Men's 400m Semi-final 2 |Commonwealth Games 2022 Athletics |5th Aug 2022 |BIRMINGHAM ENGLAND |

Watch the Zambian in six. Sam Okonga ran himself to a standstill to break 45 seconds in the heat. What on earth is he going to do in the semi? This is very high quality, this one. Three men in this field have gone inside 45 this season. Michael Francois, Grenada on the outside. National champion over the four and the 800. Peebee in the heat. Watch for his strength down the last 50 if it gets tight. Danny Geldenhuys, third in heat one. Semi-finalist in the African Championships this year, the Namibian. And now to this very exciting talent, Jonathan Jones. World junior finalist back in 2018. Made the final over 400 at the Worlds in Eugene and he ran a fabulous relay leg this morning. As did this fellow. Mazala Sam Okonga was taken away from the finish line after that 44.89 in a wheelchair. We weren't sure we'd see him in the relay or in this competition. He goes in six. This is Ngozi of Botswana. He made the African Championship final earlier this year. And then to Javon Powell. Silver medalist in Eugene in the 4x4. Second in heat five and he made 46.14. A very easy indeed. Joseph Breyer, fourth in the National Championships. The world junior bronze in the 4x4. The Welshman getting good support by the British crowd. And Adeyemi on the inside. 4x4 bronze in the African Championships in Mauritius. Lane one is empty but he is on the inside in lane two. Well, this is really, really high quality. Adeyemi of Nigeria in two. Breyer, Wales in three. Powell has gone 44.87. That PB in the USA in four. Ngozi of Botswana, an Olympic bronze medalist in the 4x4 in five. Sam Okonga, there he is. 44.89. He ran like a man possessed in the heat. Jonathan Jones, the brilliant 400-800 runner for Barbados outside him in seven. Gelton, who's Namibia eight. Francois Grenada in nine. Sam Okonga in six. Jones in seven. The favourites here. This could be fast. Only the top two coming back for the final. Sam Okonga running on the outside of his lane. But he's being put under pressure here by Ngozi. Botswana has gone off pretty hard as Powell floats his way down the back straight. Third from the right-hand side, the Jamaican. Gelton, who's on the left, has gone past Francois Grenada. But watch for Jonathan Jones. Third from the left-hand side. Now the 800-metre strength begins to come to the fore. He's running towards the inside of his lane. Powell, the Jamaican, is going well. And no move yet from Sam Okonga. Has he got anything left? Now the Zambian begins to come through. Jonathan Jones and Sam Okonga are the two qualifiers for the final with Powell run out of it in third and he might not make it with that non-automatic time. I really like this guy. He's a great combination runner over one and two laps. There was a little bit of histrionics going on elsewhere. He wasn't interested. 45.82. Sam Okonga came charging through the field, but not for a sub 45. But it was good enough for a place in the final. He always seems to grimace and look like he's in a great deal of pain. But he has made it to the final. Powell will have to wait and see. I agree with you, Charlie, about Jonathan Jones. He's a lovely, smooth-looking runner and he hardly broke sweat there. He walks way off the line looking very, very calm and untroubled indeed. Quite a contrast to Simu Okonga who comes through very late. I mean, he's virtually in last place coming off the bend. There he is in that dark green strip for Zambia. But again, look at the head bobbing to desperation, the arms pumping hard. What a contrast to Jonathan Jones in that lovely yellow and blue strip of Barbados. He is so smooth. Sam Okonga comes through. Simu Okonga comes through for second place, the 19-year-old. What a raw talent he is. But the Barbadian, Jonathan Jones, as smooth as mercury there through the last 100 metres. Very, very calm. Wow. I was looking at this guy's stats before I went to Eugene and I was really excited to see him run. Big breakthrough making that World Championship final. I know he didn't get a medal, as Sade Williams, his compatriot, did in the women's 400 metres for Barbados. But I'm glad you're impressed with him, Tim. I've been excited by this Barbadian for quite a while. Powell started to get a little bit tight. And by the way, 46.40. He is not in a non-automatic spot. Those two times still belonging to Cox and Solomon in the first of the semifinals. What a fascinating final in prospect. Jonathan Jones of Barbados is in the final. So too Sam Okonga.