Dylan Borlee of Belgium leads the 4x400m heats at the IAAF World Indoor Championships Portland 2016 (© AFP / Getty Images)
With six spots available for seven teams, the top teams secured their presence in Sunday’s 4x400m final, including defending champions the United States.
The US team easily advanced to the medal race with a 3:05.41 win in the second heat. Chris Giesting ran quick third leg in 45.68 to give the host team an unsurmountable lead. The squad also featured Calvin Smith, who anchored the team to a world record of 3:02.13 two years ago in Sopot.
In heat 1, the Borlee brothers led Belgium to their second trip to a 4x400m final at the World Indoors. The quartet includes Jonathan and Kevin, members of the silver medal winning squad in Doha 2010.
After five consecutive individual world indoor medals, including gold in 2010, Chris Brown anchored The Bahamas to their first presence in a final indoors since 2010. He made an eighth appearance at the World Indoor Championships, a number only matched or bettered by Cuban high jumper Javier Sotomayor, Spanish shot putter Manuel Martinez, Maria Mutola of Mozambique and Spanish high jumper Ruth Beitia.
Jamaica, the 2014 bronze medallists, and Nigeria complete the list of six finalists.
Javier Clavelo Robinson for the IAAF
