RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - The United States won the women's Olympic 4x100m relay on Friday as Allyson Felix became the first woman to collect five gold medals in athletics.

The US team of Tianna Bartoletta, Felix, English Gardner and Tori Bowie clocked 41.01 seconds, the second-fastest time ever, to beat Jamaica on 41.36sec and Britain on 41.77sec.

The Americans had nearly missed out on a place in the final, after Felix dropped the baton when handing over to Gardner in their heat on Friday morning.

But they appealed successfully, arguing that Felix had been impeded by a Brazilian runner, and went through at China's expense after being allowed to race by themselves in a solo heat on Friday evening.