The United States broke their own world record in the 4×400 mixed relay during the opening heats at the Olympics, finishing in 3 minutes 07.41 seconds. The team of Vernon Norwood, Shamier Little, Bryce Deadmon, and Kaylyn Brown shattered the previous record of 3:08.80, set when the US won gold at the World Championships in Budapest last year.
The U.S. led midway through the second lap with a perfect performance, beating a fast field in the opening heat where four national records were also broken along with the world record. The French team, cheered on by a supportive home crowd at the Stade de France, held off Belgium and Jamaica to finish second with a time of 3:10.60 in this rarely contested event.