The United States men's 4x100m relay team saw their hopes of winning a medal in the 2016 Olympics realized -- and then dashed once again.

While most of the attention was on Jamaica's Usain Bolt, who won his ninth gold medal Friday evening, the U.S. men's team was looking for redemption.

Following the 2012 for the London games, the U.S. had its silver medal stripped because of Tyson Gay's suspension for drug use. In 2008, the men's team did not finish their preliminary heat after a failed baton exchange between Darvis Patton and Gay.

Now there's even more disappointment.

After finishing third in Friday's race, the U.S. were disqualified for an early handoff between Mike Rodgers to Justin Gatlin. According to the rulebook, the baton was passed off before the takeover zone:


Rodgers, watching a replay of the race on NBC's live broadcast, attempted to explain what happened.

"I see him throwing his hand back but I see when he has possession of the stick he's inside the zone," Rodgers said of Gatlin. "He has his hand back there, but he doesn't have the stick. He has the stick now. It hasn't left my hand yet."

Gatlin could be heard in the background saying, "That's not a DQ."

Either way they're officially disqualified, Gay still hasn't landed his Olympics medal, and the 4x100-meters continues to be a sore subject for the U.S.