Team USA breaks track world record with incredible first run at Paris Olympics

Team USA have broken their own world record in the 4x400m mixed relay after they won in their opening heat in the Paris Olympics .

The lightning United States team of Vernon Norwood, Shamier Little, Bryce Deadmon, and Kaylyn Brown crossed the line in a time of 3:07:41, taking over a second off their previous world record run. Team USA announced themselves in style on the first night of action inside Stade de France.

Friday marked the start of the track and field events in Paris and the American team have begun in scintillating fashion in the opening round of action. The quartet were seamless in their transitions with the exchange zones perfectly nailed, possibly boding the chance to top that time again.

READ MORE: Olympic boxer who cried after losing to Imane Khelif apologizes and backtracks

READ MORE: Olympian who vomited 10 times after swimming in Seine opens up on cause of illness

The U.S. was the last nation to set the world record in the event, as the team consisting of Justin Robinson, Rosey Effiong, Matthew Boling and Alexis Holmes came home in a time of 3:08:80 on the opening day of the World Athletics Championship in 2023.

Norwood ran the first leg, changing to Little before she handed the baton to Deadmon, and Brown was responsible for getting the team over the line first. The event’s final will be on Saturday afternoon with the U.S. putting down their marker as one of the favourites to claim gold.

"I always knew we were going to run fast," said Little. "And we talked about, it's gonna take a record to get a medal. But it took a record to win our prelim. So I was just excited."

France were roared on by the home crowd as they came home second in 3:10:60, while Belgium finished in third with a time of 3:10:74. The two European nations will join the U.S. in Saturday’s final alongside Great Britain, the Netherlands and Italy, who qualified in the second heat.

Norwood, the oldest of the quartet at 32, is the only member of the team that raced in the Tokyo 2020 4x400m mixed relay final, where Team USA picked up a bronze medal. Deadmon had run in the heat team but was replaced as the anchor in the final by Norwood. The final team consisting of Trevor Stewart, Kendall Ellis and Kaylin Whitney finished behind Poland and the Dominican Republic on the podium.

Deadmon and Norwood did win gold in Tokyo in the men’s 4x400m relay event. Both raced in the heat but Norwood didn’t appear in the final as Deadmon was the only member of the heat-winning team to run in the gold medal final. He was joined by Michael Cherry, Michael Norman and Rai Benjamin.

"I knew we was up there," Deadmon said after playing his part in history as Brown crossed the line 40 meters ahead of second place. "I passed it off to Kaylyn and she brought it home and it said 'world record' and I was like, 'Oh wow. That's crazy.'"

Meanwhile, Little and 19-year-old Brown are both vying to win their first Olympic medal. Little won her second World Championship silver medal in Budapest last year in the 400m hurdles. While Brown is a gold medal winner in the World U20 Championships 4x400m mixed relay in 2022.

All four runners have ties to Southeastern Conference schools – Little and Deadmon both attended Texas A&M, while Norwood is an LSU graduate and teenager Brown currently attends Arkansas.