Baylor's Wil London begins his quest for the 400M World Championship in London on Saturday at 4:45AM CT in the heats, representing Team USA. Tomorrow at noon London time is the deadline for athlete's confirmation, so the heats will be drawn that that time. I'll try to get his heat information posted as soon as it's available, plus any info for Team USA's 4X400 races, with Wil running a leg there also.

Heat sheets in the Men's 400M should be out later today.

Of certified entries, Baylor's Wil London has the 7th best qualifying time of 44.47.

The Top 10:

Wayde VAN NIEKERK - RSA (43.62)
Fred KERLEY - USA (43.70)
Isaac MAKWALA - BOT (43.84)
Baboloki THEBE - BOT (44.02)
Gil ROBERTS - USA (44.22)
Steven GARDINER - BAH (44.26)
Wil LONDON, III - USA (44.47)
Bryshon NELLUM - USA (44.50)
Nathon ALLEN - JAM (44.52)
Demish GAYE - JAM (44.54)

Interestingly, of the top 10 athletes, only Van Niekerk (43.03 - the World Record holder) and Makwala (43.72) have ever run faster than their 2017 season best.

Good luck to Wil.

I ran it in 60:00 at 18

I was razzed because in doing so I beat a girl on the track team.... barely.

It appears that coverage of Wil's first round heat will be LIVE on NBCSN on Saturday starting at 4:00AM CT, Start lists will be drawn tomorrow (8/3) and I will post the 400M heats as soon as I get them.

Thanks. I will record it.

Malbec said:

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It appears that coverage of Wil's first round heat will be LIVE on NBCSN on Saturday starting at 4:00AM CT, Start lists will be drawn tomorrow (8/3) and I will post the 400M heats as soon as I get them.

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Absolutely appreciate you being here Malbec. Have I already said that? Sheesh my mind is slowly going!!

First session is complete in London. The tape delay broadcast will be on NBCSN starting at 6:00PM CT.

*****SPOILER ALERT****

If you don't wish to know the results of today's action until you have a chance to watch the tape, look away now!












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All three Americans made it through to the Semis of the Men's 100M. Christian Coleman (10.01) and Justin Gatlin (10.05) both won their heats, while Christopher Belcher (10.13) was third in his heat to auto qualify. The fastest time was turned in by JAM's Julian Forte (9.99). World Record holder Usain Bolt [JAM] won his heat in 10.07 to qualify with the 8th fastest time. Bolt's teammate, Yohan Blake [JAM] also qualified by running second in his heat in 10.13.

All three Americans qualified for the Semis in the Women's 1500M. Sara Vaughn (4:04.56) ran a personal best to make it through, along with Kate Grace (4:04.76) and Jenny Simpson (4:08.92)

Jennifer Suhr and Emily Grove were both eliminated in the Women's PV after each NH. Only Sandi Morris moved on for USA, clearing 4.55m (14' 11 1/8").

BU's Wil London III drew Heat 4 for the heats of the Men's 400M

HEAT 4

2 Yilmar HERERRA (COL) 45.48SB/45.48PB
3 Mamoudou Eliman HANNE (FRA) 45.44/45.44
4 Brian GREGAN (IRL) 45.26/45.26
5 Wilbert LONDON III (USA) 44.47/44.47
6 Steven GAYLE (JAM) 44.99/44.99
7 Steven GARDINER (BAH) 44.26/44.26
8 Luguelin SANTOS (DOM) 45.32/44.11
9 Jonathan BORLEE (BEL) 45.09/44.43

Heat 4 is scheduled to start at 5:12AM CT.

We need to get gold shoes to post here! He's on premium.

3ptSpecialist said:

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We need to get gold shoes to post here! He's on premium.

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Once GB gets over here, there will be plenty of T&F discussed.

The first medals of the 2017 WC were awarded in the Men's 10,000M and Oh Baby!, what a race it was. Only two runners failed to run either their SB or a PB in the race, out of 22 finishers. The CAN and BRN National Records were set in the race.

Defending WC Mo FARAH (GBR) won the race at the wire over Joshua CHEPTEGEI (UGA) in the fastest time in the world this year.

GLD Mohamed FARAH (GBR) 26:49.51 (WL)
SIL Joshua Kiprui CHEPTEGEI (UGA) 26:49.94 (PB)
BRZ Paul Kipngetich TANUI (KEN) 26:56.60 (SB)

USA: 9. Shadrack KIPCHIRCHIR 27:07.55 (PB), 13. Leonard Essau KORIR 27:20.18 (PB), 15. Hassan MEAD 27:32.49 (PB)

I'm here, but had to stay on BFans until the door closed. I'm watching my recording of today's broadcast, so appreciated your spoiler alert. The three USA 1500 women ran well. How cool it must be to run prelims in front of 66000 fans.

Yep the 10k was incredible! 7 guys under 27 and many lead changes.

Baylor's Wil LONDON III joined a quartet of USA quartermilers in advancing to the Semis of the Men's 400M at the World Championships. London ran a very comfortable 45.10 to finish second in his heat for an automatic qualifying spot behind Steven GARDINER (BAH) who won in 44.75. Brian GREGAN (IRL) took the third auto qualifier spot in 45.37, while Jonathan BORLEE (BEL) qualified on time with his 45.70.

