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List of Indian Cricket Coaching Staff:The Indian men’s national cricket team represents India in international cricket. It is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test, One Day International (ODI), and Twenty20 International (T20I) status. India has won the Men’s T20 World Cup, the ICC Champions Trophy, and the Asia Cup. They also won the Cricket World Cup twice, the T20 World Cup twice, and the Champions Trophy three times.

On the other hand, the Indian women’s national cricket team, known as Women in Blue, represents India in international cricket. They are also a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test, ODI, and T20I status and are the reigning Asian Games champions. As of 2025, Harmanpreet Kaur is the captain, and Smriti Mandhana is the vice captain. Indian women reached the World Cup finals in 2005 and 2017 and the T20 World Cup final in 2020. They have won the ODI Asia Cup 4 times and the T20I Asia Cup 3 times.

List of Indian Cricket Coaching Staff

Indian Cricket Coaching Staff: Menâ€s Team

The India Men  Cricket Team is led by Gautam Gambhir as head coach. He was appointed Head Coach of the Indian National Menâ€s Cricket Team on 9th July 2024, taking over from Rahul Dravid after the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. His appointment was recommended unanimously by the Cricket Advisory Committee, which includes Ashok Malhotra, Jatin Paranjpe, and Sulakshana Naik.

The Senior National Selection Committee for Men is chaired by Ajit Agarkar, a former fast bowler. Other members include Shiv Sunder Das, an opening Test batsman; R.P. Singh, a fast bowler; Ajay Ratra, a wicketkeeper; and Pragyan Ojha, a spin bowler. This committee is responsible for selecting players for the senior menâ€s national team.

Ryan ten Doeschate serves as assistant coach, while Morné Morkel is the bowling coach. T. Dilip handles Fielding, and Adrian le Roux is the Strength and Conditioning Coach. This coaching setup began with Gambhir taking charge of the away series against Sri Lanka in July 2024, following Rahul Dravidâ€s tenure.

PositionNameHead coachGautam GambhirAssistant coachRyan ten DoeschateBowling coachMorné MorkelFielding coachT DilipSelection CommitteeAjit Agarkar (Chairman), Shiv Sunder Das, R.P. Singh, Ajay Ratra, Pragyan OjhaStrength and Conditioning coachAdrian le Roux

Indian Cricket Coaching Staff: Womenâ€s Team

The Indian Womenâ€s Cricket Team is coached by Amol Muzumdar, who serves as both head coach and batting coach. He was appointed head coach of the Indian National Womenâ€s Cricket Team on 25th October 2023. His appointment was unanimously recommended by the Cricket Advisory Committee, which includes Sulakshana Naik, Ashok Malhotra, and Jatin Paranjape.

Muzumdar had a distinguished domestic career, scoring over 11,000 first-class runs in 171 matches, including 30 centuries, and also playing more than 100 List A games and 14 T20 matches. He won multiple Ranji Trophy titles with Mumbai and has represented Assam and Andhra Pradesh.

The All India Womenâ€s Selection Committee selects players for the national womenâ€s team and consists entirely of former Indian women cricketers from five zones. The current members are Amita Sharma (Chief Selector), Shyama Dey, Jaya Sharma, Sulakshana Naik, and Sravanthi Naidu.

Aavishkar Salvi is the bowling coach, and Munish Bali is the fielding coach. The nets training is handled by Tanveer Shukla, Sourav Tyagi, Utkarsh Singh, and Akhil S. Prasad. Physiotherapists are Akanksha Satyavanshi and Neha Karnik, while Anand Date is the fitness trainer, and Aniruddha Deshpande works as the analyst.

PositionNameHead coach & Batting coachAmol MuzumdarBowling coachAavishkar SalviFielding coachMunish BaliSelection CommitteeAmita Sharma (chief selector), Shyama Dey, Jaya Sharma, Sulakshana Naik, Sravanthi NaiduNets TrainersTanveer ShuklaSourav TyagiUtkarsh SinghAkhil S PrasadPhysiotherapistAkanksha SatyavanshiNeha KarnikFitness TrainerAnand DateAnalystAniruddha Deshpande

FAQs

Q. Who is the female support staff member of the Indian cricket team?

A. Raj Laxmi Arora is the only female support staff member with the Indian menâ€s cricket team. She works as a senior producer and also head of the BCCIâ€s Internal Complaints Committee.

Q. Who is the Indian women’s cricket team’s head coach?

A. The Indian women’s cricket team is coached by A. Amol Muzumdar. In October 2023, he was appointed.

Q. Who are the Indian men’s cricket team’s assistant coaches?

A. The assistant coaches for the Indian men’s cricket team are Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate. Gautam Gambhir, the head coach, oversees them.

Q. Who is the fielding coach of the Indian cricket team?

A. The Indian men’s cricket team’s fielding coach is T. Dilip. He concentrates on enhancing overall fielding performance and conducting high-energy fielding drills.

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The first details for this yearâ€s Survivor Series WarGames have leaked, and the potential lineups are already looking massive.

The Wrestling Observer Newsletterreported that WWEâ€s current direction for the November 29 premium live event in San Diego includes two WarGames elimination matches stacked with some of the biggest names in the company.

On the menâ€s side, the plan is for a reunited Bloodline to join forces with CM Punk. The babyface team is currently listed as Punk, Roman Reigns, Jacob Fatu, and Jey Uso, with a fifth mystery partner still undecided. Jimmy Uso and LA Knight are reportedly the frontrunners for that spot.

Theyâ€re expected to battle The Vision in a heel-heavy lineup featuring Seth Rollins, Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, Brock Lesnar, and Austin Theory. The involvement of Lesnar, given his history with both Punk and Reigns, is already creating buzz backstage, while Theoryâ€s planned return from injury adds another layer of surprise to the mix.

The womenâ€s WarGames match looks just as loaded. WWE is eyeing an all-star babyface team with AJ Lee, Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, and Iyo Sky. Theyâ€re set to go up against Becky Lynch, Asuka, Kairi Sane, Nia Jax, and NXTâ€s Lash Legend in what could be one of the most star-studded womenâ€s matches in years.

The same report also noted that John Cena is scheduled to defend the Intercontinental Championship against Dominik Mysterio at Survivor Series, making it the second-to-last match of his legendary career before retirement in December.

If these lineups hold, Survivor Series WarGames 2025 could deliver two of the biggest multi-star battles WWE has put together in a long time.

Which potential WarGames team are you backing—Punk and The Bloodline or Rollins and The Vision? And how do you see the womenâ€s match playing out? Share your predictions in the comments below.

October 10, 2025 11:15 am

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Twice a team winner, way back in â€89 and â€94, Iowa State with Robin Kwemoi Bera (bib 626) and Joash Ruto (635) key to the effort, has a chance to return to the podium top. (MIKE SCOTT)

A TEAM THAT MAY finally be in a position to win its first NCAA title in 31 years — after a runner-up spot last fall continued its run of high finishes since â€19 — was not shy about showing its cards the last weekend in September. Powerhouse programs donâ€t often run with serious intent this early, but Iowa Stateâ€s showing at the Gans Creek Classic — home of this fallâ€s NCAA Champs — shows itâ€s serious about finally topping the podium in â€25.

Led by runner-up Joash Ruto, the Cyclones tallied 47 points, 60 ahead of a very strong Virginia team and a Colorado squad that seeks a return to prominence not far behind.

Meanwhile, even without big dogs Brian Masau (Cowboys) and Habtom Samuel (Lobos), Oklahoma State and New Mexico put on a show at the formerâ€s annual Stampede, the hosts winning, 36–41. Both teams showed off the depth that will make or break them in November.

Meanwhile, teams like defending champ BYU, Virginia, Wisconsin, Wake Forest, Oregon are taking stock of how they can develop to challenge this possible “Big 3†and make their own runs at a podium spot — while also navigating tough conferences and regional qualifiers. Buckle up, it should be fun.

