By Amy Tennery
EUGENE, Ore. (Reuters) -The United States have a woeful recent record in the men’s 4×100 metres relay but their quartet got the job done in Friday’s heats at the World Championships despite the added pressure of running on the home track.
The crowd at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon cheered after each handover by the Americans, who since winning gold at the 2000 Sydney Games have suffered a series of disqualifications and disappointments at the World Championships and Olympics.
American teams have won only three world titles since 2001 and failed to top the podium at the Olympics since Sydney.
Christian Coleman got the Americans off to a speedy start before handing off to Noah Lyles, who showed little sign of fatigue after winning 200m gold on Thursday.
Elijah Hall’s handoff to Marvin Bracy was far from perfect but the 100m silver medallist powered through to the line to bring the Americans home in 37.87 seconds, ahead of Britain and Ghana.
Nigeria and Japan were disqualified from the heat.
“This is a fun part,” said Coleman, the Doha 100m champion. “If we put it together right, you know what I am saying, we can definitely come with the win.”
The United States will not be able to call on 100m champion Fred Kerley for the final after he sustained a slight injury to his quad in the 200m semis but Bracy was full of optimism.
“Tomorrow it is about the win so we will try to put some more effort, energy and try to come out with the American record,” he said.
In the other heat, Olympic 200m gold medallist Andre De Grasse helped Canada advance to the final after they finished second to France, with South Africa in third.
Olympic champions Italy were without Tokyo gold medallist Marcell Jacobs due to injury and will miss Saturday’s final after finishing seventh in their heat.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in Eugene, Oregon, additional reporting by Mitch Phillips; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
