Men's 4×100m Relay FINALS |Commonwealth Games 2022 Athletics |7th Aug 22 |BIRMINGHAM ENGLAND |

By that classic piece of front running is still the game's record at 332 and such is the quality that could go. We've lost Kalik St John of Antigua but his withdrawal notwithstanding this is an incredible lineup. Kerr got the Olympic bronze last year, Chariot got the silver, he's the former world champion. Elliot Giles of England will fancy he can get in the shake-up for a place in the final. An excellent 800 meter runner and Ollie Hoare of Australia, an NCAA champion and an Oceanian record holder. There he is on the outside, he's been in cracking form this year, 332 his lifetime best. Semis in Eugene made the final last year and Papalele, the African Championship silver medalist, sporting an interesting piece of headgear. This is Dangay Miners, national champion last year over the 800 for Bermuda. Elliot Giles, he'll get a good reception from the crowd. European bronze in 2016, semi-finalist in Doha and in Tokyo last year. Alex Makakua of Mozambique, national junior record this year. Now to the Ugandan, Abu Mayanji, five times a national champion, knocked down the heats of the African champs. William Paulson was born in Tetbury in Gloucestershire but now represents Canada. He's in good form this year, only just missed out on a place in the final in Eugene a couple of weeks ago. Karouna Fiji was fourth in the Oceanian Championships and now to Timothy Chariot, silver medalist in the Comm Games four years ago, world champion in Doha but only sixth in Eugene, the Olympic silver medalist. Well this guy always runs in the shades and nearly always has a smile on his face. Fifth in Eugene but he got the Olympic bronze last year and Jake Hayward, the Welsh record holder, former European junior champion, ninth in the Tokyo final last year. Only five of these men plus two non-automatic qualifiers across both semifinals will be coming back for a big showdown at the end of Saturday morning's athletics. This is brutal qualification, a genuinely world-class lineup for the first semi-final of the men's 15. Well what a brilliant final in prospect and before it two races that individually, Tim Hutchings, would probably on their own be good enough for a showdown for gold, silver and bronze. This is going to be thoroughly intriguing. You said it exactly right, the world champion Jake Whiteman goes on the second heat semifinals as you described him quite rightly and this is ridiculous. You've got the world champion 2019, you've got the Olympic bronze medalist Josh Kerr in there, you've got a Tokyo finalist Jake Hayward of Wales who didn't really get the recognition he deserved for that one and he leads at the moment as they head down the home straight for the first time. Elliot Giles had a lot of injury problems but has fantastic finishing speed. Ollie Hill of Australia, semi-finalist of the world championships, he's running there in third place with a lot of frustration in those legs I think Rob. Yes and Ollie Hill is well known on the NCAA circuit, a gold medal for them in the NCAAs in 2018 and that's such a hard title to win as Meandja of Uganda leads with Hayward in second and no move yet from the distinctive headgear, it's kind of like a golfing skipper cap that he's wearing with a blast of hair coming out the top, the South African Fafalele who is the African Championship silver medalist, now the small figure from the Rainbow Nation coming up onto the shoulder of Ollie Hall and they're just beginning to start jostling for position here. Well it's very tightly packed isn't it for a breast there, I've never seen anybody running in a little golf peak cap like that, he's a tiny figure is Fafalele but they come through two laps to run and Jake Hayward here I think doing the right thing, the pace for that first lap Rob pretty useful 58.6 just nice healthy tempo and it's been maintained here I think because of Jake Hayward's injection of pace, this is 800 meters and this is good because it means that over the next 700 if they can wind it up nicely although a 61 I'm a bit disappointed with that but if they can wind this up then we could get non-automatic qualifiers from this and they do have the disadvantage of going first so it is a sensible tactic from Hayward the former European junior champion and look at the way he stretched things out here determined to give himself the best possible chance of qualifying and the big names are beginning to make a move, Ollie Hall is up on Hayward's shoulder, Josh Kerr the shade wearing Scott who was the bronze medalist last year and fifth behind Jake Whiteman he's in third with Chariot the former world champion just on the Scott's shoulder as they come up now towards the bell this is going to be tight and this has been good pacing by Hayward and a little group are beginning to pull away I think Hayward's doing the right thing he needs to keep winding it up and beginning to separate doesn't he the names are dropping away from the back of this but all the big names are there and Hayward here just got to keep his head down but remember to save something for the home straight come off that final bend knowing you can hit it Hayward has done so much of the pacemaking duties but Ollie Hall with those big wide shoulders looking very comfortable in second place Kerr the Olympic bronze medalist on the inside Chariot with that distinctive forward lean just ahead of Kerr, Elliot Giles better known as an 800 meter runner although he is a 333 man he's looking over his shoulder and he's glimpsing for Paulson of Canada, six in this group one will miss out looks like it might be Paulson leaning to the side poor Chariot Hayward Kerr and Giles will be there as of right Paulson might be okay in six but he'll have to wait and see if he goes through as one of the two non-automatic qualifiers I think the whole field oh a little handshake there to Jake Hayward the Welshman because he turned that into an honest pace we've got the 2019 world champion through the Olympic bronze medalist Josh Kerr through and a whole host of others including the Oceanian mile record holder Ollie Hall we already know it's going to be a great final and we've still got another semi to come yeah no major surprises there Ollie Hall looking very good indeed he is a man who's racing with a little bit of hunger and fire in his heart Josh Kerr too likewise I think probably very disappointed with his sixth place at the world championships he misjudged that race a tactical error I would say on the part of Josh Kerr former NCAA champion the Scott his compatriot of course Jake Whiteman goes in the next race Elliot Giles looking just fine there is a lovely smooth runner there he is second to left I expected Paulson to go be able to go with him he's a 3.33 runner I mean he's not exactly a slouch Paulson he shouldn't have been hanging on to the back of that group I got the last lap at 55.6 so nothing spectacular really in a 3.37 race but Paulson there at the back of the group really struggling to go with it just not fluid is he don't know if he's been carrying an injury or what but that's uh not the Paulson William Paulson I expected to see while Hall, Kerr, Chariot, Hayward and Giles all looking very comfortable there but Ollie Hall I agree with you Tim I think he feels he's got a point to prove it on and off on the diamond league circuit he's been absolutely magnificent in certain races and he'll feel that this is a big opportunity for him to get in amongst the likes of Kerr on the right there who got an Olympic bronze last year and I also agree with you I think he would be slightly disappointed on what he produced in the final in Eugene after looking magnificent in the heats and the semis. Well Ollie Hall of course ran 3.32 indoors back in February in New York and I think a lot of people expected more from him this outdoor season. Hall, Chariot, Hayward, Kerr and Giles all safely into what promises to be a spectacular final Paulson with 3.38 plus