Japan winning the second heat of the 4x100m at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (© Getty Images)
Perhaps learning a lesson after the US women had a mishap in their 4x100m heat a little earlier, the US men played it safe and passed the baton solidly to win in 37.65, the fastest time of the year despite fielding very much a team of reserves.
In addition to the absence of Trayvon Bromell and Justin Gatlin, who ran the first two legs for the US team in the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015 final, there was also the unfamiliar site of Jarrion Lawson on the anchor leg.
However, Lawson – fourth in the long jump in Rio but also the NCAA 100m champion, brought the USA home comfortably clear of a well-drilled Chinese quartet.
China didn’t have any superstars in their line up and hadn’t got a man through to the 100m final but they superbly executed their handovers, just like at the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015 where they took the silver medal. They improved their Asian record to 37.82, but it wasn’t to stay on the books for more than a matter of minutes.
Canada, minus 100m bronze medallist Andre De Grasse, also broke 38 seconds when finishing third in 37.89 to clinch an automatic qualifying spot in Friday’s final.
Turkey improved their national record to 38.30 in fourth place but it didn’t prove to be quick enough to progress.
There was a big surprise in the second heat, when Japan thrashed a second-string Jamaican quartet, again showing the virtue of working hard on baton technique.
Brought home by Aska Cambridge, Japan clocked 37.68 to reduce the Asian record set just a few minutes earlier by China.
Jamaica, with no Usain Bolt – although he will be brought in for the final, almost certainly running anchor leg – had little difficulty qualifying in second place in 37.94, edging out their Caribbean rivals Trinidad and Tobago by 0.02 although the latter also qualified by right.
European champions Great Britain, with Adam Gemili and James Dasaolu likely to come in for the final, could only finish fourth in 38.06 – the fastest time ever recorded in lane one – but rode their luck and went through as the fastest of the two non-automatic qualifiers.
The final, notwithstanding the presence of Bolt, promises to be a raucous affair as Brazil also went through. Chasing home the British team, the host nation were timed at 38.19 and filled the final place in the final.
Phil Minshull for the IAAF
