In a surprising turn of events at the Paris Olympics, the United States men's 4x100 metres relay team faced disqualification for an invalid baton exchange, igniting a wave of sarcastic comments on Chinese social media platforms. The incident saw Christian Coleman, Kenny Bednarek, Kyree King, and Fred Kerley struggle with their first baton change, leaving them trailing behind as Canada clinched gold, South Africa secured silver, and Great Britain claimed bronze. Ultimately, the US team's disqualification allowed China, who had finished eighth, to move up to seventh place.

On Weibo, China's popular social media platform comparable to Facebook, sarcastic remarks flooded the comment sections, making the hashtag "US disqualified for baton exchange failure" a top-trending topic with over 18 million views. Users questioned why the American team did not request a rerun, drawing comparisons to a previous incident at the Rio Games in 2016 when the US women's team demanded a rematch due to an alleged interference from a Brazilian athlete during a preliminary round race.

One Weibo user humorously commented, "Surprisingly, they don't even demand a separate rematch. When did the US team suddenly have such Olympic spirit?" Highlighting the perceived inconsistency in their actions. Another user suggested, "They should lodge a serious complaint and demand a rematch!" indicating the dissatisfaction towards the disqualification.

However, many Weibo users supported the decision, emphasizing that abiding by the rules was crucial in maintaining fair competition. "Any violation of the rules during a competition can affect the final result, even for strong teams. They must abide by the rules, otherwise they will have to pay the price," shared one user, reflecting the general sentiment among Chinese social media users.

Interestingly, some comments insinuated that the US athletes' baton exchange failure might have been influenced by the intake of performance-enhancing drugs. This speculation likely stemmed from the recent call by the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency (Chinada) for increased testing of US athletics. The call came after US runner Erriyon Knighton was allowed to compete in the 200m despite his previous failed doping test. It is important to note that Chinada's stance was in response to criticism from US doping authorities and other countries' athletes, following the revelation that 23 Chinese swimmers had been cleared to participate in the Tokyo Olympics despite prior positive tests for the substance trimetazidine, which was attributed to hotel contamination.

The incident involving the US men's 4x100m relay team's disqualification has not only resulted in a shift in rankings but has also caused a stir on Chinese social media platforms. As the conversation around the baton exchange failure continues, it remains to be seen whether any repercussions will arise from the comments made by Chinese netizens in regards to doping allegations.