1. Iowa State

It seems like finally the Cyclones might have what it takes to push them over the top to an NCAA title. Coach Jeremy Sudburyâ€s squad was just 13 points short last year, their fourth top-5 finish in half a dozen seasons. Yes, ISU lost three from that group, but Kenyan sophs Robin Kwemoi Bera (37th) and Joash Ruto (34th) are running like veterans. Getting uber-experienced senior Sanele Masondo (23rd) back for a final year is a big bonus. So is the improvement of Rodgers Kiplimo to 4th in the NCAA 10,000 last spring after a modest autumn.

2. Oklahoma State

Some folks might think that when you start with two guys who have run 12:59 and 27:20 on the track, a trophy is there for the taking. But as Coach Dave Smith knows, even with Brian Musau (5th last fall) and Denis Kipngetich (11th after 4th in â€23), youâ€re still not going to beat your rivals if you canâ€t go five-strong. The Cowboys fell short of their lofty aspirations last fall, taking 8th, and need a return to form from standout Fouad Messaoudi (222nd), plus support from Adisu Guadia, Laban Kipkemboi and Ryan Schoppe to make their podium dreams come true.

3. New Mexico

Having a warrior like 2x NCAA runner-up and 26:51 track performer Habtom Samuel to lead your charges is great. Surrounding him with guys who can lift you from 9th in â€24 to challenging for the podium is even better. Coach Darren Gauson might have the horses now with returnees Collins Kiprotich (35th), Vincent Chirchir (off-form 148th) and Evans Kiplagat (40th) joined by frosh (and 8:17 steepler) Mathew Kosgei. Others, like Iker Sánchez Lopez may need to rise up to provide that final piece of the puzzle.

4. BYU

You can never count Coach Ed Eyestone and his defending champ Cougars out of a national title hunt, but the departure of low stick Casey Clinger (6th) and three other seniors means another podium run will take some development. NCAA steeple champ James Corrigan (62nd last fall) could lead the way with support from Lucas Bons (39th), Davin Thompson (50th), and Stanford grad transfer Thomas Boyden (13:21/28:06 track PRs). Frosh Tayvon Kitchen from Oregon (13:53 track 5K) could make a big impact sooner rather than later.

5. Virginia

Senior and 3:48 miler Gary Martin (13th in â€24) is the face of the Cavs, but the rise of legendary coach Vin Lanannaâ€s program is the group of veterans heâ€s built around them. Virginia was just 21st last fall, but seniors Will Anthony, Justin Wachtel, Nathan Mountain and Brett Gardner are coalescing into a group that knows its time is now. The first 3 were outside the top 100 at NCAAs, but their runner-up finish at Gans Creek shows high top 10 potential.

6. Wake Forest

Wake was 7th last year despite star Rocky Hansen finishing just 100th. If the 13:07 soph can get to the front, the prospects with returnees Charlie Sprott (32nd), JoJo Jourdon (46th), Joseph Oâ€Brien (56th) backing him up look good. The Demon Deacons will miss Aidan Ross (injury) and Luke Tewalt (graduation), but if a mix of newcomers and veterans can fill in at the back, Wakeâ€s big 4 could carry John Hayes†crew a few spots higher.

7. Wisconsin

Coach Mick Byrneâ€s Badgers have two big guns to replace from graduation in Bob Liking and Adam Spencer from their stellar 4th-place squad which showed out well on their home course. But the good news is the cupboard is far from empty in Madison. Top returnees Micah Wilson (53rd), Matan Ivry (59th) and Christian de Vaal (69th) could all potentially lead the perennial powerhouse. Johnny Livingston is the best of several rising contributors and incoming frosh who will vie for remaining spots.

8. Oregon

After taking just 14th at NCAAs last fall, this feels like a season where Coach Jerry Schumacherâ€s crew might sneak back into the top 10 again. Aiden Smith returns as the Ducks†leading scorer in Madison (29th) and itâ€s a good bet 1500/5000 standout Simeon Birnbaum can improve on his 74th from â€24. Super steepler Ben Balazs and former prep 5000 record-holder Connor Burns return to harrier action as well. Transfers Evan Bishop (Wisconsin) and Michael Mireles (UCLA) could make a big splash too.

9. Alabama

Kenyan Dismus Lokira, 37th last fall but then a 27:47 performer on the track, will try and lead the Tide back into the top 10 after an 18th-place finish last year. Coach Dan Waters lost Victor Kiprop to graduation, but returns Dennis Kipruto (74th, 13:37/27:58) and welcomes Ezekiel Pitireng, Ahmed Ibrahim, Timothy Kibet and Nelson Pariken. Alabama was a promising 4th at Gans Creek.

10. Colorado

Is Colorado — 19th at NCAAs last fall — possibly on its way “back†to championship contention? A 3rd-place finish for Coach Sean Carlsonâ€s crew at Gans Creek was certainly promising, led by Toledo transfer Dominic Seremâ€s strong 5th-place finish. Dean Casey was “only†the Buffs†No. 4 man at Gans, but is its leading nationals returnee at 30th. Nike Cross Nationals runner-up TJ Hansen was a big recruiting get who could pay early dividends.

Others To Watch:

Arkansas, Butler, Cal Baptist, Northern Arizona, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Washington State.

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1. Brian Musau (Oklahoma State)

It feels like it just might be Musauâ€s time this fall. The Kenyan Cowboy had a pretty super soph campaign, taking 5th in Madison (three spots up on his frosh year), then kicking to both the NCAA Indoor (13:11.34) and Outdoor (13:20.59) 5000 crowns. He also lowered his mile and 5000 PRs on the track to 3:54.78 and 12:59.82 — the latter the second-fastest mark by a collegiate athlete (even if out of season). Heâ€ll also be looking for his third straight Big 12 title.

2. Habtom Samuel (New Mexico)

Or might this fall be Samuelâ€s time to top the podium? A strong argument can be made after the Lobo junior has been the bridesmaid in five NCAA distance finals: The last 2 years in XC, then finishing 2nd to Musau in both NCAA 5000s and in the Outdoor 10,000 to Ishmael Kipkurui, as well. Of course, the Eritrean does have the â€24 track title at 10K to his name. He famously ran most of last fallâ€s champs in Madison with one shoe.

3. Denis Kipngetich (Oklahoma State)

Itâ€s hard to match the Cowboys†1-2 punch of Musau and Kipngetich. Along with his NCAA XC finishes of 4th in â€23 and a moderately disappointing 11th last fall, the Kenyan junior is No. 6 on the all-time collegiate track 10,000 list for his 27:20.10 last March at The TEN. And while he was a strong 3rd in the NCAA indoor 5000 (PR 13:13.71), his 9th in the outdoor champs 10,000 might leave him wanting some redemption. His win in OSUâ€s home opener was a strong first step.

4. Evans Kurui (Washington State)

Kurui, who sat out the Gans Classic after edging his teammate in a low-key home opener, is with Kipchoge half of another ridiculously talented 1–2 punch. But before Texas Tech transfer Kipchoge joined him, he carried the torch as a frosh last fall with a stellar season that peaked with a West Regional win. He was just 36th at Nationals, but then had a spring that featured 13:16.01 and 27:37.32 track PRs and finishes of 10th in the Indoor 5000 and 5th in the Outdoor 10,000.

5. Valentin Soca (Cal Baptist)

After progressing to 33rd last fall at NCAAs, Soca put up some big marks at 10,000 (27:37.65 at The TEN) and 13:13.10 before taking 4th in the NCAA 5000. Then this summer, he got down to 13:02.85 in Belgium before representing his native Uruguay in Tokyo (15th in the 5000 final). So with the late track season, look for Soca, 23, to possibly start up a bit later this fall for the Lancers.

