11-05-2025
Qatar's 4x400m team qualifies for Tokyo 25 Athletics Worlds
Tribune News Network
Doha/Guangzhou
The Qatar men's 4x400m team qualified for the final of the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 at the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, China, on Sunday.
The Qatar quartet of Abderrahman Samba, Bassem Hemeida, Ashraf Hussen Osman and Ammar Ismail Yahia Ibrahim set a new national record of 3:00.29s in Guangzhou and in the process qualified for the World Championships Final, set to be held in Tokyo this September.
Australia, Belgium, Botswana, Brazil, China, France, Great Britain, Jamaica, Kenya, Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, United States are the countries who have also qualified for the event.
The Qatar quartet missed a chance to secure early qualification to qualify for the final as they finished third in the heats on Saturday. The Qatar athletes grab the second chance – all non-finalists competed in additional qualifying heats with the top two from each of the three groups securing World Championships berths – with both hands.
Eduan, Simbine shine
Meanwhile, Success Eduan lived up to her name by anchoring Britain to a thrilling victory in the 4x100m yesterday as Akani Simbine led South Africa to victory in the men's event. Eduan produced a thrilling final leg to outpace Jamaica's Shericka Jackson and Twanisha Terry of the United States for gold along with teammates Nia Wedderburn-Goodison, Amy Hunt and Bianca Williams.
'I did not think too much of (the) others, I just knew that if I gave all myself in, it would come out all right,' said Eduan.
'I have a mentality of a winner, I don't care if Shericka or Shelly-Ann (Fraser-Pryce), respect to them, are running. I am going to give my all and I'm going to pass them and I'm going to win. And we did that!'
Spain snatched a shock silver in 42.28sec, with the Jamaican quartet also featuring multi-medalled Fraser-Pryce taking bronze (42.33), just five-hundredths ahead of the US team.
'We came out, took the chance, got a medal, qualified for the world championship in Tokyo,' said Fraser-Pryce, whose first Olympic gold medal was at the 2008 Beijing Games.
'All in all we are very pleased. We are grateful for getting a bronze medal, and we will leave the fight for another day.'
South Africa had in-form Simbine, winner of the two opening Diamond League 100m races this season, to thank for an electric anchor leg as he powered past Brandon Hicklin for gold in the men's 4x100m relay.
The team also featuring Bayanda Walaza, Sinesipho Dambile and Bradley Nkoana clocked a world leading time of 37.61sec.
The US took silver in 37.66sec, with Canada, featuring the same quartet who won gold in last year's Paris Olympics, claiming bronze.
'Once I got the baton I saw that US (were) in front of us, I just said to myself 'I need to catch the guy in front',' said Simbine.
'I knew I could do it, and I just chased him. I feed from chasing, I feed from being able to chase. So it's really great to be able to be in that position and get through it and get to the line first.'
There was another upset in the women's 4x400m relay, with Spain pushing the US team, the defending Olympic champions, into second.
The US foursome of Chris Robinson, Courtney Okolo, Johnnie Blockburger and Lynna Irby-Jackson earlier claimed gold in the mixed 4x400m relay in a championship record of 3:09.54.
And the Canadian quartet of Sade McCreath, Marie-Eloise Leclair, Duan Asemota and Eliezer Adjibi topped the podium ahead of Jamaica and Britain in the mixed 4x100m relay, winning the first ever holding of the event in 40.30sec.
