Usain Bolt and Justin Gatlin will meet in a final duel on the track after helping their teams qualify for the final of the 4×100-metre relay at the world championships on Saturday in London.
The Canadian entry of Gavin Smellie, Aaron Brown, Brendon Rodney and Mobolade Ajomale, with a time of 38.48 seconds, also qualified for the afternoon finale at 4:50 p.m. ET.
Canadian men’s 4x100m relay team sprints into finals at IAAF Worlds5:50
The U.S., with Gatlin running the second leg, won the first heat in a world-leading time of 37.70. The Americans beat Britain and Japan, who also qualified.
Then came Bolt, and the Jamaicans needed him. Trailing when he got the baton on the anchor leg, Bolt powered away and quickly swept past his rivals and had time to look to his right before crossing in 37.95. France and China also qualified.
In other action, the Canadian women’s 4x400m relay team finished sixth in the first heat with a time of three minutes, 28.47 seconds and was not able to secure a spot in Sunday’s final.
