US and Kenya teams will compete head-to-head in Saturday’s heats to secure a spot in Sunday’s men’s 4x400m final after both struggled to qualify. The teams, which have the same lineup, will run at 10:40 a.m. local time. Whoever wins will become the ninth finalist later on Sunday.
South Africa was given a second chance to compete in the men’s 4×100 relay, with four men running alone and aiming for a sub-38.34 seconds finish to secure a spot in the final.
US teams have had an uneven start, finishing sixth after being obstructed at the changeover during their heat. Kenya recovered from a slow start to finish fourth but missed the automatic qualification cut.
Botswana won the second heat of the 4x400m relay ahead of Belgium and Australia, who set a new area record before being disqualified for an illegal changeover. The US women’s team dominated their heat, posting a world-leading time of 3 minutes 22.53 seconds to secure a spot in the final.
US men will face off against Canada in Sunday’s final after avoiding calamities in their 4×100 relay heat. Japan almost qualified with a third-place finish, while Ghana won its heat in a national record time. Jamaica failed to progress despite winning individual heats in the 100m and women’s events.
Sunday’s finals will take place on the last night of the championships, with all four events competing for medals.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/sports/hot-favourites-us-bomb-out-4×400-metres-relay-2025-09-20