6. Solomon Kipchoge (Washington State)

One of the nationâ€s most intriguing frosh a year ago at Texas Tech, Kenyan Kipchoge came in as a 59:37 half-marathoner (2023) entering NCAA competition at 28. He ran 4 outstanding races (Big 12 runner-up, Mountain Region champ) before a DNF at Nationals due to injury. After struggling through track, Kipchoge is now in Pullman. After an early, low-key runner-up finish to established teammate Kurui, he ramped up his fall in a huge way by winning the Gans meet.

7. Ernest Cheruiyot (Texas Tech)

After finishing a very strong 4th in the â€24 NCAA 10,000 as a Red Raider frosh, Cheruiyot had very high hopes for last fall, especially after good showings at the Piane Invitational (1st), Big 12 (5th) and the Mountain Region (3rd). But he didnâ€t have it at NCAAs and took 131st. This past spring, though, he improved his NCAA track 10,000 to make the podium in 3rd, trailing only Samuel and Ishmael Kipkirui, and also ran 27:45.65.

8. Gary Martin (Virginia)

Martin holds the distinction of being not just the first U.S.-born returnee from Madison at 13th, but also No. 4 overall behind Samuel, Musau and Kipngetich. Heâ€s one of only 3 in our top 10 who does not feature in the 10,000 on the track. In fact, heâ€s by far the fastest miler (3:48.82i/3:32.03 1500), not to mention 7:36.09 3000 and 13:16.82 5000 PRs. He finished runner-up in the indoor 3000 and 5th outdoors in the 1500 as a junior. Heâ€s the only senior in the top 10.

9. Dismus Lokira (Alabama)

Like Kipchoge, Lokira arrived at the NCAA level with great interest and intrigue in â€24, thanks to his 28:36 performances on the track in Nairobi earlier in the year. He would place 4th in the SEC, 1st in the South Region, but then 41st at NCAAs. And while he finished “only†11th in the outdoor 10,000, he ran PRs of 27:47.20 and 13:25.16 during the spring. He finished a promising 4th behind Kipchoge at Gans Creek.

10. Rocky Hansen (Wake Forest)

Can the Demon Deacon close his XC season this fall the way heâ€s done in track? A runner-up finish at Nuttycombe in September of â€24 behind Parker Wolfe portended big things, but he struggled with the heat at ACCs, then wound up 100th at NCAAs. But his finishes in the Indoor (3rd, 13:12.65) and Outdoor (5th) NCAA 5000s reminded everyone of his true abilities. He even added an exclamation point on his outdoor season with a 13:07.77 PR behind Musauâ€s 12:59 at the Sunset meet.

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SEEING A COMPETITION for medal positions among Kyle Garland, Leo Neugebauer and Ayden Owens is definitely new on the world stage.

But collegiate fans remember that being the norm in 2022 and 2023 with the trio taking the top 3 places three times in multis at the NCAA Championships when they wore the uniforms of Georgia, Texas and Arkansas instead of USA, Germany and Puerto Rico.

Many had anticipated Garland would contend with Sander Skotheim as the latter led the yearly list at 8909 over Garlandâ€s 8869, and thatâ€s how things stood through the end of Day 1. Oh, everything changed early on Day 2.

Hereâ€s an event-by-event look at how things unfolded:

100: Damian Warner — gold medalist in an empty version of this stadium in â€21 at the Olympics and the deca 100 WR holder at 10.12 — was a late scratch, so Ayden-Owens was easily the fastest (his 10.31 near his PR 10.27) with Garland next at 10.51 (down from his PR 10.44 at USATF). All of the contenders were off their bests.

Long Jump: Simon Ehammer — 4th in the main long jump three days earlier — flew predictably far here but leapt just 26-1¾ (7.97), albeit twice in matching Skotheim. Garland was next. He averted disaster after two fouls with an outdoor PR 26-0 (7.92). Neugebauer — the only other 8-meter jumper besides Ehammer and Skotheim — went 25-0 (7.62).

Shot: Garland opened up with a PR 55-10¼ (17.02) to hit 2927 points for 3 events, just 5 points off the torrid pace in his PR score. Neugebauer was next — in the shot at 54-9½ (16.70) and overall with a 2765 score, 162 points behind Garland. Third overall after an outdoor PR 47-7 (14.50) was Skotheim with 2703. That trio projected over 8800 while everyone else was under 8700 compared to their PRs.

High Jump: Skotheim and Garland owned the two best PRs and were the two highest here at 7-¼ (2.14) and 6-11 (2.11) as the Americanâ€s lead grew to 206, now over the Norwegian with Neugebauer (who cleared 6-6¼/1.99) another 68 back. This would be the last event for defending champ Pierce LePage, who was more than 400 points off his PR 8909 pace from Budapest.

400: Owens-Delerme was fastest at 46.46 and American Harrison Williams was the only other sub-47 at 46.88. Skotheim ran 47.86 (down from the 47.47 in his PR) while Garland clocked 48.73 (an improvement on the 49.29 in his PR). Neugebauer was at 48.27, near the 48.03 in his PR.

The Day 1 totals had Garland at 4707, 164 ahead of Skotheim at 4543, but the duo projected within 11 points of each other at 8862 and 8851. Owens-Delerme (4487) and Neugebauer (4455) followed — both more than 100 points down on PR pace but still very much in medal contention. Little noticed on the leader board in 8th (4167, a whopping 539 points behind Garland) was the only one in the field on PR pace — Niklas Kaul, 3 points up on the 8691 total that garnered him the â€19 WC gold.

110H: Disaster struck once and almost twice. In the second race, Skotheim hit hurdle 5 and was off balance so much that he shoved over hurdle 6 — a clear DQ that made him withdraw. In the final section, Garland hit more hurdles (6) than he cleared cleanly (4), and while he got through, his 14.30 was 67 points down from the 13.78 in his PR. He was still in the lead, but he opened the proverbial door for others.

Owens-Delerme was fastest for the third track event in a row, running 13.66 to gain on his PR score (13.73) to take over the chase pack, 136 points behind Garland. Kaul ran 14.45 to improve his PR pace and move up to 7th while Neugebauer hurdled a subpar 14.80 to remain in 3rd.

Discus: A good event for the would-be medalists, especially Neugebauer at a meet record 184-2 (56.15) in taking over chase pack duties. Garlandâ€s 157-8 (48.06) was 60 points down from his 167-1 (50.93) PR at USATF as his lead actually improved to 145. Ayden-Owens was another 31 behind Neugebauer after his 151-4 (46.12) was a third-straight event improving on his PR score.

Pole Vault: The big change here was that the projected medalists looked like eventual medalists for the first time. All three were solid behind Williams†leading 17-¾ (5.20). Owens-Delerme and Neugebauer finished at 16-8 (5.10) (an =PR for Owens-Delerme) and Garland matched the 16-¾ (4.80) in his PR. While the scores tightened — Garlandâ€s lead now at 53 over Neugebauer with AOD another 31 back — Garland held a 100+ lead on projections.

Javelin: Neugebauer took the overall lead after the longest of his two PRs. Heâ€d gone 200-1 (61.00) and then 211-1 (64.34). It was the first great event in the meet, and his 8072 score after 9 events was 15 points up on Garland, who threw 196-1 (59.78). That would have been a PR save for his 214-11 (65.52) at USATF (he had a narrow toe foul estimated near that distance here). Owens-Delerme hit his No. 2 ever throw at 192-10 (58.79) and remained in 3rd, now 114 points out of the lead. Kaul was good — his 256-6 (78.18) just short of his PR and MR 259-4 (79.05) — but not enough after being down in the discus and vault.

