greene closed like a train. Lewis Francis held his nerve there major credit . That 3rd leg from devonish was sensational
Watched this live and watched it again today, still gives me goosebumps, so happy for all these guys, especially Darren Campbell.
After attending a works event in Birmingham a few years ago, I saw Jason Gardener having breakfast in the hotel restaurant. I kept telling colleagues who he was and felt slightly annoyed that no-one remembered him. I was a bit star struck, so one of my colleagues approached him and he happily agreed to have a picture taken with me. He was genuinely happy to be remembered. A real gentleman.
Quite right to be annoyed friend that none of you're buddies wouldn't remember one of our RARE Golden Boys. But nice to hear one of your friends asked & got a picture taken with him. Still would've held a grudge with you're friends for not knowing after telling them. Mark Lewis Francis ran the leg of his life holding of the USA but also man 1 Gardener to man 2 Darren Campbell was rapid as was Darren to man 3 Marlon whilst US man 2 to Gatlin man 3 was sloppy BUT of course the USA thought they just had to get the baton round even with caution would be enough 😂 OOPS!
Flawless baton exchange goes a long way.
Olympics - Athens of all places... the flagship, closing event! Of all the times and places to do it! This effort is the UK all over, punching above our weight, setting an example, being more than the sum of our parts! This moment means so much to me - you guys are legends forever!
A bunch of words amounting to luck
@@misterbreezeoftharedpillma1710 not luck really. A shit performance from USA & Jamaica, yes. Luck, no... anyway you make your own luck! Like when we beat your Yankee world recording holding 4x4 team with a 200 metre and 400 hurdle specialist on the last two legs? Was that luck? Yeah, remember that one? We do... cos it happens once in twenty years so we remember it well over here lol... 👍
@@dannyboywhaa3146 LUCK PERSONIFIED SEE YOU IN TWENTY YEARS
Yeah, i remember these but the one that sat with me the most was Kelly Holmes
I was 9 years old when I watched this and I vividly remember this race.
My dad is a huge pessimist when it comes to UK sports, he was completely silent until the last 50 meters and he got up and started shouting “RUN RUN RUN” I have never heard anyone shout so loud 😂😂
😂😂😂😂😂
🤣🤣🤣🤣
😂😂
Great Britain Great Run my Father is British
🤣 Such a cute story.
USA men have not won this since 2000 Olympics crazy
20 years ago, amazing.
Forever iconic. 20 years later.
It's unreal how brilliant Steve Cram was as a commentator even going back 20 years, and is still now. One of the all time greats!
And 20 years later and they still haven't won
@@meleciastone9765 won*
@@noobcoding7279 thanks 😊 🙏🏾
@@meleciastone9765 more embarrassing that the USA havent won 20 years than the UK. Forgetting the dominant Jamaicans, we've seen T&B, Italy and Canada all win it with USA not even medal in 20 years let alone win one.
6:44....
What a close up.
💥team GB.
ALL THE WAY💕
"Mark Lewis Francis has it for Britain in the front, Maurice Greene coming down on him, Mark Lewis Francis has a chance of glory here." Other-worldly on comms!
People forget how good Maurice Greene was and the chokehold he had on sprinting back then.
WHAT A TEAM
Still to this day my favourite GB Gold. A team of top guys all just slightly past their prime pulling it together to taks down the americans. The commentary, the co-commentary, everything was perfect.
It being the Olympics just about makes it a tie for me with Kris Akabusi chasing down the individual world champion in the anchor leg of the 4x400m at the Worlds.
Lovin watching this back
Time flies.
Thanks KBODLE
2:03-2:07 listening to the commentator's words after the 2024 4x100
Came here during the Tokyo olympics
1:54 for that 1 lane that we haven't mentioned
See that lean forward by Mark Lewis-Francis at 4:51? That pushed him faster into his drive phase and gave him the extra milli-second to bring the race home for GB...but Maurice Green from 4:57 to 4:59; now that's some predator-like sprinting, dang!
It is true that this remains one of the best pieces of baton exchange ever seen on the world stage. Thank you for posting this. Unforgettable.
Bonus Steve Backley! What a treat!
Devonish on the 3rd killed it everytime
We are called GREAT BRITAIN in the Olympic Games..!!!
Wow...so stunning !! The baton pass is so smooth
Steve Cram...so unbiased 😆😆 great work
One of my all time favourite Olympic moments
T&T came one before last with two big names on the team 😮
The fact Mark Lewis-Francis knew he'd won as he crossed the line made it better.
4:21 for the actual start
Re watching this after the Paris Olympics. What an incredible moment for team GB to beat that stacked USA team is incredible.
Same here, you forget how well team GB did back then.
Shawn Crawford's prolonged stare @ the camera is Iconic!!
Thank you. Subbed.
🇬🇧 🙋🏾♀️ I forgot about this 😀👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
UK's race is the definition of "more than the sum of its parts". Those exchanges were simply phenomenal.
Yessir. Get the baton/stick around. That is what makes relays what they are. Running quickly is not enough.
