#London2017: Jamaica’s sprint relay teams ease through to final
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Both Jamaica’s men and women 4x100m relay teams this morning qualified for the final round at the IAAF World Championships in London.
First up was the women’s 4x100m relay where Christania Williams, Natasha Morrison, Jura Levy and Sashalee Forbes were second in heat two in 42.50 seconds.
The Germans, who upset the Jamaicans at the IAAF World Relays in Nassau in April, won the heat in 42.34s. However, if double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson anchors the team in this afternoon’s final, Jamaica could have a better shot at gold.
Brazil finished third in 42.77 while the Netherlands (42.64) and Trinidad & Tobago (42.91) both qualify on time.
The American 4x100m team, which included Allyson Felix on the second leg motored to a world-leading mark of 41.84s in heat one while the British team nearly matched them all the way around with 41.93s, just outside the national record of 41.77s.
Meanwhile, there was a national record for Switzerland, who sealed the third automatic qualifying spot with 42.50s while the Netherlands — with the now two-time world 200m champion Dafne Schippers on the second leg — qualified on time with 42.64s to go through to the final.
On the men’s side, the baton passing from Tyquendo Tracey to Julian Forte then Micheal Campbell was safe and Sprint Superstar Usain Bolt anchored the Jamaican team to win heat two in a season’s best of 37.95s ahead of France (38.03s) and China (38.20s). Fourth was Canada (38.48), who qualified on time.
In heat one, the American team stopped the clock at a world-leading 37.70s with Justin Gatlin on leg two and silver medallist Christian Coleman on anchor. The Americans were ahead of the British team at 37.76s and Japan in 38.21s, both clocking a season’s best.
Also through to this afternoon’s final are Turkey, who as fourth, in 38.44s.