2019 World Athletics Championships – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay explained

Event:Men's 4 × 400 metres relay
Competition:2019 World Championships
Venue:Khalifa International Stadium
Dates:5 October (heats)
6 October (final)
Competitors:71
Nations:16
Teams:16
Win Value:2:56.69
Gold:Fred Kerley
Michael Cherry
Wilbert London
Rai Benjamin
Tyrell Richard
Goldnoc:USA
Silver:Akeem Bloomfield
Nathon Allen
Terry Thomas
Demish Gaye
Javon Francis
Silvernoc:JAM
Bronze:Jonathan Sacoor
Robin Vanderbemden
Dylan Borlée
Kevin Borlée
Julien Watrin
Bronzenoc:BEL
Prev:2017
Next:2022

The men's 4 × 400 metres relay at the 2019 World Athletics Championships was held at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar, from 5 to 6 October 2019.[1]

Summary

Colombia set a new national record in the qualifying round.

In the final event of these championships, USA was able to cast three fresh athletes into the final, with the only holdover Wilbert London. They led off with their bronze medalist Fred Kerley, but the early leader was Jamaica's Akeem Bloomfield, with Belgium's Jonathan Sacoor also in the mix. Down the home stretch, Kerley pulled back ground as Bloomfield slowed, by the handoff, USA had a step on Jamaica. Michael Cherry expanded USA's advantage over Jamaica's Nathon Allen through the turn to take 3 metres at the break. Behind him, Colombia's Diego Palomeque also ran a strong turn to pip Belgium's Robin Vanderbemden for third place. Through the final turn, Allen pulled in a metre on Cherry. While losing ground to the leaders, Trinidad and Tobago's Jereem Richards brought them into a 3-way battle for bronze. Onto the home stretch, Allen started losing ground to Cherry, sliding back toward the battle. With five metres, Cherry handed off to London, wearing a white sweatband on his head. In early strategy sessions, USA probably planned on their new superstar who wears a similar sweatband, Michael Norman, anchoring, but had to rearrange after Norman shut it down during his 400 semi-final. Jamaica's Terry Thomas took off after London, gaining strongly on the backstretch to shadow London through the final turn. Thomas set himself up to pounce coming off the turn, instead London slowly began widening the gap, getting the lead back to 4 metres before he named off to Norman's training partner, hurdler Rai Benjamin. Behind London and Thomas, Belgium's Dylan Borlée put an early gap on Colombia's Jhon Solís and was now free by 3 metres at the handoff to his brother Kevin Borlée. Benjamin slowly expanded his lead on Jamaica's Demish Gaye, by the finish it was 11 metres. Another 12 metres behind Jamaica, Borlée was able to hold off Colombia's new find, silver medalist Anthony Zambrano for bronze.

USA's 2:56.69 was the fastest relay in 11 years, number 11 on the all time list. 8 of the 10 times ahead of them are also USA teams. Colombia set a new national record again in the final, a second and a half improvement, going under 3 minutes for the first time and moving their country into #15 on the all time list.[2]

Records

Before the competition records were as follows:[3]

Record Team Date Location
World2:54.29
Andrew Valmon, Quincy Watts, Butch Reynolds, Michael Duane Johnson
22 Aug 1993Stuttgart, Germany
Championship
World leading2:59.05Texas A&M University
Bryce Deadmon, Robert Grant, Kyree Johnson, Devin Dixon
7 Jun 2019Austin, United States
African2:58.68 Nigeria
Clement Chukwu, Jude Monye, Sunday Bada, Enefiok Udo-Obong
Sydney, Australia
Asian3:00.56 Qatar
Abderrahman Samba, Mohamed Nasir Abbas, Mohamed El Nour, Abdalelah Haroun
30 Aug 2018Jakarta, Indonesia
NACAC2:54.29 United States
Andrew Valmon, Quincy Watts, Harry Reynolds, Michael Johnson
22 Aug 1993Stuttgart, Germany
South American2:58.56 Brazil
Eronilde de Araújo, Cleverson da Silva, Claudinei da Silva, Sanderlei Parrela
30 Jul 1999Winnipeg, Canada
European2:56.60
Jamie Baulch, Iwan Thomas, Mark Richardson, Roger Black
3 Aug 1996Atlanta, United States
Oceanian2:59.70 Australia
Bruce Frayne, Gary Minihan, Rick Mitchell, Darren Clark
11 Aug 1984Los Angeles, United States

The following records were matched or set at the competition:

Record Team Date
Colombian3:01.06 Colombia
Jhon Perlaza, Diego Palomeque, Jhon Solís, Anthony Zambrano
5 Oct 2019
World leading2:56.69 United States
Fred Kerley, Michael Cherry, Wilbert London, Rai Benjamin
6 Oct 2019
Colombian2:59.50 Colombia
Jhon Perlaza, Diego Palomeque, Jhon Solís, Anthony Zambrano

Schedule

The event schedule, in local time (UTC+3), was as follows:[4]

DateTimeRound
5 October 20:25 Heats
6 October 21:30 Final

Results

Heats

The first three in each heat (Q) and the next two fastest (q) qualified for the final.[5]

Rank Heat Lane Nation Athletes Time Notes
1 1 4 2:59.89 Q
2 2 5 3:00.76 Q,
3 2 6 3:00.87 Q,
4 1 9 3:01.06 Q,
5 2 8 3:01.35 Q
6 2 7 3:01.40 q,
7 1 8 3:01.60 Q,
8 1 6 3:01.96 q,
9 1 7 3:02.05
10 2 3 3:02.06
11 2 9 3:02.97
12 2 4 3:03.09
13 1 3 3:04.27
14 1 2 3:05.49
15 2 2 3:06.25
1 5

Final

The final was started on 6 October at 21:36.[6]

Rank Lane Nation Athletes Time Notes
4 2:56.69
5 2:57.90
7 2:58.78
4 6 2:59.50
5 9 3:00.74
6 8 3:02.78
7 3 3:03.06
2

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 4 x 400 Metres Relay Men − Round 1 − Start list. IAAF. 5 October 2019. 6 October 2019.
  2. Web site: 4x400 Metres Relay - men - senior - outdoor.
  3. Web site: 4x400 Metres Relay Men – Records . iaaf.org . 30 September 2019.
  4. Web site: Men's 4 × 400 metres relay − Timetable. iaaf.org . 30 September 2019.
  5. Web site: Heats results.
  6. Web site: Final results.