US and Kenya get second chance in men's 4x400, South Africa too in 4x100

TOKYO :The United States and Kenya will run a head-to-head race for an additional place in the men's world 4x400m final on Sunday morning - the day of the final - after both were judged to have been impeded as they failed to qualify from Saturday's heats.

The same lineups for both teams will run at 10.40 a.m. local time and whoever wins, whatever their time, will become the ninth finalist later on Sunday.

After a chaotic night of relay action, South Africa will also be given a second chance in the men's 4x100. The same four men will run alone at 10.33 a.m. local time and if they run 38.34 seconds or better (France's time as the eighth-placed team) they will be entered as the ninth team in the final.

The relays always offer fast and furious action but with, unusually, all four sets of heats being held on the same night, it was unrelenting.

The United States' men, winners of nine of the last 10 world 4x400s, can consider themselves lucky to get a second chance as they were already struggling near the back before the Zambians obstructed them at the second changeover and finished sixth.

Kenya recovered from their barging to finish fourth, with only the first three to automatically qualify.

BOTSWANA WIN SECOND HEAT IN 4x400 METRES

Botswana, the Olympic silver medallists, had three finalists in the individual 400m final on Thursday, though gold medallist Busang Collen Kebinatshipi was rested from the heats.

Their quartet were still strong enough to win the second heat ahead of Belgium and Australia, who set an area record but were disqualified, along with Brazil, for an illegal changeover.

The U.S. had no such problems in the women’s event, emphatically winning their heat as they bid to regain the title after being dethroned from their