Every country should watch this race if they wanna know how to do the baton change properly
@@artisticskillz01 absolutely!
@Wilfred "I Tapped Dat Ass" Kensington 2017 WC was crazy as well
Yep relay ain't just about running fast it's getting the baton round best. GB did and USA didn't
Wow them changes where spot on. We normally drop the baton half the time in finals
0:42 que me anda chakaleando wey eh 😒 no damos en la.madre eh wey
In world terms , 4 average sprinters joined in perfect harmony to defeat the red hot favourites - still proud 20 years later ✊
👍🏴
In the weeks before Athens Olympic Games, there was a lot of speculation that the traffic will be terrible, nobody could move etc. So we chose to go on vacation with my family, even though we could have tickets to any event due to my job.
As days were by, we realized that the situation was pretty normal. Thus we came back and attended 4 events during the last 3 days, including the last day of Athletics.
It is a day none of us will forget.
Here after reading BBC Sport (Craig Nelson)'s Darren Campbell article, Campbell's reaction at 7:01 brings me to tears, respect xx
Me too. I always wondered why Darren wasn't with the other 3 right after the race.
Love it...Great commentary
Thank god for Mark Lewis Francis Big head photo finish
Watch and learn kids. That's a perfectly executed 4x100m baton exchange.
If Maurice had 2 more meters, this race would have been "golden". Damn!!!!
“They can’t catch me, they mustn’t catch me, they daren’t catch me”. That quote and Steve Cram’s commentary of “Mark Lewis Francis has a chance of glory here” is proper spine tingling! I remember this vividly watching it in hospital a day after my son was born 🇬🇧
I get a lot of nostalgia listening to Cram and Foster
That line gives me the exact same reaction, along with the line preceding it: "He's got Maurice Greene coming down on him!" Epic commentary (if you're British)
I miss T&F commentary like this.
👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Boom
In 1
Karl Pilkington should get credit for this - he trained Darren Campbell like no other
8:11 Ladies and gentlemen, here is the perfect change of a baton at a relay! And the next one too.
Thank you so much for this. The clarity is amazing. Also as an American and self-described Anglophile, I enjoyed watching it from the British perspective.
Top comment
The best part of this race was the end when Darren Campbell called out Colin Jackson, who earlier had said that Campbell was "faking" a hamstring injury.
Didn't he have beef with Michael Johnson as well for always criticising them? Seem to recall him making sure Johnson knew who the winners were after this.
@@jossym yes indeed, good memory! I remember Campbell saying into the camera "Colin, this is what a Olympic gold medal looks like" with Colin Jackson infamously failing to win an Olympic gold during his illustrious career
@@manni192 Yeah, I have another vague memory of Jackson going into the 110m hurdles final as the red hot favourite and then hitting almost every hurdle, lol.
I found it on a VHS tape and imported it into the computer, it was recorded from the TV.
Thank you
THANK YOU
Why is there an ad??????
sim sim salabim what do you mean
god's work
8:00 onwards is just incredible.
Came here after watching the new Olympic documentary on BBC and listening to Darren Campbell talk about dropping the baton in Atlanta. Can't wait to get to this part!
You will test positive just watching this race
This race just goes to prove that you might have the fastest team on paper, like the States, but, you can lose if your baton changes are poor. Well done to the GB boys. Absolute legends.
Isn't that the truth. On paper, GB has absolultely no chance to beat the Americans. Yet they did it again today. Congrats GB.
Never look back. The incoming runner shouts hand, usually. The receiver then thrusts his hand back, grabs the baton and follows through for the first arm swing. Timing is critical!
@@thomasmckenzie4584 haha yes!!!
I just met Jason Gardener in Bath and congratulated his and his team-mates!
My goodness Maurice is the best
Golden era for all sports for me. Everything felt massive
Wait there was a time when Jamaica didn’t even make it to a final in a sprint event 😮
remembering watching this when I was 10, "Mark Lewis-Francis has a chance of glory here", still gives me that biggest adrenaline rush even today!
Fast forwars 4 years later... THE JAMAICANS! 😂❤
Aussie me, but watching the arrogance of the lead yank sitting on the block and then doing the sly wink at the camera... Just makes me laugh to see them beat..! Well done GB to shove it to them!
If you watch at around 6:07-6:11, you'll see that Aliu and Greene both looked back before receiving the baton. MLF rightly didn't and that's where the gold was won
You're so right
Absolutely, every millisecond counts and could be the difference between gold, silver and bronze. Deji had a good shout for the gold as the 3rd leg had a fantastic race, but they mixed up the baton exchange ever so slightly. But Greene in the last 10 meters was moving like the thunderbolt
@@rotimiadetunji8958 Nigeria were leading going into the last exchange after Gaitlin and Miller fumbled the 2nd exchange but the change from Egbele to Aliu wasn't that great
Thanks so much for uploading this ! My favourite sporting moment ever and i well up still 8 years later at seeing Darren Campbell cry xx baton changing was superb
One of my favourite races ever, mark lewis-francis' face after he crossed the line is what the olympics is all about!! Epic!!!
