World Champs Menâ€s 4 x 400 — Rain On Long USA Parade

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.

Post navigation

Source link