GB relay squads book their places in finals
THERE was cause for some home celebrations as both of Great Britain’s 4x400m relay squads yesterday booked their places for today’s finals at the IAAF World Championships in London.
It was the USA team that went quickest in the men’s 4x400m, with Wilbert London III, Bryshon Nellum, Michael Cherry and Tony McQuay winning heat two in 2: 59.23 from Trinidad and Tobago with 2:59.35 and Belgium with 2:59.47.
The GB quartet will also advance after Rabah Yousif, Dwayne Cowan, Jack Green and Martyn Rooney clocked 3:00.10 for fourth.
The first heat was won by Spain in 3:01.72, from Poland and Cuba. France will join them in the final, while Botswana, after a dropped baton, and Jamaica were among those to miss out.
Next up was a world-leading time by an American quartet as their women’s 4x400m team of Quanera Hayes, Kendall Ellis, Shakima Wimbley and Natasha Hastings clocked 3:21.66.
The Great Britain quartet impressed, though, as Zoey Clark, Laviai Nielsen, Perri Shakes- Drayton and Emily Diamond were second with a time of 3:24.74.
That was more than a second quicker than the team ran to win Olympic bronze in Rio last summer.
Botswana was third with a national record of 3:26.90.
Jamaica won the second heat in 3: 23.64 from Nigeria, with 3: 25.40 and Germany with 3:26.24. A fall by Bahamas on leg two ended their final hopes.
Also in today’s final will be Poland and France.
After leading by 57 points
overnight in the decathlon, Fr an c e’s Ol ym p i c silver me d a l l i s t Ke v i n Ma ye r increased his lead with a 13.75 110m hurdles to total 5485 points.
Germany’s world- leader Rico Freimuth went second on 5377 points with a 13.68 hurdles, while Canada’s twotime world medallist Damian Warner moved closer with a 13.63 hurdles for 5370 points.
Germany’s Kai Kazmirek lost ground with a 14.66 hurdles, dropping to fourth on 5312
points. With a time of 14.75, Br i t a i n’s As h l e y Br y a n t advanced to 14th and 4981 points.
There was disappointment for USA’s two- time world champion Trey Hardee as he fell and was disqualified, while neutral athlete Ilya Shkurenev also bowed out.
In the discus, Mayer had two no throws, but a 47.14m kept him ahead on 6296 points.
In the second gr o u p, Freimuth closed with a 51.17m throw to move to 6272 points.
Oleksiy Kasyanov moved up to a distant third after a 47.43m throw to total 6095 points, while Kazmirek kept his medal hopes alive with a 45.06m throw to go fourth on 6080.
Warner dropped back to fifth on 6048 after a best of 40.67m but is in contention with the two ahead.
Ashley Bryant started well with a 43.95m throw and, although he could not improve, that mark still moved him to 12th on 5726 points.