U.S. drops baton in sprint relay heats

BEIJING, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- Botched baton passes knocked both of the United States' sprint relay teams out of the Olympics Thursday.

The men's and women's teams messed up the exchanges between the third and fourth runners.

The U.S. women's team won the sprint relay gold medal in four straight Olympics beginning in 1984, settled for the bronze in 2000 and then suffered a poor baton pass and failed to finish the finals in 2004.

Only twice before have the American men, when they have competed in the Olympics, failed to medal in the sprint relay.

The dropped baton in the men's heats Thursday came during the exchange between Darvis Patton and Tyson Gay, who did not make it to the final in the 100-meter dash.

"I take full blame for it," Gay said.

In the women's race, Torri Edwards and Lauryn Williams failed to make a connection and the baton hit the ground.