First 2 in each heat (Q) and the next 2 fastest (q)

First 2 of each heat (WQ) plus 2 fastest times (Wq) qualify to World Athletics Championships and World Athletics Relays Final

POS Rank Heat BIB ATHLETE COUNTRY RESULTS ms*
1 1 1 AUS Australia AUSAUS 2:57.30 WQ WL
2 2 1 BOT Botswana BOTBOT 2:57.52 WQ SB
3 1 2 RSA South Africa RSARSA 2:58.04 WQ SB
4 3 1 NED Netherlands NEDNED 2:58.22 Wq SB
5 2 2 POR Portugal PORPOR 2:59.01 WQ NR .002
6 3 2 ZIM Zimbabwe ZIMZIM 2:59.01 Wq NR .009
7 4 1 BRA Brazil BRABRA 2:59.59 SB
8 1 3 QAT Qatar QATQAT 2:59.83 WQ NR .830
8 1 3 BEL Belgium BELBEL 2:59.83 WQ SB .830
10 4 2 GER Germany GERGER 3:00.04 SB
11 3 3 ESP Spain ESPESP 3:00.26 NR
12 4 3 IND India INDIND 3:00.32 SB
13 5 1 JAM Jamaica JAMJAM 3:00.48 SB
14 5 3 JPN Japan JPNJPN 3:00.79 SB
15 6 1 NGR Nigeria NGRNGR 3:01.04 SB
16 5 2 SEN Senegal SENSEN 3:01.13 SB
17 6 3 SUI Switzerland SUISUI 3:01.18 NR
18 7 3 GBR Great Britain & NI GBRGBR 3:01.22 SB
19 6 2 KEN Kenya KENKEN 3:02.70
20 7 1 DEN Denmark DENDEN 3:05.33 SB
21 8 1 POL Poland POLPOL 3:05.47 SB
22 8 3 MEX Mexico MEXMEX 3:13.60
2 CHN PR of China CHNCHN DNF
Legend

ms - Milliseconds - shown when two or more competitors finish with the same time down to hundredths of a second