1500: Based on event strength, the medal positions looked likely, but there was one adjustment. Neugebauer hung on to the gold, making a move with 2 laps to go to PR by over 6 seconds in 4:31.89. His 8804 total was 20 points better than the 8784 NR by Owens-Delerme, who moved to silver in the closest finish in meet history. Garland finished in 8704 for the bronze.

“It still sounds unbelievable,†Neugebauer said. “I donâ€t know what to say. The oxygen is not back in my brain yet from the run. I feel fantastic. Day 1 was really tough for everybody, I think. Many people fell out, which is really tough in the decathlon. The important thing is just to keep going, especially on Day 2. I was just in a good mood today. I felt great, so I just kept going.â€

MENâ€S DECATHLON RESULTS

(September 20–21)

1. Leo Neugebauer (Ger) 8804 (10.80, 25-0/7.62, 54-9½/16.70, 6-6¼/1.99, 48.27 [4455-4]),

14.80, 184-2/56.15, 16-8¾/5.10, 211-1/64.34, 4:31.89 [4349]);

2. Ayden Owens-Delerme (PR) 8784 NR (10.31, 24-¼/7.32, 51-¼/15.55, 6-5/1.96, 46.46 [4487-3]),

13.65, 151-4/46.12, 16-8¾/5.10, 192-10/58.79, 4:17.91 [4297]);

3. Kyle Garland (US) 8703 (10.51, 26-0/7.92, 55-10¼/17.02, 6-11/2.11, 48.73 [4707-1]),

14.30, 157-8/48.06, 15-9/4.80, 196-1/59.78, 4:45.45 [3996]);

4. Niklas Kaul (Ger) 8538 (11.34, 23-8/7.21, 47-10/14.58, 6-8¾/2.05, 48.13 [4167-8]),

14.45, 155-2/47.29, 15-5/4.70, 256-6/78.19, 4:20.76 [4371]);

5. Johannes Erm (Est) 8431 (10.78, 25-½/7.63, 49-9¾/15.18, 6-5/1.96, 47.51 [4378-5]),

14.52, 148-4/45.21, 16-8¾/5.10, 184-9/56.32, 4:29.15 [4053]);

6. Heath Baldwin (US) 8337 (11.01, 23-10/7.26, 50-3½/15.33, 6-9¾/2.08, 48.44 [4310-6]),

14.16, 134-6/41.01, 15-9/4.80, 214-0/65.24, 4:33.42 [4027]);

7. Harrison Williams (US) 8269 (10.79, 22-7/6.88, 48-9½/14.87, 6-2¾/1.90, 46.88 [4153-9]),

14.56, 149-7/45.61, 17-¾/5.20, 181-11/55.44, 4:22.72 [4116]);

8. Kendrick Thompson (Bah) 8175 (10.67, 24-9/7.54, 41-2½/12.56, 6-7½/2.02, 47.93 [4255-7]),

14.15, 118-5/36.10, 15-1/4.60, 223-2/68.02, 4:32.26 [3920]);

9. Makenson Gletty (Fra) 8146; 10. Jente Hauttekeete (Bel) 8116; 11. Vilém Stráský (CzR) 8110; 12. Antoine Ferranti (Fra) 8003; 13. José Fernando Ferreira Santana (Bra) 7927; 14. Xiang Fei (Chn) 7347; 15. OndÅej Kopecký (CzR) 7184; 16. Karel Tilga (Est) 6073;

… DNFs –

Lindon Victor (Grn) 5930, Sander Aae Skotheim (Nor) 4543, Pierce LePage (Can) 3241, Sven Roosen (Neth) 2585, Till Steinforth (Ger) 2367, Janek Õiglane (Est) 2259.

Top 5s By Event

100: 1. Owens-Delerme 1020; 2. Garland 973; 3. Victor 952; 4. Ehammer 938; 5. Thompson 938;… 9. Neugebauer 906.

LJ: 1. Garland 2013; 2. Ehammer 1991; 3. Skotheim 1934; 4. Owens-Delerme 1911; 5. Thompson 1880;… 7. Neugebauer 1871.

SP: 1. Garland 2927; 2. Neugebauer 2765; 3. Ehammer 2736; 4. Owens-Delerme 2735; 5. Skotheim 2693.

HJ: 1. Garland 3833; 2. Skotheim 3627; 3. Neugebauer 3559; 4. Owens-Delerme 3502; 5. Erm 3445.

400: 1. Garland 4707; 2. Skotheim 4543; 3. Owens-Delerme 4487; 4. Neugebauer 4455; 5. Erm 4378.

110H: 1. Garland 5643; 2. Owens-Delerme 5507; 3. Neugebauer 5329; 4. Erm 5286; 5. Baldwin 5264

DT: 1. Garland 6473; 2. Neugebauer 6328; 3. Owens-Delerme 6297; 4. Erm 6057; 5. Baldwin 5949.

PV: 1. 1. Garland 7322; 2. Neugebauer 7269; 3. Owens-Delerme 7238; 4. Erm 6998; 5. Williams 6807.

JT: 1. Neugebauer 8072; 2. Garland 8057; 3. Owens-Delerme 7958; 4. Kaul 7732; 5. Erm 7681.

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Among the USAâ€s 9 previous 4×1 wins, only one was faster than Tokyo: Doha 19â€s 37.10 AR, which Christian Coleman led off and Noah Lyles anchored. (KIRBY LEE/IMAGE OF SPORT)

THE HANDOFFS ARE almost always the story in the 4 x 100. This time around, solid exchanges led to a happy ending for the American foursome, who defeated Canada to take the gold in 37.29.

The heats produced most of the drama. The U.S., running the foursome of Christian Coleman, Ronnie Baker, Trayvon Bromell and Tâ€Mars McCallum, placed 2nd in heat 1 with a 37.98. Andre De Grasse caught McCallum and Canada led in 37.85. It was favored Jamaica that went down in flames, as the pass from Ryiem Forde to anchor Kishane Thompson resulted in the baton bouncing off the Mondo surface.

In the second heat Ghana clocked a national record 37.79 to lead the Netherlands†37.95. South Africa, our pick for 3rd, failed to finish, same as Great Britain, our pick for 4th.

In the case of South Africa, officials ruled that they had been affected by one of the Italian athletes. In a solo rerun the next morning, they were tasked with hitting 38.34 to make the final. A 38.64 run with just the roar of the crowd for accompaniment didnâ€t cut it.

For the final, the United States drew lane 7, with Canada — running the same order that won Olympic gold — in 5 and Ghana in 6. Christian Coleman led off, getting to the exchange just ahead of Canadaâ€s Aaron Brown. The handoff to Bednarek was crisp and efficient, nothing like their disastrous Paris effort.

Bednarek ran a solid backstretch, but Canadaâ€s Jerome Blake ate into his margin a bit. A smooth pass to Courtney Lindsey followed, and with an efficient pass Lindsey delivered a lead to anchor Noah Lyles.

The 200 winner started off with a 0.13 advantage over De Grasse and was able to hit top speed quickly. De Grasse chased valiantly but lost ground as the U.S. won in 37.29 to Canadaâ€s 37.55. Netherlands closed fast with anchor Elvis Afrifa to pass Ghana for the bronze, hitting a Dutch Record 37.81 to Ghanaâ€s 37.93.

The United States defended its title from Budapest in winning its tenth gold out of 20 editions of the meet.

