American relay teams win 2 golds in the last events of a dominant Olympic track meet for the US

SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — A runaway win in one relay and another that was oh-so-close. A long-awaited celebration for France and a high jump competition that felt like it would never end.

What tied it all together on a frantic final day of Olympic track and field at the Stade de France was the most familiar sight of all: Americans on the medal stand, over and over again.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Gabby Thomas brought the curtain down on track by romping to a win in the women's 4x400 relay Saturday for America's 34th overall medal at the track and 14th gold. Thomas was part of the U.S. gold-medal win a night earlier in the 4x100 women's relay.

Turning the race into a laugher on laps 2 and 3, the 400-hurdles and 200-meter gold medalists helped the U.S. finish more than 4 seconds ahead of second place and only .1 second off the world record set by the USSR in 1988.

The winning time: 3 minutes, 15.27 seconds.

“I think this generation of track and field is just on a different level,” said McLaughlin-Levrone, who now has four gold medals in four events (to go with six world-record runs) over her career. “Everything is improving, including us, including our technique, including how we prepare. I don't think anything is impossible at this point.”

In another race involving a different sort of .1-second margin, American hurdle gold medalist Rai Benjamin edged out 200-meter champion Letsile Tebogo of Botswana in the men’s relay.

“I calculated that run very well, to a ‘T,’” Benjamin said. “I have a really good, high track IQ on people and how they run and how to do a quick time, so I didn’t have to get out too hard. Let’s just save it up to come home.’”

Fittingly, the final day of a track mee t full of close calls and surprises featured two more races decided by .01 seconds -- an 800-meter win by Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi and a 100-meter hurdles victory for American Masai Russell.

Russell edged out Cyrena Samba-Mayela of France. A heartbreaker, maybe, but it marked the home country's first and only medal of the track meet and brought as big a burst of cheers as anything on a day where seven medals were awarded.

“I want to celebrate with the French public because they supported me and pushed me throughout all these Olympic Games," Samba-Mayela said.

Over in the high-jump pit, there were moments where it looked like the gold wouldn't be decided before Sunday’s closing ceremony.

New Zealand's Hamish Kerr and America's Shelby McEwen each missed three times at 2.38 meters, triggering a jump-off at the same height for the title.

They both missed, which started the bar moving down. McEwen missed. Then Kerr missed. Then McEwen missed again — the 11th straight between the two.

Finally, Kerr cleared 2.34 meters, peeled himself off the mat, ran a big semicircle into the javelin landing zone — thankfully long out of service by that point — collapsed on his back and covered his face with his hands.

In one of the more memorable moments from the last Olympics, the top two jumpers had finished in a tie, agreed to share the gold medal and then hugged it out to celebrate. This time, there was an unprecedented $50,000 first prize on the line that chipped away at that beautiful Olympic spirit.

Was the 50K on McEwen's mind when he decided to go for the win, not the tie?

“Most definitely,” he said. "I’ve got a family to feed. So of course it was."

McEwen's loss still helped the U.S. reach 34 medals - the most for any country at a non-boycotted Games since the early 20th century, when there were more events and fewer nations involved.

The 14 golds are the most in a non-boycotted Olympics since Bob Beamon, Tommie Smith and John Carlos led the U.S. to 15 wins in 1968.

For such a dominant performance, it felt only fitting that McLaughlin-Levrone had a role in the final act.

The 25-year-old, who owns the world's fourth-fastest time in the 400 to go with her latest world record in hurdles, ran her leg in 47.71. That was .91 seconds faster than the next fastest woman in the field, Femke Bol, who took the Netherlands to silver.

That McLaughlin-Levrone barely clipped feet with Thomas when they passed the baton between the second and third laps felt like a distant memory — long forgotten by the time the “Star-Spangled Banner” played for the last time in the last medal ceremony of the night.

With around 200 meters to go, "Gabby and Syd kind of started walking on the track and they had to pull them back," said Shamier Little, who ran the opening leg. "We were kind of celebrating. Of course, anything can happen.

"But it wasn't going to happen.”

In a speedy men’s 800, Wanyonyi beat Canada’s Marco Arop by .01 seconds in a photo finish, finishing in 1:41.19, only .28 off the world record. American Bryce Hoppel’s national record of 1:41.67 was only good for fourth.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen won the 5,000 meters in a relatively drama-free race after much-hyped 1,500 four nights earlier against Britain’s Josh Kerr turned into a disappointing fourth -place finish.

Ingebrigtsen won in 13 minutes, 13.66 seconds to add this title to wins at the last two world championships.

Kenya’s Ronald Kwemoi finished second and Grant Fisher of the U.S. finished third.

Haruka Kitguchi won Japan's only medal of the meet — a gold one —with a season-best throw of 65.80 meters. She's the first Japanese woman to win a medal in any throwing event at the Olympics.

AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

The team from the United States celebrates after winning the women's 4 x 400-meter relay final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Emmanuel Wanyonyi, of Kenya, top, crosses the finish line ahead of Marco Arop, of Canada, to win the men's 800-meter final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Jakob Ingebrigtsen, of Norway, celebrates after winning the men's 5000-meter final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Rai Benjamin, of the United States, celebrates after winning the men's 4 x 400-meter relay final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

United States' men 4x400-meter relay team celebrates round the race clock after winning the final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

The United States' women 4x400-meter relay team celebrates winning the gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

The United States' women 4x400-meter relay team celebrates winning the gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Nadine Visser, of the Netherlands, embraces Cyréna Samba-Mayela, of France, crying after finishing second in the women's 100 meters hurdles final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, of Puerto Rico, celebrates her third place finish in the women's 100-meter hurdles final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Masai Russell, of the United States, celebrates winning the women's 100-meter hurdles final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Masai Russell, of the United States, reacts after winning the women's 100-meter hurdles final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Cyrena Samba-Mayela, of France, celebrates after second place in the women's 100-meter hurdles final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Cyrena Samba-Mayela, of France, reacts to her second place finish in the women's 100-meter hurdles final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Cyrena Samba-Mayela, of France, celebrates her second place finish in the women's 100-meter hurdles final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Masai Russell, of the United States, reacts after winning the women's 100-meter hurdles final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Cyrena Samba-Mayela, of France, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, of Puerto Rico, and Ackera Nugent, of Jamaica, crosses the finish line in a women's 100 meters hurdles semifinal at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Competitors race in the women's 100-meter hurdles final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve on Wednesday cut its benchmark interest rate by an unusually large half-point, a dramatic shift after more than two years of high rates helped tame inflation but that also made borrowing painfully expensive for American consumers.

The rate cut, the Fed’s first in more than four years, reflects its new focus on bolstering the job market, which has shown clear signs of slowing. Coming just weeks before the presidential election, the Fed’s move also has the potential to scramble the economic landscape just as Americans prepare to vote.

The central bank’s action lowered its key rate to roughly 4.8%, down from a two-decade high of 5.3%, where it had stood for 14 months as it struggled to curb the worst inflation streak in four decades. Inflation has tumbled from a peak of 9.1% in mid-2022 to a three-year low of 2.5% in August, not far above the Fed’s 2% target.

The Fed’s policymakers also signaled that they expect to cut their key rate by an additional half-point in their final two meetings this year, in November and December. And they envision four more rate cuts in 2025 and two in 2026.

In a statement, the Fed came closer than it has before to declaring victory over inflation: It said it “has gained greater confidence that inflation is moving sustainably toward 2%.”

Though the central bank now believes inflation is largely defeated, many Americans remain upset with still-high prices for groceries, gas, rent and other necessities. Former President Donald Trump blames the Biden-Harris administration for sparking an inflationary surge. Vice President Kamala Harris, in turn, has charged that Trump’s promise to slap tariffs on all imports would raise prices for consumers even further.

Rate cuts by the Fed should, over time, lower borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans and credit cards, boosting Americans’ finances and supporting more spending and growth. Homeowners will be able to refinance mortgages at lower rates, saving on monthly payments, and even shift credit card debt to lower-cost personal loans or home equity lines. Businesses may also borrow and invest more.

Average mortgage rates have already dropped to an 18-month low of 6.2%, according to Freddie Mac, spurring a jump in demand for refinancings.

The Fed’s next policy meeting is Nov. 6-7 — immediately after the presidential election. By cutting rates this week, soon before the election, the Fed is risking attacks from Trump, who has argued that lowering rates now amounts to political interference. Yet Politico has reported that even some key Senate Republicans who were interviewed have expressed support for a Fed rate cut this week.

The central bank’s officials fought against high inflation by raising their key rate 11 times in 2022 and 2023. Wage growth has since slowed, removing a potential source of inflationary pressure. And oil and gas prices are falling, a sign that inflation should continue to cool in the months ahead. Consumers are also pushing back against high prices, forcing such companies as Target and McDonald’s to dangle deals and discounts.

Yet after several years of strong job growth, employers have slowed hiring, and the unemployment rate has risen nearly a full percentage point from its half-century low in April 2023 to a still-low 4.2%. Once unemployment rises that much, it tends to keep climbing. Fed officials and many economists note, though, that the rise in unemployment this time largely reflects an influx of people seeking jobs — notably new immigrants and recent college graduates — rather than layoffs.

At issue in the Fed’s deliberations is how fast it wants to lower its benchmark rate to a point where it’s no longer acting as a brake on the economy — nor as an accelerant. Where that so-called “neutral” level falls isn’t clear, though many analysts peg it at 3% to 3.5%.

FILE - The seal of The Federal Reserve System is seen during a news conference by Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell at the Federal Reserve Board Building on July 31, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

FILE - Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell walks outside of the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium at Jackson Lake Lodge in Grand Teton National Park near Moran, Wyo., on Aug. 23, 2024. (AP Photo Amber Baesler, File)

FILE - The Federal Reserve is in Washington is shown on Nov. 16, 2020. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

FILE - A detail of the Federal Reserve building in Washington is shown on Nov. 16, 2020. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)