Benjamin of US holds off Tebogo of Botswana to win men's 4x400 relay at Paris Olympics

SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — Rai Benjamin held off Letsile Tebogo on the anchor leg to give the United States a gold medal and an Olympic-record time in the men's 4x400-meter relay at the Paris Games on Saturday night.

“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.'"

Benjamin added this Olympic title to the one he claimed in the 400-meter hurdles a night earlier and prevented 200-meter champion Tebogo from giving Botswana another triumph over the Americans.

It was Tebogo, the 21-year-old sprinting sensation, who stole the spotlight — and the gold — from the U.S. in the 200 on Thursday, relegating Kenny Bednarek to silver and Noah Lyles, who tested positive for COVID-19, to bronze.

The U.S. quartet of Christopher Bailey, Vernon Norwood, Bryce Deadmon and Benjamin completed the four laps in 2 minutes, 54.43 seconds, nearly a second faster than the American 4x400 team ran at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. And Saturday's time was just .14 seconds off the world record set by the United States in 1993.

It’s the Americans’ 19th gold in the 26 runnings of this relay at the Summer Olympics. No other country has more than two golds in the men’s 4x400.

“Team USA have always had dominance over the 4x4,” Bailey said, "and we just wanted to keep it going.”

Botswana was a tenth of a second back Saturday, with Tebogo joined by Bayapo Ndori, Busang Collen Kebinatshipi and Anthony Pesela.

Britain was third in 2:55.83.

“Competing at U.S. trials, we know what to expect. That’s the hard part; this is the easy part,” Benjamin said. “So coming out here and believing in ourselves and trusting each other — that’s what makes this work, makes us so successful, when it comes to these global championships.”

That victory was followed shortly by another — much easier — one for the U.S. in the women's 4x400 relay, which ended the track and field portion of the 2024 Olympics.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Gabby Thomas helped the American women win by 4.23 seconds, giving the country 14 golds and 34 overall medals at the track, by far the most of any country that competed in Paris.

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

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)

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/Martin Meissner)

Rai Benjamin, of the United States, reacts after crossing the finish line to win the gold medal in the men's 4 x 400 meters relay final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Rai Benjamin, right, of the United States, crosses the finish line ahead of Letsile Tebogo, of Botswana, to win the men's 4 x 400-meter relay final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Rai Benjamin, of the United States, wins the men's 4 x 400-meter relay final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

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/David J. Phillip)

Manchester City’s stunning slump continued Saturday with a 2-1 loss to Aston Villa in the Premier League.

Goals from Jhon Duran and Morgan Rogers at Villa Park consigned the four-time defending champion to a ninth defeat in 12 games in a season that is unravelling. Pep Guardiola’s team has won just once during that run.

“We have to stay positive, even though it’s difficult, and we have to keep working hard,” City striker Erling Haaland said.

Phil Foden pulled a goal back for City in stoppage time, but it wasn’t enough to spark a late comeback.

City dropped to sixth in the standings — nine points below leader Liverpool, having played two games more. Villa climbed to fifth.

City’s remarkable fall shows little sign of stopping, with Guardiola admitting last week that he had not been good enough to turn his team’s form around.

Defeat meant the once-dominant City is without a win in any of its last eight away games in all competitions. While it looks unlikely to win a fifth-straight title, a place in the top four and Champions League qualification could also be in jeopardy.

“We concede the goals we don’t concede in the past, we (don’t) score the goals we score in the past,” Guardiola said. “We have to think positive and I have incredible trust in the guys. Some of them have incredible pride and desire to do it. We have to find a way, step by step, sooner or later to find a way back.”

Only once under Guardiola has City managed to win the title when losing six times in the league. That was in the 2020-21 campaign, when it lost two of its last three games, having already been confirmed champion.

City lost nine times when Liverpool won the title in '19-20, but its sixth defeat didn't come until the February of that campaign. Guardiola also lost six times in the league in his first season in English soccer in '16-17 and City finished third in the standings.

The latest defeat could have been even more emphatic against a dominant Villa. Duran scored his sixth goal in as many starts in the 16th minute from Rogers’ assist.

Duran had a goal disallowed for offside in the second half and Rogers hit the post before doubling Villa’s lead in the 65th.

Foden's goal in the third minute of added time came too late for City.

James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola, center, and players leave the field at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Aston Villa and Manchester City, at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)

Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers, center, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Aston Villa and Manchester City, at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)

Aston Villa's Jhon Duran celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Aston Villa and Manchester City, at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)

Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola reacts during the English Premier League soccer match between Aston Villa and Manchester City, at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)

Manchester City's Phil Foden reacts after Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers scoring his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Aston Villa and Manchester City, at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)