By Clayton Clarke

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil: (Saturday, August,20): Bahamas remained on course for the successful defense of their men’s 4x400m title when they duly qualified for the finals later today. In the first round last night on Day Eight of Athletics at the João Havelange Olympic Stadium, the quartet of Alonzo Russell, Chris Brown, Stephen Gardiner and Stephen Newbold finished second in heat two in a season’s best time of 2:59.64 seconds. Russell got the team off to a strong start and handed the baton to veteran Brown who kept the team in the top two. The 37 year old, burst down the final stretch to give Newbold a lead on the final leg. The 21 year old kept the team ahead coming into the last 100m. However, in the final meters he was passed by the anchor legs of the Great Britain and Belgium teams. Great Britain were later disqualified as the final leg runner collected the baton before the start of the changeover zone. Belgium were later promoted to the top spot (2:59.25-national record). India were also disqualified for a similar violation. Cuba (3:00.16) were third and moved on to the finals as one of the two automatic qualifiers.
Hosts Brazil were fourth (3:00.43) but qualified as one of the time qualifiers.
In the first heat, Jamaica won (2:58.29) ahead of the USA(2:58.38). Trinidad and Tobago were originally third but were subsequently disqualified as the second leg runner stepped on the inside of the lane on the first bend. Botswana were promoted to third (2:59.35-national record). Poland were fourth (2:59.58). The top four teams moved on the finals.

The finals are set of 10:35am (Rio time)/9:35am (Bahamas time) Bahamas will start in lane 6. Brazil are listed in lane 1 followed by Poland, Jamaica, Belguim and the USA. Botswana are in lane 7 and Cuba in lane eight. The final line of Team Bahamas will be selected from the pool of Chris Brown, Steven Gardiner, Michael Matthieu, Stephen Newbold, Demetrius Pinder and Alonzo Russell.

DAY EIGHT
Medal Standings
USA 27 (10 gold, 9 silver, 8 bronze)
2nd Jamaica 9(6 gold, silver, 2 bronze)

13th Bahamas 1 (1 gold)
gold-Shaunae Miller-women’s 400m
24th Grenada 1(1 silver)
silver-Kirani James-men’s 400m

Points standings
(Based on top eight finishes)
3rd Jamaica-92 points

19th-Trinidad and Tobago-17 points

25th Bahamas 13 points
Gold-Shaunae Miller-women’s 400m
Sixth-Pedrya Seymour-women’s 100m hurdles
Seventh-Donald Thomas-men’s high jump

35th-Grenada-9 points
60th-Guyana-2 points

Results

Men’s 4x400m-Heats
(First 3 in each heat and the next 2 fastest times advance to FINALS)
Qualified for the Finals
1st-JAM(McDonald, Matthews, Allen, Francis) 2:58.29SB (1h1)
6th-BAH (Russell, Brown, Gardiner, Newbold) 2:59.64 SB (2h2)
DQ- TTO (Solomon, Gordon, Lendore, Cedenio) heat 1