“We just had to get the baton from start to finish,†explained Lyles. “When Christian passed the baton I knew it was a done deal. I saw the lead we had and it was a kind of a relief as everybody did such a great job. I just had to finish the race. They made it easy for me. I could have not asked for a better relay.â€

Said Coleman, “We did our job.â€

MENâ€S 4 x 100 RESULTS

FINAL (September 21)

1. United States 37.29 (5 W, 2 A)

(Christian Coleman 10.30, Kenny Bednarek 8.84, Courtney Lindsey 9.31, Noah Lyles 8.84);

2. Canada 37.55

(Aaron Brown 10.41, Jerome Blake 8.75, Brendon Rodney 9.42, Andre De Grasse 8.97);

3. Netherlands 37.81 NR

(Nsikak Ekpo 10.57, Taymir Burnet 8.76, Xavi Mo-Ajok 9.69, Elvis Afrifa 8.79);

4. Ghana 37.93

(Ibrahim Fuseini 10.55, Benjamin Azamati 8.96, Joseph Amoah 9.48, Abdul-Rasheed Saminu 8.94);

5. Germany 38.29

(Julian Wagner 10.59, Marvin Schulte 9.23, Owen Ansah 9.38, Lucas Ansah-Peprah 9.09);

6. Japan 38.35

(Yuki Koike 10.55, Hiroki Yanagita 9.14, Yoshihide Kiryu 9.71, Towa Uzawa 8.95);

7. France 38.58

(Ryan Zeze 10.48, Jeff Erius 9.07, Lenny Chanteur 9.64, Aymeric Priam 9.39);

… dnf—Australia

(Connor Bond 10.57, Jacob Despard 9.21, Calab Law 9.52, Rohan Browning).

(lanes: 2. France; 3. Australia; 4. Japan; 5. Canada; 6. Ghana; 7. United States; 8. Netherlands; 9. Germany)

(reaction times: 0.141 United States, 0.145 Netherlands, 0.146 Canada, 0.147 France, 0.150 Australia, 0.151 Germany, 0.160 Ghana, 0.162 Japan)

HEATS (September 20)

I–1. Canada 37.85; 2. United States 37.98 (Coleman 10.23, Ronnie Baker 9.08, Trayvon Bromell 9.45, Tâ€Mars McCallum 9.22); 3. Germany 38.12 (Deniz Almas, Schulte, Ansah, Ansah-Peprah); 4. France 38.34 (Zeze, Erius, Théo Schaub, Priam);

5. Belgium 38.46 NR (Kobe Vleminckx, Emiel Botterman, Antoine Snyders, Simon Verherstraeten); 6. Kenya 38.56 (Boniface Ontuga, Steve Onyango, Babu Kitsubuli, Mark Odhiambo); 7. Poland 38.59 (Oliwer Wdowik, Åukasz Å»ak, Adrian BrzeziÅ„ski, Dominik Kopeć);… dnf—Jamaica (Ackeem Blake, Oblique Seville, Ryiem Forde, Kishane Thompson).

II–1. Ghana 37.79 NR (=#10 nation);

2. Netherlands 37.95; 3. Japan 38.07; 4. Australia 38.21 (Bond, Joshua Azzopardi, Law, Browning);

5. China 38.38 (Zhijian Deng, Jinxian He, Junhao Shi, Zhenye Xie); 6. Italy 38.52 (Eseosa Desalu, Lamont Marcell Jacobs, Lorenzo Patta, Matteo Melluzzo);… dnf—South Africa, Great Britain.

Special heat (9/21 am)–1. South Africa 38.64 (Shaun Maswanganyi, Sinesipho Dambile, Bradley Nkoana, Akani Simbine). (Had to run faster than 38.34 to be added to final as 9th team; obstructed by Italy in heats)

Jeff Hollobaugh is a writer and stat geek who has been associated with T&FN in various capacities since 1987. He is the author of How To Race The Mile. He lives in Michigan where he can often be found announcing track meets in bad weather.

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“I lost my wedding ring in the third kilometer,†said Brazilâ€s Caio Bonfim. “I believe my wife will be OK because I won today.†Translation: The double medalistâ€s Tokyo trip mostly didnâ€t suck. (TAKASHI ITO/AGENCE SHOT)

PORTUGUESE TO ENGLISH, “Bonfim†translates to “good end†or “good outcome.†Caio Bonfimâ€s surname tells you the story.

The huge smile on the 34-year-old Brazilianâ€s face, the finishline tape and gold medal draped around his neck are all the explanation youâ€ll need.

Good end? Good outcome? For sure.

Bonfimâ€s 1:18:35 gold in the menâ€s 20K came on top of the 35K silver heâ€d earned on opening day, and along with Alison dos Santosâ€s 400H silver, lifted his nation to 13th on the medal table.

All smiles after holding off Chinaâ€s Zhaozhao Wang in the race to the National Stadium wire, he also revealed a loss. His wedding ring had slipped off somewhere around the 3K mark, down Gingko Tree Lane, but he soon smiled, “I believe my wife will be OK because I won today.â€

He asked a cameraman to relay this message to his children, back home: “Your father is a world champion.â€

This was the 20th and last Worlds 20K – the event will be extended to 21.1K (half-marathon) in Beijing. Eight of the 20s have gone to Latin Americans, but this was the first to Brazil.

Bonfim has been knocking on the golden global door for years. He had taken the â€23 Worlds 20K bronze, the â€24 Olympic 20K silver and the Tokyo 35K silver.

He battled past four top rivals, Wang (2nd in 1:18:43), Spain ‘s Paul McGrath (3rd, 1:18:45) and the French pair of Aurélien Quinion (1:18.49) and Gabriel Bordier (1:19:23) for the gold.

“This is my first big international medal, so I couldnâ€t be happier about the result,†said silver winner Wang.

“It was a dream come true,†said bronze medalist McGrath, who has a Spanish mother, Scottish father, Irish grandparents and trinational heritage.

Tashikazu Yamanishi came in as both WR holder and world leader with his 1:16:10 from February. Japanâ€s great golden hope, he was buoyed by the throngs lining the course, leading for K after K only to see the dreaded red paddle for technique violation late in the race. Sat down with 2:00 of penalty time, he was never again a factor and finished a saddened 28th in 1:22:39.

“I donâ€t know what to do now,†he lamented. “To win in Tokyo was one of my big goals. I need to think about my next steps.â€

All but 5 of the 48 starters finished; 4 were DQed. Canadaâ€s Evan Dunfee, the Tokyo 35K king, scratched out with a hamstring injury. Team USA, well represented in 47 of the 49 Worlds events, had no one in the two menâ€s walks.

MENâ€S 20K WALK RESULTS

(September 20)

1. Caio Bonfim (Bra) 1:18:35

(20:27, 19:42 [40:09], 19:29 [59:38], 18:57) (40:09/38:26);

2. Zhaozhao Wang (Chn) 1:18:43

(40:09/38:34);

3. Paul McGrath (Spa) 1:18:45

(40:04/38:41);

4. Aurelien Quinion (Fra) 1:18:49 PR

(40:09/38:40);

5. Gabriel Bordier (Fra) 1:19:23

(40:04/39:19);

6. Haifeng Qian (Chn) 1:19:38

(40:04/39:34);

7. Kento Yoshikawa (Jpn) 1:19:46

(40:14/39:42);

8. Diego García (Spa) 1:20:05

(40:06/39:59);

9. Satoshi Maruo (Jpn) 1:20:09; 10. Christopher Linke (Ger) 1:20:11; 11. Leo Köpp (Ger) 1:20:35; 12. Ricardo Ortiz (Mex) 1:20:36; 13. Perseus Karlström (Swe) 1:20:37; 14. Maher Ben Hlima (Pol) 1:20:39; 15. Jordy Jiménez (Ecu) 1:20:43; 16. Francesco Fortunato (Ita) 1:21:00; 17. Matheus Gabriel Correa (Bra) 1:21:04; 18. Misganaw Wakuma (Eth) 1:21:17; 19. David Hurtado (Ecu) 1:21:18; 20. Rhydian Cowley (Aus) 1:21:18; 21. Ãlvaro López (Spa) 1:21:28; 22. Dominik ÄŒerný (Svk) 1:21:29;

