Until the final event on the first day World Athletics Relay Bahamas 24, it seemed as if the United States, a powerhouse sprinter, and France, host of the 2024 Paris Games, would qualify for the Olympics in all five events. However, in the men’s 4x400m, everything fell apart for both teams.
The Americans were disqualified in the first heat after falling out of their assigned place during one of the changeovers, and French second leg runner Thomas Jordier, who had competed in the mixed relay earlier in the day, was placed in the fourth and final heat. I was injured. Both teams will get a second chance in Sunday’s second round of Olympic qualifying, but would have liked to get the job done today.
Botswana posted the fastest time of the day in the men’s 4x400m heats, buoyed by their second leg defeat of world 100m silver medalist Lesile Tebogo in an incredible time of 43.49 seconds, leading them to a strong lead against South Africa. He won the close race by 0.03 seconds, winning 2:59.73 to 2:59.76. .
With Tebogo leading Botswana, world record holder Wade van Niekerk regained pole position for South Africa in leg three. However, Bayapo Ndri anchored 43.95 points to give Botswana victory in one of the closest matches of the night.
Botswana wins 4x400m heat at World Athletics Relays Bahamas Round 24 (© Francesca Grana)
World indoor champion Belgium was also impressed. The Belgian quartet, led by indoor 400m world champion Alexander Doom, won the event in a time of 3:00.09, with Nigeria in second place with a time of 3:01.70.
In the first of four heats, the Americans lived up to expectations and crossed the finish line in first place. However, it was later discovered that one of the US quartet intentionally went out of set order during one of the changeovers, and the team was disqualified.
This means that Japan, who had originally finished in second place, beat Germany (3:01.25) with a time of 3:00.98.
The third heat was the slowest but most competitive, with five teams still in contention as the final leg approached the final 100 meters.
In the end, Italy’s David Reh took the lead and won with a time of 3:01.68, followed by Great Britain’s Lewis Davie who found space on the inside to pass Qatar and the Netherlands and take second place with a time of 3:02.10. It became the rank.
The 23 teams that missed out on qualifying for the Olympics today will have another chance to secure a spot in Paris on Sunday. The top six teams from the second round of Olympic qualifying will join the eight automatic qualifying teams starting Saturday.
USA wins record-breaking mixed 4x400m round
The championship record was broken just 3 minutes, 12.16 seconds after the gun went off in the first event of the World Relay.
The Dutch quartet of women’s 4x400m indoor and outdoor world champions Femke Boll and Lieke Claver shattered the championship record, which had stood for seven years, by more than two seconds.
Claver, the world indoor silver medalist, posted a split of 49.57 in leg two, lifting his team from fourth to second. However, the Netherlands still trailed the Bahamas, with Olympic champion Shawnae Miller-Uibo running a 49.70 split to give the hosts a 0.78 point lead at the halfway point.
Olympic champion Stephen Gardiner then doubled the Bahamas’ lead in the third leg, but the Netherlands still had to use Bol in the anchor leg, and the Bahamas had Anthony Strachan on his back during the warm-up. They had to draft teenage Shania Adderley because of the pain she experienced.
Adderley acquitted himself well and held the lead until about halfway through the leg, when Bol breezed past him. The world 400m hurdles champion ran the anchor in 49.54 seconds and finished in 3:12.16.
World 400m champion Marileidi Paulino posted an incredible split of 48.93, lifting the Dominican Republic from fifth to second place and qualifying for the Olympics.
Just 11 minutes later, the winning record was broken again, this time by world champions USA. Matthew Bowling, Linna Irby-Jackson, Ryan Willey and Kendall Ellis teamed up to win in 3:11.52, finishing more than two seconds ahead of Nigeria (3:13.79).
The championship record stood in the remaining two heats, but Ireland pulled off a surprise victory in heat three, earning them a national record of 3:12.50.
Rashidat Adeleke and Charlene Mowsley provided star power, posting splits of 49.64 and 50.13 in legs two and four respectively. They fought off a strong challenge from Belgium and finished second in 3:13.18, ahead of world silver medalist Great Britain (3:13.52).
Meanwhile, Olympic champion Poland regained her form in the fourth heat, winning in 3:13.53, helped by a 49.84-second anchor leg from world silver medalist Natalia Kaczmarek. Olympic host France took second place with a time of 3 minutes 14.71 seconds, earning them a spot in the home games.
Countries such as the Bahamas, Great Britain and Jamaica missed out on automatic Olympic qualification today, but will have a chance to claim one of the six remaining spots on Sunday.
Ireland claim top qualifying spot in women’s 4x400m in double duty
Less than two hours after winning their heat in the mixed 4x400m and setting a national record to qualify for the Olympics, Ireland achieved the exact same thing in the women’s 4x400m. This is also thanks to the efforts of Rashidat Adeleke and Charlene Moseley.
Running on the same leg as in the mixed event, Rashidat was even faster with a time of 49.48 seconds, while Moseley posted a 50.98 second split to thwart Britain’s Lina Nielsen. Ireland finished with a national record time of 3:24.38, while Great Britain came in second with a time of 3:24.89.
Ireland wins women’s 4x400m at Round 24 of the World Athletics Relays Bahamas (© Francesca Grana)
World silver medalist Natalia Kaczmarek is also an athlete. She led the Polish team to victory in the third heat with a time of 3:27.11, while an inspired French team clinched their second Olympic berth by holding off Jamaica (3:29.03) in 3:28.06. obtained.
The American Olympic champion secured a trip to Paris to defend her title, winning the fourth and final heat in 3:24.76, finishing more than two seconds ahead of her nearest opponent. . Norway’s Henriette Jaeger recorded a split of 49.94 points, and she finished second in a new national record time of 3:26.89, 0.3 points ahead of the more favored Belgian quartet.
In the first of four heats, Italy scored an unexpected victory against Canada. Alice Mangione’s split of 50.56 seconds gave the Italians the lead, finishing in 3:26.28 to Canada’s 3:27.17. World champions Netherlands, without Femke Boll or Lieke Claver, finished third with a time of 3:28.10.
John Malkin of World Athletics
