Watch Shaunae Miller Dive to Beat Allyson Felix for Gold

16 Aug, 2016

When Shaunae Miller dove across the finish line in the women’s 400 meters Monday night, she not only claimed an Olympic gold medal but also sparked a heated debate about the ethics of her last-ditch move.

The Bahamian athlete left her feet in the final yards of the race, beating U.S. track star Allyson Felix by 0.07 seconds.

The move that led to a photo finish appeared to be legal. The rules state: “The first athlete whose torso … reaches the vertical plane of the closest edge of the finish line is the winner.”

Felix referenced the controversial result on TODAY early Tuesday. She said she was “not too used to seeing” her competitors dive at the end of the race. “It happens every now and then but it’s not too common,” she said.

“It wasn’t my best race,” she admitted. “I felt like it got a little bit away from me.”

It may not be gold she was hoping for, but Felix’s silver takes her up to seven Olympic medals in total since 2004 — including four golds. That puts her past Jackie Joyner-Kersee’s record and makes her the most decorated U.S. female track athlete of all time.

NBCNews

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