The highlight of the 1st night of the World Relays was the World Record in the 4×200 metres set by the Jamaicans, despite the world’s fastest man Usain Bolt being absent! Yohan Blake anchored the Jamaica team home in 1:18.63 in the seldom run event (Nickel Ashmeade, Warren Weir and Jermaine Brown complete the quartet), shaving off 0.05s from the former World Record, which was set in 1994 by a Carl Lewis-led USA team!
Jamaica clearly came with a plan to break this record, and hence take home the extra $50,000 for a World Record, in addition to the $50,000 earned for winning the race! Imagine how much lower they can bring this down, if Usain Bolt decides to turn out for the World Relays next year!
St Kitts & Nevis took a surprising 2nd in 1:20.51, while France celebrated the Bronze in 1:20.56, after Team USA was disqualified for a botched changeover outside the zone. Team Nigeria failed to record a time in the event, after Nigeria’s number 1 male sprinter Ogho-Oghene Egwero limped off injured in the 2nd leg of the Heats earlier in the day. Considering that this is Nigeria’s first time in history competing in the 4×200 metres, any kind of finish would have become a new National Record!
