Africa will have an opportunity to produce one or two relay quartets to join Ghana, South Africa and Botswana in the final of the 4x100m and 4x400m events at the ongoing World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
The Championship which started on September 13 will climax on Sunday, September 21 with the 4x100m and 4x400m finals being part of the events slated for the final day of activities.
Ghana is currently the only African team in the 4x100m relay, while Botswana with the fastest time of 2:57:25s in their heat is in the final of the 4x400m, alongside South Africa.
In a twist of fate, however, the men’s relay teams of South Africa, Kenya, and the United States have been granted a second chance to qualify for their respective finals after being impeded during their heats.
The South African men’s 4x100m team, initially eliminated due to interference during their heat, was authorized to run a solo time trial at 10:33 a.m. on Sunday.
Under Rule TR17.2, which covers obstruction, and Rule TR24.19, which allows reruns in relay events when a team is disadvantaged through no fault of their own, South Africa was given the opportunity to qualify by beating France’s time of 38.34 seconds.
If successful, they would be added as a ninth team in the final, and join Ghana as two African teams in the final with strong prospects for a medal.
Meanwhile, the men’s 4x400m relay teams from Kenya and the United States were also victims of interference. Kenya was impeded during their heat, while the U.S. team was obstructed by Zambia during the second change over.
Both teams filed protests under Rule TR18.5, which governs appeals and reviews, and the Jury of Appeal upheld the protests and scheduled a head-to-head rerun between the two nations at 10:40 a.m. on Sunday, the day of the final.
The winner of the race would secure the ninth lane in the final on Lane 1. The US Team has never missed the final of the 4x400m .
The Jamaicans despite having the two fastest men in the world, Oblique Seville and Kashane Thompson failed to make the 4x100m final due to poor baton exchange butt heir women won their race to make the final.
Olympic 800m champion, Emmanuel Wanyonyi won the final at the worlds in a new Championship Record of 1:41:86 to become double champion, Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati clocked 1:41:90 for silver and Canada’s silver medalist at the Paris Olympics, Marco Arop finished third.
… Ghana Show Class With New National Record, Second Fastest Time In Africa
In the meantime, Ghana showed class at the worlds winning their 4x100m relay heat in 37.79s,the first time Ghana would deep under 38 seconds, to set a new national Record and the second fastest time in Africa.
With that performance, Ghana became the third African country to deep under 38 seconds in the 4x100m and the second fastest ever, behind South Africa, who hold the African record of 37.57seconds set at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where they won the silver medal.
Nigeria, with the 37.94 seconds run by the quartet of Osmond Ezinwa, Olapade Adeniken, Francis Obikwelu, and Davidson Ezinwa at the Worlds in Athens, Greece in 1997, now slips to third on the African all-time list.
How Nigeria failed to qualify for any of the five relays leaves a sour taste in the mouth as Team Nigeria has never failed to field a relay team, except this year,since the inaugural edition in 1983.
The pain is even more when you look at some of the talents at the disposal of the AFN in both the sprints and 400m, Team Nigeria has no reason not to qualify for at least one or two relays.
As the curtains fall at the Worlds on Sunday, Ghana will be chasing its first ever relay medal in the men’s 4x100m,and if South Africa makes it in their re-run test, will also join Ghana to fight for medal, while Botswana and South Africa will be vying for medals in the men’s 4x400m.
