anchor leg
{{Short description|Final segment of a relay race}}
The anchor leg is the final position in a relay race. Typically, the anchor leg of a relay is given to the fastest or most experienced competitor on a team. The athlete completing the anchor leg of a relay is responsible for making up ground on the race-leader or preserving the lead already secured by their teammates.[http://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/ask-coaches-relay-strategy Ask the Coaches: Relay Strategy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140523230820/http://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/ask-coaches-relay-strategy |date=2014-05-23 }}. Running Times (2002-07-02). Retrieved on 2014-05-23.[http://articles.latimes.com/keyword/anchor-leg Anchor Leg] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140523230957/http://articles.latimes.com/keyword/anchor-leg |date=2014-05-23 }}. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 2014-05-23.[http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/college/38365.asp Missy Franklin's Unreal Anchor Leg Secures 800 Free Relay Victory for California] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140523231228/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/college/38365.asp |date=May 23, 2014 }}. Swimming World (2014-03-21). Retrieved on 2014-05-23.
Notable track examples
"Bullet" Bob Hayes ran anchor leg for the United States 4 × 100 metres relay team in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Receiving the baton in fifth place, Hayes pulled ahead of four runners to win the race. A French rival, Jocelyn Delecour, remarked to the American lead-off runner Paul Drayton "You haven't got anything except Hayes", and Drayton responded "That's all we need, pal."Litsky, Frank (2002-09-20). [https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/20/sports/bob-hayes-stellar-sprinter-and-receiver-is-dead-at-59.html Bob Hayes, Stellar Sprinter and Receiver, Is Dead at 59 ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170811063342/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/20/sports/bob-hayes-stellar-sprinter-and-receiver-is-dead-at-59.html |date=2017-08-11 }}. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2014-05-23.
Carl Lewis never lost a race when he anchored the American 4 × 100 m relay team.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}} He regularly ran under 9 seconds for his anchor legs and helped the team break the world record in the 4 × 100 m relay five times.{{Cite web|title=Carl LEWIS|url=https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/athletes/detail/carl-lewis/|access-date=2020-08-26|website=Olympic Channel|archive-date=2020-09-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918112657/https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/athletes/detail/carl-lewis/|url-status=live}} The record set by the U.S. at the 1992 Summer Olympics of 37.40 seconds stood for 16 years.{{Cite web|date=2017-03-17|title=USA Men's 4x100m - Olympic News|url=https://www.olympic.org/news/usa-men-s-4x100m|access-date=2020-08-26|website=International Olympic Committee|language=en|archive-date=2018-09-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180917172740/https://www.olympic.org/news/usa-men-s-4x100m|url-status=live}}
Anchoring the U.S. sprint relay team at the 1984 Summer Olympics, Evelyn Ashford ran a reported 9.77 seconds. The U.S. team of Alice Brown (first leg), Jeanette Bolden (second leg) and Chandra Cheeseborough (third leg) won by the biggest margin in the event's history.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}}
Usain Bolt anchored the 2012 Jamaican 4 × 100 m relay and helped set a new world record with a time 36.84 seconds.{{Cite web|title=USA Track & Field {{!}} Ashford's 100m record earns her USATF Throwback Athlete of the Week honors|url=https://usatf.org/news/2020/ashford’s-100m-record-earns-her-usatf-throwback-at|access-date=2020-08-26|website=usatf.org|archive-date=2020-08-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809230946/https://www.usatf.org/news/2020/ashford%E2%80%99s-100m-record-earns-her-usatf-throwback-at|url-status=live}}
After she placed eighth individually in the 100 m, Pam Marshall ran the anchor leg for the American 4 × 100 m team at the 1987 World Athletics Championships in Rome and beat Marlies Göhr in the final with an anchor leg timed at 10.11 s to Göhr's 10.41 s.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}}
