BRIT RELAY GIRLS TEAR INTO FINAL
LAVIAI NIELSEN burst into tears before helping Britain’s relay girls reach the final of the 4 x 400m.
The youngster was overcome with emotion at the thought of competing on the track where she carried Jess Ennis-Hill’s kit at the 2012 Olympics.
The British team (above), with Nielsen running the second leg, qualified third fastest in 3:24.74 behind the USA and Jamaica and have a serious medal chance this evening.
Afterwards, Nielsen, 21, admitted: “I just started bawling my eyes out.
“I have so many memories of walking underneath the stadium at 2012 and I just realised all my dreams were about to come true.” Also in the quartet was Perri ShakesDrayton, competing at her first major championships since wrecking her knee at the 2013 Worlds in Moscow.
“I love being back, I enjoyed every minute of it,” she said. “I’ve missed being on a world-class stage and it felt really good. Roll on the final.”
Mystery surrounded British champion Matt Hudson-Smith’s late withdrawal from the men’s 4 x 4 team, but the quartet made no mistake, qualifying fourth quickest in 3:00.10.
Hudson-Smith was adjudged to have been at fault when the team was disqualified at last year’s Rio Olympics and coughed up a likely medal.
In his absence, Rabah Yousif, Dwayne Cowan, Jack Green and Martyn Rooney brought the baton home safely.
Anchorman Rooney cursed his own performance, which he termed “hands-down the worst leg of my life”, then claimed Hudson-Smith had “taken himself out” of the team.
“He’s got his own issues to sort out and it’s a massive shame because he’s a super talent and has had a great championships, but he needs to get his head right,” said Rooney.
British Athletics denied that Hudson-Smith had left the team and insisted he was available for selection today, when the USA start as strong favourites.