London Live: Follow Friday’s Action at the Olympics

The U.S. women's relay team celebrates their gold medal and world record.Doug Mills/The New York TimesThe U.S. women’s relay team celebrates their gold medal and world record.

In recent Olympics, the United States 4×100 meter relay teams have struggled just to pass the baton all the way around the track, but this time, the women’s team put together the dream race: clean passes and a world record time.

The team of Tianna Madison, Allyson Felix, Bianca Knight and Carmelita Jeter shattered the world record in 40.82 seconds. Jamaica’s set of superstar sprinters were mere spectators in second, .23 seconds behind for silver.

The U.S. team broke a 27-year-old world record set by an East German team widely believed to be part of a systematic doping system. It was among track’s oldest world records.

In the men’s 4×400 relay finals, the Bahamas won the first men’s track and field gold in its history when Ramon Miller came from behind in the anchor leg to pass Angelo Taylor of the United States. The U.S. team, missing many of its stars to injury, took silver. Oscar Pistorius’s last Olympic run with his South African team had him crossing the finish line in last place.

It’s also a day for basketball. In the first men’s semifinal, Spain beat Russia, 67-59, in a sloppy, defensive game. The United States defeated Argentina, 109-83, in the other semifinal