USA dominate on drama-filled Day 1 || 9 disqualifications , 5 DNFs
The United States sealed the newly introduced Mixed Shuttle Hurdle and 2x2x400m Mixed Relays in the drama-filled IAAF World Relays 2019 which began at Yokohoma, Japan.
Competing in the two member 2x2x400m relay where a male and female athlete have to each run two separate 400m laps alternately, the USA team of Ce’Aira Brown and Donavan Brazier covered the 1600m course in 3 minutes 36.92 seconds to win the Gold medal ahead of Australia and Japan. Kenya was leading the race up to the third baton exchange, at which stage their female runner overstepped the track’s inner boundary, resulting in disqualification.
The Mixed Shuttle Hurdle Relay saw Japan lead the race into the second changeover before Sharika Nelvis dominated the third lap, leaving Devol Allen little to do in sealing the Gold medal with a time of 54.96 seconds. This event, which features a single 110m stretch of hurdles which a male and female must run alternately in opposite directions, saw Australia disqualified due to an illegal block start while the other finalist, Jamaica was not present at the start due to injuries: leaving Japan and the USA to fight it out, with no Bronze medal being awarded.
The drama-filled day saw nine teams get disqualified from events, with seven of them stemming from lapses in passing batons. Apart from that, five top teams were unable to finish their relays due to baton mix-ups.
Ukraine was disqualified for obstructing the baton exchange between Poovamma Raju and Sarita Gayakwad of India during the second exchange. Raju who was a bit slow in the first 200m came back strongly in the home stretch, but before she could pass on the baton to Sarita Gayakwad the latter was pushed by her Ukraine rival, forcing her to turn in a circle on the spot to take the baton: which probably added at least two seconds to their timing as India ended up in 18th position. Ukraine finished first in the heat, but was later disqualified.
The most shocking disqualification for spectators came when the star Japanese Men’s 4x100m relay team fumbled the last baton change between Yuki Koike and Yoshihide Kiryu, the team’s anchor and Asian 100m champion. Kiyuru failed to accept the baton smoothly but managed to retrieve it in a juggling action and finished third in the heat, but was later disqualified. The incident left Japanese supporters heartbroken, as the 4x100m men’s team are mega stars who won medals in the last World Championship and the Olympic Games, ironically mainly due to their exceptional baton passing.
The Women’s 4x100m heats created most of the day’s drama, as the first heat saw China, Poland and South Africa failing to finish the race. The second heat also saw the top three teams – Canada, France and Great Britain– failing to finish the race due to baton passing mix-ups.
Today will be the final day of the World Relays fourth edition, which will see 4x100m, 4x200m, 4x400m and 4x400m Mixed Relay finals.
