Munich, Aug 19, (dpa/GNA) – Olympic champions Italy, had a narrow escape into the men’s 4×100 metres relay final at the European Championships, after resting star runner Marcell Jacobs on Friday.
The Italian quartet of Lorenzo Patta, Hillary Polanco Roja, Matteo Melluzzo and Chituru Ali, finished only fifth in their heat, but advanced via their time of 39.02 seconds, escaping by nine hundredths of a second.
Jacobs, who won Olympic 100m and 4x100m gold last year in Tokyo and the 100m European title in Munich on Tuesday, is expected to be part of the team on Sunday.
Hosts Germany, led the heats with a national record 37.97 and three-time reigning champions Britain also safely made it.
Britain are also the title holders on the women’s 4x100m side, and dominated the heats 42.83 seconds, with Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita not running but expected in the Sunday final, just as Germany’s freshly crowned 100m champion Gina Lückenkemper.
Switzerland however paid the price for not running their 100m silver medallist Mujinga Kambundji, as the team crashed out.
The 4x400m races saw title holders the Polish women, and Belgian men advance into Saturday’s finals, Ukrainian world and Olympic silver medallist Yaroslava Mahuchikh, reached the women’s high jump final, a trio of British runners led by Keely Hodgkinson are in the 800m final, and Czech Jakub Vadlejch topped javelin qualifying.
The eight evening finals include the men’s and women’s 200m, as well as both 400m hurdles finals with Karsten Warholm and Femke Bol, as Dutchwoman Bol aims to complete a historic 400m/400m hurdles double.
GNA