Report11 Mar 2012


EVENT REPORT - Men's 4x400 Metres Relay - Final

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(L-R) Gil Roberts, Manteo Mitchell, Frankie Wright and Calvin Smith of the United States celebrate as they win gold in the Men’s 4x400 Metres Final during day three - WIC Istanbul (© Getty Images)

Not having a single representative in yesterday's 400m final must have put a little extra fire in the collective belly of the U.S. men's 4x400m Relay squad as the quartet cruised to a comfortable victory, their fourth straight in the event at the World Indoor Championships.


It was the British squad that took the early lead courtesy of Conrad Williams, his 46.26 split leading the U.S. and Poland into the second exchange. The order remained the same over the entire second leg, with Nigel Levine fending off Calvin Smith Jr. and Poland's No. 2, Marcin Marciniszyn into the third exchange.


By now the British and Americans opened a bit of daylight on their Polish pursuers as Michael Bingham and Manteo Mitchell battled on. Mitchell proved the king of the round when he passed the Briton with about 50 metres remaining in his leg, handing off a clear lead to anchor Gil Roberts.


Roberts, who arrived in Istanbul a medal threat in the open 400m prior to the championships only to miss advancing into the final, held his ground firmly this time and reached the finish in 3:03.94, nearly a full second ahead of the British squad, who clocked 3:04.72.


Jarrin Solomon, anchor for Trinidad & Tobago, produced a strong finishing leg to bring his squad home in third in 3:06.85, a national record to go along with the bronze medal.


Russia (307.35), Spain (3:10.01) and perennial power Poland (3:11.86) rounded out the field.


Bob Ramsak for the IAAF


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