Team USA had the final laugh in the men’s 4x100m relay on Day 1 of the ongoing IAAF World Relays in the Bahamas as the squad retained its title from 2015, racing to victory in a time of 38.43s.
It was a day to remember for the US team that had Leshon Collins, Mike Rodgers, Ronnie Baker and powerhouse Justin Gatlin within its fold. It will be recalled that the US has in recent years, fallen victim to wrong baton exchanges in high profile events such as the 2015 World Championships and the 2016 Olympic Games.
The men’s 4x100m is always a dramatic event, and it was no different at the Thomas Robinson Stadium on Saturday. It wasn’t the best of days for 2015 runners-up, Jamaica, as a botched exchange between second-leg runner Kemar Bailey-Cole and Jevaughn Minzie put paid to the team’s dreams of qualifying for the final and upstaging the US team.
A similar fate befell contenders Canada in the final of the event as the baton slid from the grasp of third-leg runner Brendan Rodney, dashing the hopes of the team which included Olympic medallist Andre De Grasse who was to run the anchor leg.
The final exchange between Great Britain’s Danny Talbot and Ojie Edoburun went awry as well, leaving the quartet which also included Chijindu Ujah and Zharnel Hughes, without an automatic slot ahead of the World Championships which will be hosted by their homeland.
Barbados followed the US to place 2nd in a Season’s Best (SB) of 39.18s as China placed 3rd in 39.22s. Australia (39.22s) and France finished 4th and 5th respectively, thus earning automatic slots to the 2017 World Championships.
The remaining three slots went to the Top 3 finishers in the B Final: Trinidad and Tobago (39.04s), Germany (39.15s) and hosts Bahamas (39.18s).
