USA 4 x 100m relay 1964 Tokyo Olympics World Record

USA wins the 4 x 100m relay at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics in a then World Record time of 39.06 seconds. The improbable victory was made possible by the phenomenally swift anchor leg run by Robert Lee "Bullet Bob" Hayes. His leg was quite possibly the fastest ever (8.50 seconds hand timed) according to many pundits.

Jocelyn Delecour, France's anchor leg runner, famously said to Paul Drayton before the relay final that "you can't win, all you have is Bob Hayes." Drayton was able to reply, after the race "all you need..."

This relay race was Hayes' last race as a track and field athlete, he permanently switched to football(NFL) after the 64' Olympic games.

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[Stone Keeper]

I second your comment!!

[Finarphin]

Nice video remembrance. It might be an opportunity to recall the remark made by one of the French runners to Paul Drayton after the race: "All you have is Hayes." And Drayton was moved to reply, "That's all we need, pal."

[saverioman]

I've read 8.6 for Hayes' leg. And on a cinder track, to boot. My guess is that Hayes was the fastest sprinter of all time until Usain Bolt arrived.

[SuperSly32]

Wow, so much hate! Can't we all just enjoy these old memories of great sprinters like Hayes? Anyways. Actually Hayes ran a wind-aided 9.91 in the semis, which was the fastest time run in the Olympics for 32 years, except for Ben Johnson in 88' of course. Maybe that's where the confusion is.

[SuperSly32]

Though I do think Bolt has the speed to run 8.5-8.6 in a relay. Maybe if he doesn't run 8 races first, lol.

[SuperSly32]

Both Bolt and Asafa Powell have official relay splits of 8.70, the fastest ever recorded electronically. Carl's famous Barcelona anchor leg is listed at 8.85. I've heard Hayes' Tokyo anchor leg estimated as anywhere from 8.5 to 9.1. We'll never know for sure but if you watch Hayes' anchor leg, i.e. how he made up ground and passed so many people to win by metres (on a cinder track) you can't argue with the quality of that running. The greatest anchor ever, in my humble opinion.

[scatman44]

As much as I loved the great Bullet Bob, my man had his palm DOWN when receiving the baton! He sure made up for it, though!

[EPizits]

He didn't hold the olympic record in the 100m for 32 years. It had already been broken by Jim Hines at the next olympics in 1968 you idiot. Then Again By Carl Lewis.

[danjada]

yes he did dumbass 1964 to 1996

[EPizits]

Actually Jim Hines was the first to legally break 10 seconds over 100m. Hayes was great, but you're making stuff up. He didn't hold the olympic record for 32 years.