23. Declan Tingay (Aus) 1:21:30; 24. Chenjie Li (Chn) 1:21:39; 25. Veli-Matti Partanen (Fin) 1:21:41; 26. Mykola Rushchak (Ukr) 1:21:57; 27. Serhiy Svitlychnyy (Ukr) 1:22:24; 28. Toshikazu Yamanishi (Jpn) 1:22:39; 29. Mateo Romero Blanco (Col) 1:22:44; 30. Byeong-kwang Choe (SK) 1:22:52; 31. Servin Sebastian (Ind) 1:23:03; 32. Bence Venyercsán (Hun) 1:23:06; 33. Noel Ali Chama (Mex) 1:23:41; 34. Gianluca Picchiottino (Ita) 1:23:50; 35. Mazlum Demir (Tur) 1:24:11;

36. Andrea Cosi (Ita) 1:24:18; 37. Jerry Jokinen (Fin) 1:24:37; 38. Erick Barrondo (Gua) 1:24:42; 39. Tim Fraser (Aus) 1:24:55; 40. César Alberto Herrera (Col) 1:25:01; 41. Raivo Saulgriezis (Lat) 1:27:25; 42. Max Batista Dos Santos (Bra) 1:27:34; 43. Wayne Snyman (SA) 1:30:12;… dq—José Luis Doctor (Mex), Luis Campos (Per), Hayrettin Yildiz (Tur), Ihor Hlavan (Ukr) (no U.S. entrants)

(5K leader splits: Černý 20:17; McGrath 40:04; Quinion 59:37)

Sixty-three years ago, â€56 racewalk Olympian Elliott Denman, representing the New York Pioneer Club, won the 3000 walk at the U.S. nationals held in Boulder, Colorado, clocking 13:52.2. In a long journalistic career he has covered every outdoor World Championships since the first in 1983.

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Daniel Ståhl stayed calm and collected in a trying rain that vexed the field. Then he let loose the winning throw and a flood of emotion. (TAKASHI ITO/AGENCE SHOT)

IN A LAST ROUND of drama on a rain-slickened ring that for most of the competition would have served better as an ice skating rink, Daniel Ståhl returned to the venue where he won his Olympic title 4 years ago and stole the gold from under the nose of World Record holder Mykolas Alekna. In doing so he defended the title he won in Budapest also on his final attempt.

The giant Swede — who measures 6-7½ and weighs in at over 350 pounds — miraculously secured enough footing to unleash a monster throw of 231-2 (70.47) that surely shocked Alekna.

The Lithuanian had led the way since managing a second-round 222-7 (67.84). That throw in and of itself had looked miraculous in what was a dark comedy of lost footing, slippery wet implements and an army of towel-wielding officials failing at the impossible task of drying the ring.

Yet Alekna had no answer to StÃ¥hl with the last throw of the competition. He fouled while going for broke, knowing that heâ€d thrown farther than the â€19 and â€23 championâ€s seasonâ€s best no fewer than 10 times this year.

Once again, Alekna — now transferred to Oregon for his grad student senior season — had to settle for 2nd, just as he had in Budapest two years ago and Paris last summer — not to mention at the â€22 and â€25 NCAAs as a Cal Golden Bear. He finished 3rd at the â€23 NCAA.

Just after 11pm, due to the delay driven by the deluge, StÃ¥hl became the very last champion of Tokyo25 to be crowned, almost 2 hours after Noah Lyles had anchored the U.S. 4×1 quartet to victory in the penultimate event.

“This was my first rainy championships ever,†said StÃ¥hl, whose body language throughout telegraphed a light mood as so many others fumed in frustration. “I tried to focus today as much as possible, focus on not giving up and just staying positive. Sometimes things like this happen. There are delays, the competition takes time. I just tried to reboot my energy.â€

He continued, “Mentally, I was ready for the last throw. I prepared myself for it. You have to be ready and focus. You have to have this different mentality. Today wasnâ€t slippery for me at all because I have really good shoes. This is my favorite arena of all time. It was special in 2021, and it has been special again tonight.â€

The competition started as originally scheduled but after only two throws in a drenched circle, the last of which saw Australiaâ€s â€24 OG bronze medalist Matt Denny skid over badly, the officials wisely waited for a break in the weather and, they hoped, a drier circle before restarting the competition.

No one could go over 210-ft/64m in the first round, but Alekna opened the second stanza with 222-7. For much of the competition that looked as though it would hold up as the winner.

Ståhl secured 2nd with 215-3 (65.60) in the third round and closed further on Alekna with 221-4 (67.47) one throw later but few expected his howitzer closer, which eventually produced the biggest-ever World Champs winning margin of 2.63m (8-foot-7).

Behind the leading pair, Michigan native Alex Rose, who has represented his fatherâ€s country, Samoa, since â€13, moved into the bronze medal position in the fifth round, overtaking Denny with 219-8 (66.96). Rose, who works a full-time day job, got his countryâ€s first ever World Champs medal after both men fouled in the last round.

The U.S. trio of Reggie Jagers, Sam Mattis and Marcus Gustaveson all failed to progress from the prelims.

MENâ€S DISCUS RESULTS

FINAL (September 21) (torrential rain)

1. Daniel Ståhl (Swe) 231-2 (70.47)

(f, 209-1, 215-3, 221-4, 219-8, 231-2) (f, 63.74, 65.60, 67.47, 66.97, 70.47);

2. Mykolas Alekna (Lit) 222-7 (67.84)

(206-4, 222-7, 216-6, f, 211-10, f) (62.91, 67.84, 66.00, f, 64.57, f);

3. Alex Rose (Sam) 219-8 (66.96)

(190-0, 212-0, f, f, 219-8, f) (57.93, 64.63, f, f, 66.96, f);

4. Matt Denny (Aus) 215-1 (65.57)

(193-10, 207-3, 215-1, 214-0, f, f) (59.09, 63.18, 65.57, 65.23, f, f);

5. Mario A. Díaz (Cub) 212-3 (64.71)

(f, 212-3, 196-8, 202-1, 207-3, 208-9) (f, 64.71, 59.95, 61.61, 63.16, 63.62);

6. Andrius Gudžius (Lit) 208-1 (63.43)

(f, 208-1, f, f, r) (f, 63.43, f, f, R);

7. Martynas Alekna (Lit) 207-10 (63.34)

(206-10, 207-10, f, 204-11, f) (63.05, 63.34, f, 62.47, f);

8. Kristjan ÄŒeh (Slo) 206-11 (63.07)

(181-0, f, 206-11, f, f) (55.18, f, 63.07, f, f);

9. Lukas Weißhaidinger (Aut) 204-3 (62.26)

(204-3, f, f, f) (62.26, f, f, f);

10. Connor Bell (NZ) 196-9 (59.97)

(179-6, 195-1, f, 196-9) (54.73, 59.46, f, 59.97);

11. Mika Sosna (Ger) 192-3 (58.60)

(f, 192-3, f) (f, 58.60, f);

… 3f—Henrik Janssen (Ger).