That handover by Marlon Devonish was absolutely flawless.
I've read that the standard swap is left hand, right hand, and so on, but how they can shout for the arm to come out in that kind of noisy environment, and take off at the right time to hit full speed before leaving the handover box, fucking blows my mind, these guys trained as solo sprinters, they adapted to be in a relay team, it's nothing short of phenomenal
Lewis Francis kept his composure
It gives you chills. They were beyond brilliant. Perfect.
Green’s leg came across before the British runner’s body
This is literally poetry in motion.
Look at that gangsta look from Shawn Crawford. Is he trying to frighten the camera man?
Never underestimate the spirit of "fuck you".
Magnificent by #greatbritain
Very funny seeing American first leg guy trying to look so cool staring at the camera while trying desperately not to blink.
I came for NIGERIA 🇳🇬
Lovely performance 💙💙🏆
Why are the on screen graphic like a PS2 menu?
Stuart Storey described it as a baton-passing masterclass from Great Britain, flawless in execution and unexpected in its defeat of the Americans. This performance was a standout, especially considering the GB sprinters had faced scrutiny all season for only average performances, as Crammy noted. However, this event will be remembered in history. The American team's downfall came during the second exchange between Gatlin and Miller. Coby Miller started too soon, halted, and lost all momentum, which is why they were nearly stationary. Additionally, Gatlin compounded the error by stepping on Miller's shoe, causing a hole, a significant blunder. The final exchange also faltered, with Greene fumbling for the baton.
I find it hilarious that karl pilkington helped darren campbell train by getting campbell to push him on a soap box cart. Anyhoo, well done darren.
Steve Backley though 👏
will never forget this race
I remember this so vividly from the time. MLF's greatest moment, he can dine out on that forever
They dine off luck in Britain
@@misterbreezeoftharedpillma1710 we dine off GOLD!!!!
@@TheIkaraCult , yeah golden luck
@@misterbreezeoftharedpillma1710 lol
@@misterbreezeoftharedpillma1710 I'm tired of you keep on repeating the same thing. It wasn't luck it was Britian's precision fact is they worked better as a team and USA didn't (typical with all the big egos) hahahaha
yes in the colours of Green Gold n Black !!!
Absolutely love ML-F at the end: Take that, USA!
One of the greatest moments in UK sports history. A monumental and fantastic achievement
LUCKY
@@jw6680 , then watch this over & over until you figure it out
This race reminds me of 2012 between Jamaica n united states 4x100 this race send my nerves up
the first of the US Mens team cocking up the baton exchange. This is the last time the USA Men's team received a medal in this event since Athens 2004. 2024 another disaster!
Mark Lewis-Francis' first two strides when he got the baton were immense. Cram's commentary top notch of course.
I'm not sure about Cram's commentary . He just thought it was going to be an exhibition from the USA . Anything can happen in the 4 x 100 , it's teamwork not individuals and maybe a little bit more support could have been given to his home country team . Just my opinion , thanks .
@@Mark64W you can't blame Crammy for thinking that with that team the USA had on paper Crawford won the 200m, Gaitlin won the 100m and on anchor was Greene bronze in the 100m, won it 4 years prior and was world record holder at the time.
@@classicsportclassictiyl8547 A very good point but if I may pinch a quote from the great Brian Clough ' They had a very good team on paper but unfortunately the race was on a track ' ( or near enough) . That's why I love the relay races ! Kind regards .
@@Mark64W Also what made it even more special was that the GB 4x100 team were in rebuild after The Clear and MLF had just come in as the new anchor for the team. Also all 4 USA members had run sub 10 that year Coby Miller is still the only person in the history of the US Olympic trials to run sub 10 seconds in the 100m and not make the individual team BRUTAL
Back when Bolt is still struggling in high school and watching this on screen, idolised how great Maurice Greene was.
bolt was part of the 2004 olympics mate🤣
🤣🤣🤣🤣No. He idolised how great Justin Gatlin was in 2004.
The US have not won the Olympic title in this event for a very long time.
One of my all time favourite moments in sport. I remember me and my family all screaming Lewis-Francis on down that last 100m and us all jumping around like mad when we won it.
One of my favorite races.
Commentary gold
Been searching for this version of the race forever. Thanks you very much!
Thanks to whoever allowed this video back on RUclips, this was a terrific race and Steve Cram's commentary fills in the story.
And also Stuart Storey
E o brasi ficou no seu devido lugar
As a brit, this is quite possibly my favourite moment in British athletics because it was so unexpected yet incredible!
Always ruins my day when Brits win anything.
@@trevorwoodley3897 dry those salty tears princess
I remember this as a kid it was phenomenal 🇬🇧
@@trevorwoodley3897 TW@
@@trevorwoodley3897 So, pretty much every day is a pisser for you.
And he believes..look at that look.
I always loved watching Steve Cram on the track with that long, elegant stride and ability to win from the front. But I'm amazed to say that I enjoy his commentary even more than I loved his running.
He's good
Americans were quicker but UK was cleaner