DPA
Doha
A United States quartet made history at the world athletics championships on Saturday with the first official world record in the new and exciting 4x400 metres mixed relay.
Tyrell Richard, Jessica Beard, Jasmine Blocker and Obi Igbokwe clocked 3 minutes 12.42 seconds at the Khalifa International Stadium.
Jamaica (3:12.73), Bahrain (3:12.74) and Britain (3:12.80) also stayed below the world best held by the US at 3:12.20 since 2016.
Ruling body the IAAF had decided in 2017 that any time better than the 2016 US result would be recognised as the first official world record in the new event.
"It was fun. The first time I saw it on TV, it looked funny. You feel much closer to your teammates and we are working together,” Igbokwe said.
The US quartet receives a world record bonus of $80,000, unless their mark is bettered again in Sunday’s final as the bonus only goes to an athlete or team who hold the new record at the end of each discipline at the worlds.
There is a strong possibility that Saturday’s time won’t last long, given that Igbokwe walked across the finish line thanks to a huge lead.
And according to US team officials, Allyson Felix - the most successful athlete at world championships with 16 medals (including 11 gold) - is "a very strong candidate” to run in the final.
The US, Jamaica, Bahrain and Britain all advanced from the first heat. Poland, Brazil, India and Belgium went through from the second - with all eight finalists also qualifying for an Olympic debut next year in Tokyo.
The mixed relay generates its excitement from the fact that coaches are free
to decide in which positions to run their two men and
two women.
But on Saturday, all teams apart from Japan opted for a man-woman-woman-man format. The Japanese went the opposite way with a woman-man-man-woman order which however didn’t pay off as they faded to 16th and last on the anchor leg, however in a national record 3:18.77.
India’s Velluva Koroth Vi?maya said: "This is a big experience for all of us. We are not doing any individual event, but as a relay team we can do better.” The mixed relay is among the attempts to make athletics more exciting.
Doha
A United States quartet made history at the world athletics championships on Saturday with the first official world record in the new and exciting 4x400 metres mixed relay.
Tyrell Richard, Jessica Beard, Jasmine Blocker and Obi Igbokwe clocked 3 minutes 12.42 seconds at the Khalifa International Stadium.
Jamaica (3:12.73), Bahrain (3:12.74) and Britain (3:12.80) also stayed below the world best held by the US at 3:12.20 since 2016.
Ruling body the IAAF had decided in 2017 that any time better than the 2016 US result would be recognised as the first official world record in the new event.
"It was fun. The first time I saw it on TV, it looked funny. You feel much closer to your teammates and we are working together,” Igbokwe said.
The US quartet receives a world record bonus of $80,000, unless their mark is bettered again in Sunday’s final as the bonus only goes to an athlete or team who hold the new record at the end of each discipline at the worlds.
There is a strong possibility that Saturday’s time won’t last long, given that Igbokwe walked across the finish line thanks to a huge lead.
And according to US team officials, Allyson Felix - the most successful athlete at world championships with 16 medals (including 11 gold) - is "a very strong candidate” to run in the final.
The US, Jamaica, Bahrain and Britain all advanced from the first heat. Poland, Brazil, India and Belgium went through from the second - with all eight finalists also qualifying for an Olympic debut next year in Tokyo.
The mixed relay generates its excitement from the fact that coaches are free
to decide in which positions to run their two men and
two women.
But on Saturday, all teams apart from Japan opted for a man-woman-woman-man format. The Japanese went the opposite way with a woman-man-man-woman order which however didn’t pay off as they faded to 16th and last on the anchor leg, however in a national record 3:18.77.
India’s Velluva Koroth Vi?maya said: "This is a big experience for all of us. We are not doing any individual event, but as a relay team we can do better.” The mixed relay is among the attempts to make athletics more exciting.