* = progression of the leading throw; ¶ = athleteâ€s best of the day

first 3 rounds

Mykolas Alekna
62.91*
67.84*¶
66.00

Denny
59.09
63.18
65.57¶

ÄŒeh
55.18
f
63.07¶

Ståhl
f
63.74
65.60

Díaz
f
64.71¶
59.95

Bell
54.73
59.46
f

Janssen
f
f
f

Gudžius
f
63.43¶
f

Sosna
f
58.60¶
f

Rose
57.93
64.63
f

Martynas Alekna
63.05*
63.34
f

Weißhaidinger
62.26¶
f
f

round 4

Bell
59.97¶

Weißhaidinger
f

ÄŒeh
f

Ma. Alekna
62.47

Gudžius
f

Rose
f

Díaz
61.61

Denny
65.23

Ståhl
67.47

My. Alekna
f

round 5

ÄŒeh
f

Ma. Alekna
f

Gudžius
r

Rose
66.96¶

Díaz
63.16

Denny
f

Ståhl
66.97

My. Alekna
64.57

final round

Gudžius
p

Díaz
63.62

Denny
f

Rose
f

Ståhl
70.47*¶

My. Alekna
f

QUALIFYING (September 19; auto-qualifier 218-2/66.50)

Qualifiers: Ståhl 229-4 (69.90), Čeh 223-4 (68.08), Ma. Alekna 220-4 (67.16), Denny 218-7 (66.63), Janssen 218-1 (66.47), Weißhaidinger 216-3 (65.91), Díaz 215-5 (65.66), My. Alekna 214-6 (65.39), Gudžius 213-10 (65.18), Rose 213-8 (65.13), Bell 213-6 (65.09), Sosna 213-2 (64.99);

Non-Qualifiers: Steven Richter (Ger) 210-2 (64.06), Reggie Jagers (US) 208-7 (63.59), Lawrence Okoye (GB) 208-4 (63.50), Tuergong Abuduaini (Chn) 207-10 (63.34), Ruben Rolvink (Neth) 207-7 (63.28), Lolassonn Djouhan (Fra) 207-1 (63.13), Chad Wright (Jam) 206-3 (62.87), Sam Mattis (US) 206-3 (62.86), Diego Casas (Spa) 205-2 (62.54), Dimítrios Pavlídis (Gre) 205-0 (62.49), Shaquille Emanuelson (Neth) 203-6 (62.04), Victor Hogan (SA) 201-9 (61.51), Juan José Caicedo (Ecu) 199-11 (60.94), Alin Alexandru Firfirica (Rom) 199-5 (60.78), Mauricio Ortega (Col) 198-8 (60.57), Fedrick Dacres (Jam) 198-7 (60.54), Claudio Romero (Chl) 198-5 (60.48), Wellington Filho (Bra) 194-1 (59.16), Marcus Gustaveson (US) 193-11 (59.12), Marek Bárta (CzR) 189-0 (57.60), Nick Percy (GB) 187-3 (57.08), Emanuel Sousa (Por) 186-11 (56.97), Ralford Mullings (Jam) 186-5 (56.82), Jordan Guehaseim (Fra) 185-10 (56.64), Masateru Yugami (Jpn) 185-0 (56.40).

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With the race run in a downpour Botswana, anchored by 400 gold medalist Collen Kebinatshipi, metaphorically drowned Team USAâ€s  hopes. (KEVIN MORRIS)

MEET THE NEW BOSS — definitely not the same as the old boss.

For 9 of the previous 10 Worlds, the United States had owned the menâ€s 4 x 4, sometimes running four laps almost solo. This edition looked more like that exception, â€17, when tiny Trinidad ran down the U.S. with 50m left.

This time, it was tiny Botswana taking down Goliath.

When Botswana (with a population under 3 million) qualified three for the 400 final and medaled two, they seemed a lock for the podium, maybe the top. Other ingredients for an upset: the U.S. struggled even to reach the final and Botswanaâ€s fourth runner was none other than Letsile Tebogo.

Botswana did just that, in 2:57.76. In a driving rainstorm, 400 champ Collen Kebinatshipi narrowly edged out Rai Benjamin just before the line. South Africa nearly pushed the U.S. all the way down to bronze, with both clocking 2:57.83.

The Americans†road to the final was hard. In heat 1, they collided with Zambia and ended up a non-qualifying 6th. Meet officials ruled Zambia impeded the U.S. on the second exchange and that the Americans should advance. Zambiaâ€s relayists actually handed off between the U.S.â€s Demarius Smith and Bryce Deadmon.

The problem was, officials said the same about Kenya, who also got crosswise with Zambia in an almost identical between-the-bodies move on the third exchange. Zambia was disqualified and the U.S. and Kenya were required to have a run-off the morning of the final to decide who got the lone available protest lane. The U.S. (Chris Bailey, Smith, Deadmon and Jenoah Mckiver) easily won in 2:58.48 to Kenyaâ€s 3:00.39.

That evening, a completely different quartet of Americans lined up for the final: Vernon Norwood, Jacory Patterson, Khaleb McRae and Benjamin.

Leg 1: Over the in-lanes opening circuit, Norwood seemed to have the U.S. in early control, running 44.60 ahead of South Africaâ€s Lythe Pillay (45.02), Qatarâ€s Ammar Ismail Yahya Ibrahim (45.04) and Botswanaâ€s Lee Eppie (45.16).

Leg 2: Patterson pushed to a big lead off the break, but Tebogo — seeking redemption after winning no individual medals — also pushed hard, putting Botswana in 2nd. He made up ground on Patterson, running 44.05 versus 44.22.

Leg 3: 400 bronze medalist Byapo Ndori ate a little further into the U.S. lead, clocking 44.41 to McRaeâ€s 44.61. WR holder Wayde van Niekerk, in his swan song, kept South Africa in contention with the raceâ€s fastest leg, 43.26.

Leg 4: Overtaking Benjamin is a big ask, but Kebinatshipi had the credentials to do it. In the 400, he stunned the world with a semifinal 43.61 that made him No. 10 all-time. He strengthened his hold on that ATL position with a 43.53 final. Here, he patiently let Benjamin pull away from him in the first 200.

In the stretch, it seemed Kebinatshipi was about to fade to 3rd, but as South Africaâ€s Zakithi Nene pulled even about 50m from the finish, it seemed to light a spark in the 400 champion. He found another gear and passed Benjamin with 15 to go. Nene came within 0.002 of catching Benjamin as well. Anchor times: Kebinatshipi 44.14, Benjamin 44.40, Nene 43.93.

“I had to run the most strategic leg because of the weather,†Kebinatshipi said. “I knew I had to go strong but still I wanted to save my energy for the last 100m. At the last 80m I pushed and started running faster. I am happy to be crossing the finishline first.â€

Said Tebogo, “This gold medal makes up for my individual non-medal performances. It took a lot of courage for me. The coach told me I will probably have the fastest split and I knew what I had to do.â€

“I wanted to bring gold for these guys,†a somber Benjamin said. “I am bit disappointed I couldnâ€t do that today. The guys put me in a great position. We were not supposed to be here, so taking a silver is pretty good. We have a great relationship on this team right now.â€

“For me it is a privilege to say I finished my 400-meter career with these guys,†said Van Niekerk. “It is my last one, but they are trying to convince me otherwise.â€

MENâ€S 4 x 400 RESULTS

FINAL (September 21)

1. Botswana 2:57.76

(Lee Eppie 45.16, Letsile Tebogo 44.05, Bayapo Ndori 44.41, Collen Kebinatshipi 44.14);

2. United States 2:57.83 (AL)

(Vernon Norwood 44.60, Jacory Patterson 44.22, Khaleb McRae 44.61, Rai Benjamin 44.40);

3. South Africa 2:57.83

(Lythe Pillay 45.02, Udeme Okon 45.62, Wayde van Niekerk 43.26, Zakithi Nene 43.93);

4. Belgium 2:59.48

(Jonathan Sacoor 45.19, Robin Vanderbemden 45.39, Alexander Doom 44.49, Daniel Segers 44.41);

5. Qatar 3:01.64

(Ammar Ismail Yahya Ibrahim 45.04, Bassem Hemeida 45.81, Ismail Doudai Abakar 45.21, Abderrahmane Samba 45.58);

6. Great Britain 3:03.05

(Lee Thompson 45.94, Toby Harries 44.81, Lewis Davey 46.94, Charlie Dobson 45.36);

7. Jamaica 3:03.46

(Delano Kenedy 45.63, Jevaughn Powell 45.35, Jasauna Dennis 46.36, Rusheen McDonald 46.12);

8. Netherlands 3:04.84

(Jonas Phijffers 46.31, Terrence Agard 45.30, Liemarvin Bonevacia 47.20, Ramsey Angela 46.03);

9. Portugal 3:09.06

(Pedro Afonso 45.81, Omar Elkhatib 45.32, João Ricardo Coelho 50.45, Ricardo Dos Santos 47.48).