In some cases, athletes who are not top performers in individual events excel when given the responsibility of anchoring a relay. Phil Brown, a U.K. 400 m runner, won Olympic, World and European championship medals as the anchor leg runner for his national 4 × 400 m relay team{{Cite web|date=2019-06-01|title=Local Olympian to start 17th Great Midlands Fun Run|url=https://www.greatmidlandsfunrun.org/local-olympian-start-17th-great-midlands-fun-run/|access-date=2020-08-27|website=Great Midlands Fun Run|language=en-GB|archive-date=2020-09-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924125908/https://www.greatmidlandsfunrun.org/local-olympian-start-17th-great-midlands-fun-run/|url-status=live}} despite never having won a medal and rarely having advanced beyond the preliminary rounds individually.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}}
British hurdling specialist Kriss Akabusi swapped places with normal Great Britain anchor, Olympic 400 metre silver medalist Roger Black, in a race where he caught and passed 400 metre world champion Antonio Pettigrew to win Great Britain the World Championship gold in Tokyo.{{Cite web|date=2019-03-05|title=Kriss Akabusi on the Olympic medal that changed his life|url=https://www.olympic.org/news/kriss-akabusi-on-the-olympic-medal-that-changed-his-life|access-date=2020-08-27|website=International Olympic Committee|language=en|archive-date=2017-08-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822014125/https://www.olympic.org/news/kriss-akabusi-on-the-olympic-medal-that-changed-his-life|url-status=live}} Due to the final legs of 4 × 400 m relay being run without lanes, the anchor may require some of the techniques normally associated with a middle distance runner, including tactical awareness, overtaking technique and physical strength to hold off other athletes, as well as basic speed.{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}}
=Fastest anchors of all time=
| class="wikitable" |
| Rank
!Time !Athlete !Country !Date !Place !Ref |
|---|
| 1
|8.65 |{{Flagu|Jamaica}} |2 May 2015 |
| 2
|8.68 |{{Flagu|Jamaica}} |22 August 2008 | |
| rowspan=2|3
|rowspan=2|8.78 |{{Flagu|South Africa}} |10 August 2024 |
| Zharnel Hughes
|{{Flagu|Great Britain}} |10 August 2024 |
| 5
|8.79 |{{Flagu|United States}} |10 August 2024 |
| 6
|8.80 |{{Flagu|Trinidad and Tobago}} |3 May 2014 | |
| 7
|8.83 |{{Flagu|United States}} |2 May 2015 | |
| rowspan="2"|8
|rowspan=2|8.85 |{{Flagu|United States}} |8 August 1992 | |
| Filippo Tortu
|{{Flagu|Italy}} |6 August 2021 | |
| 10
|8.89 |{{Flagu|Canada}} |10 August 2024 |
Bob Hayes' anchor time in 1964 has been the stuff of legend for decades, but its hand clocking of 8.5 s is not the official time. With modern video reviews, it has been estimated at 9.00 s.
Swimming
At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Jason Lezak was the oldest male on the U.S. swim team. He anchored the U.S. 4 × 100 m freestyle relay team that won the gold medal and set a new world record.{{Cite web|date=2020-08-11|title=12th Anniversary of Jason Lezak's Epic Anchor Leg at Beijing Games (Video)|url=https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/12th-anniversary-of-jason-lezaks-epic-anchor-leg-at-beijing-games-video/|access-date=2020-08-27|website=Swimming World News|language=en-US}}
At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Michael Phelps swam the anchor leg of the 4 × 200 m relay becoming the most decorated Olympian of all time with his 15th gold medal and 19th overall.{{Cite web|title=U.S. wins 4x200 freestyle relay gold, Michael Phelps sets career Olympic medal record|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-wins-4x200-freestyle-relay-gold-michael-phelps-sets-career-olympic-medal-record/|access-date=2020-08-27|website=www.cbsnews.com|language=en-US|archive-date=2020-12-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201229083720/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-wins-4x200-freestyle-relay-gold-michael-phelps-sets-career-olympic-medal-record/|url-status=live}} He returned in 2016 to again anchor the 4 ×200 m freestyle relay, claiming his 21st gold and 25th medal.{{Cite web|last=Auerbach|first=Nicole|title=With Michael Phelps as anchor, U.S. 4x200 free relay wins gold|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/rio-2016/2016/08/09/michael-phelps-ryan-lochte-swimming-mens-4x200-freestyle-relay-final/88496170/|access-date=2020-08-27|website=USA TODAY|language=en-US|archive-date=2020-03-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200317013645/https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/rio-2016/2016/08/09/michael-phelps-ryan-lochte-swimming-mens-4x200-freestyle-relay-final/88496170/|url-status=live}}