(lanes: 1. United States; 2. Portugal; 3. Jamaica; 4. Netherlands; 5. Botswana; 6. Qatar; 7. Belgium; 8. South Africa; 9. Great Britain)

(reaction times: 0.133 Belgium, 0.147 South Africa, 0.156 Portugal, 0.168 Botswana, 0.171 United States, 0.183 Qatar & Netherlands, 0.208 Jamaica, 0.225 Great Britain)

HEATS (September 20)

I–1. South Africa 2:58.81 (Gardeo Isaacs 44.30, Okon 45.17, Leendert Koekemoer 45.26, Pillay 44.08); 2. Qatar 3:00.15 NR (Abakar 44.64, Abderrahmane Samba 44.58); 3. Netherlands 3:00.23 (Phijffers 45.07, Eugene Omalla 45.22, Angela 44.92, Bonevacia 45.02); 4. Kenya 3:00.76 (obstructed) (George Mutuku 44.82, David Kapirante 45.42, Dennis Masika 45.56, Kevin Kipkorir 44.96); 5. China 3:00.77 NR (Liang Baotang 44.87, Zhang Qining 45.72, Liu Kai 44.51, Guo Longyu 45.47); 6. United States 3:01.06 (obstructed) (Chris Bailey 43.11, Demarius Smith 48.17, Bryce Deadmon 44.76, Jenoah Mckiver 45.02); 7. France 3:01.64 (Muhammad Abdalla Kounta 45.74, Loïc Prévôt 44.67, David Sombe 45.33, Yann Spillmann 44.70);… dq[obstruction]—[8]Zambia [3:01.71] (Muzala Samukonga 44.59, Kennedy Luchembe 45.64, Sitale Kakene 45.74, David Mulenga 45.74).

II–1. Botswana 2:57.68 (Eppie 44.32, Leungo Scotch 44.48, Tebogo 44.18, Ndori 44.30); 2. Belgium 2:57.98 (Sacoor 44.37, Dylan Borlée 44.92, Segers 43.71, Doom 44.98); 3. Great Britain 2:58.11 (Thompson 45.27, Harries 43.93, Seamus Derbyshire 45.13, Dobson 43.78); 4. Jamaica 2:59.13 (Bovel McPherson 45.27, Powell 44.30, Dennis 45.17, Kenedy 44.39); 5. Portugal 2:59.70 NR (Pedro Afonso 44.46, Ericsson Tavares 45.71, João Ricardo Coelho 44.48, Omar Elkhatib 45.05); 6. Japan 2:59.74 (fastest non-qualifier ever) (Yuki Joseph Nakajima 44.65, Fuga Sato 45.12, Takuho Yoshizu 44.51, Kenki Imaizumi 45.56);… dq[zone]—[3]Australia [2:58.0] (Cooper Sherman 44.98, Reece Holder 43.86, Aidan Murphy 44.86, Thomas Reynolds 44.40); [8]Brazil[2:59.89] (Tiago da Silva 45.71, Matheus Lima 44.65, Lucas Vilar 44.97, Alison dos Santos 44.56).

Special runoff, winner advances to final (9/21)–1. United States 2:58.48 (Bailey 44.67, Smith 45.00, Deadmon 44.35, Mckiver 44.46); 2. Kenya 3:00.39 (Mutuku 45.12, Kapirante 45.89, Masika 44.88, Kipkorir 44.50).

Leg 1. USA 44.60; 2. South Africa 45.02; 3. Qatar 45.04; 4. Botswana 45.16; 5. Belgium 45.19; 6. Jamaica 45.63; 7. Portugal 45.81; 8. Great Britain 45.94; 9. Netherlands 46.31.

Leg 2: 1. United States 1:28.82; 2. Botswana 1:29.21; 3. Belgium 1:30.58; 4. South Africa 1:30.64; 5. Great Britain 1:30.75; 6. Qatar 1:30.85; 7. Jamaica 1:30.98; 8. Portugal 1:31.13; 9. Netherlands 1:31.61.

Leg 3: 1. United States 2:13.43; 2. Botswana 2:13.62; 3. South Africa 2:13.90; 4. Belgium 2:15.07; 5. Qatar 2:16.06; 6. Jamaica 2:17.34; 7. Great Britain 2:17.69; 8. Netherlands 2:18.81; 9. Portugal 2:21.58.

Since 1986, Lee Nichols has been the Rockdale (Texas) High School record holder in the mile and 2-miles. He followed those feats with a brief and highly undistinguished tenure with the Texas Longhorns. He has been writing for Track & Field News since 2004. When he’s not writing about track, he’s either writing about or drinking craft beer and watching Tottenham Hotspur play soccer.

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Fifa is not planning to expand the menâ€s World Cup to 64 teams for the centenary edition of the tournament in 2030, despite its president, Gianni Infantino, meeting a high-powered delegation of South America leaders to discuss the idea in New York.

Infantino met the Uruguayan and Paraguayan heads of state, the president of South American confederation, Conmebol, as well the presidents of the Argentinian, Uruguayan and Paraguayan federations at Fifaâ€s offices in Trump Tower, on Tuesday for the first formal discussions about a proposal that was raised informally by the Uruguayan Football Association at a Fifa Council meeting last March.

Fifaâ€s official position is that it will discuss World Cup expansion with all its stakeholders, and that it is duty-bound to consider proposals raised at council.

But behind the scenes there is scepticism about whether expanding the tournament to 64 teams is a viable proposition. Next yearâ€s World Cup will be the first to contain 48 teams, while the governing body has already broken with convention for 2030 by staging the tournament across six countries in three different continents.

Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina will host the first three matches in tribute to the competitionâ€s South American origins in 1930, before the bulk of the tournament moves to Morocco, Spain and Portugal.

Any decision to expand the World Cup would be taken Fifa Council, which meets in Zurich next month, with World Cup expansion not on the agenda.

“Gianni would not get that vote through Council even if he wanted to,†a Fifa source told the Guardian. “The overwhelming feeling around the table – and not just in Europe – is that 64 teams would damage the World Cup. Thereâ€d be too many uncompetitive matches and it would risk damaging the business model.â€

Conmebol would be the major beneficiaries of another expansion, with sources with knowledge of Tuesdayâ€s meeting disclosing that Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina claimed to have the capability to host all the group stage.

Expansion to 64 teams would mean more than 30% of Fifaâ€s 211 member associations would take part, as well as putting all 10 Conmebol in the frame to qualify, up from six direct qualifiers next year, plus the possibility of an extra place via an inter-confederation playoff.

The 64-team idea was first presented at Fifa Council last April, but prompted an immediate backlash. Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin described it as a “bad idea†that would reduce the quality of the tournament and undermine the qualifying competition. The Concacaf president, Victor Montagliani, said: “They [Fifaâ€] can study all they want, but it just doesnâ€t feel right.†Significantly, both men are also Fifa vice-presidents.

As previously reported by the Guardian, Fifa is also facing calls from leading European clubs to expand the Club World Cup from 32 teams in 2029 due to the huge prize and appearance money on offer. Chelsea collected £85m for winning it this summer. Staging the new competition every two years is also being considered.

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A 64-team World Cup would feature 128 matches, double the number played at the most recent tournament in Qatar three years ago, and 24 more than next year. The World Cup has grown significantly in recent decades, increasing from 16 to 24 teams in 1982, growing again to 32 in 1998 before becoming a 48-team competition next summer.

Any decision to expand the World Cup would be taken by Fifaâ€s Council, which meets in Zurich next month, although the issue is not thought to be on the agenda.

Fifa declined to comment.

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