HEAT 4

1. Steven GARDINER (BAH) 44.75Q
2. Wilbert LONDON III (USA) 45.10Q
3. Brian GREGAN (IRL) 45.37Q
4. Jonathan BORLEE (BEL) 45.70q
5. Luguelin SANTOS (DOM) 45.73
6. Mamoudou Eliman HANNE (FRA) 45.89
7. Yilmar HERRERA (COL) 47.18
- Steven GAYLE (JAM) DQ


Texas A&M's Fred KERLEY (USA) [44.92], Gil ROBERTS (USA) [44.92] and LaShawn MERRITT (USA) [45.00] combined with LONDON III to get all the Americans through to the Semis.

The fastest time was turned who by Isaac BAKWALA (BOT) at 44.55. BAKWALA combined with his teammate Baboloki THEBE (BOT) to hold two of the top three times. THEBE won his heat in 44.82.

The Semis have been drawn for the Men's 400M and BU's Wil LONDON III will have his hands full, as he has drawn Heat 1 along with the World Record holder, the NCAA Champion and the man that beat him in the first round.

HEAT 1 (06AUG - 1:40PM CT)

2 Rafal OMELKO (POL) 45.69
3 Oscar HUSILLOS (ESP) 45.22
4 Wilbert LONDON III (USA) 45.10
5 Steven GARDINER (BAH) 44.75
6 Wayde VAN NIEKERK (RSA) 45.27
7 Fred KERLEY (USA) 44.92
8 Dwayne COWAN (GBR) 45.39
9 Kevin BORLEE (BEL) 45.09


HEAT 2 (06AUG - 1:48PM CT)

2 Matthew HUDSON-SMITH (GBR) 45.31
3 Boniface Ontuga MWERESA (KEN) 45.58
4 Lalonde GORDON (TTO) 45.02
5 Baboloki THEBE (BOT) 44.82
6 Nathon ALLEN (JAM) 44.91
7 LaShawn MERRITT (USA) 45.00
8 Brian GREGAN (IRL) 45.37
9 Abdalelah HAROUN (QAT) 45.27


HEAT 3 (06AUG - 1:56PM CT)

2 Pavel MASLAK (CZE) 45.10
3 Jonathan BORLEE (BEL) 45.70
4 David RE (ITA) 45.71
5 Isaac MAKWALA (BOT) 44.55
6 Demish GAYE (JAM) 44.98
7 Gil ROBERTS (USA) 44.92
8 Machel CEDENIO (TTO) 45.77
9 Jamal WALTON (CAY) 45.05

He got the toughest heat as I just don't see him beating Van Niekirk, Kerley, or Gardiner. If he gets 4th in that heat he just might grab the last spot in the finals. I assume the top two from each heat qualify plus the next two fastest overall.

Will Michael's World Championship record go down this year?

GarlandBear84 said:

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He got the toughest heat as I just don't see him beating Van Niekirk, Kerley, or Gardiner. If he gets 4th in that heat he just might grab the last spot in the finals. I assume the top two from each heat qualify plus the next two fastest overall.

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You are correct, sir. 2 and 2.

Malbec said:

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Will Michael's World Championship record go down this year?

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Van Niekirk can certainly break it and Makwala is running great this season. I hope Merritt or Kerley can break onto the podium.

Giant Mason Finley (6' 9" and 350) became the first American male to win a discus medal in the worlds or Olympics since 1999! It is amazing to watch a man that size nimbly spin around the ring and spin the disc 227'.

USA! USA! USA!

Americans Justin GATLIN and Christian COLEMAN go 1-2 in the Men's 100M, ending JAM's Usain Bolt's hold on the fastest man title.

GLD Justin GATLIN (USA) 9.92
SIL Christian COLEMAN (USA) 9.94
BRZ Usain BOLT (JAM) 9.95

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4th Yohan BLAKE (JAM) 9.99

I just finished my recording. What a 100! Gatlin finally got another 100 gold after a 12-year wait, but Coleman might win the 2019 worlds and 2020 Olympic gold.

I wish they showed more of the long jump, but I loved seeing Jarrion Lawson from Texarkana get the silver medal.

Field events always get screwed and I never understand it. I enjoy the drama of the jumping events more than just about anything in track.

Dia del DougO said:

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Field events always get screwed and I never understand it. I enjoy the drama of the jumping events more than just about anything in track.

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I agree. There is a premium channel called NBC Sports Gold Pass which has separate cameras for each field event. I don't know the cost.

This is the only forum that feels like the old baylorfans. Thanks guys.

Interesting that the IAAF changed the heats to move VAN NIEKERK (RSA) to lane 6 of Heat 2, and shifted ALLEN (JAM) to Heat 1. Then ALLEN runs 2nd and gets the auto qualifier.

Wil had a lackluster backstretch that left him too much work to do coming home, and GARDINER and ALLEN just cruised home. GARDINER broke the BAH NR with his 43.89, and ALLEN set a PB at 44.19. KERLEY was 3rd in 44.51 and BORLEE (BEL) was 4th in 45.10. Wil finished 5th in 45.12, so it's on to the relay for him.

Gil ROBERTS (USA) finished third in Heat 3 in 44.84, so Team USA gets only one finalist, Texas A&M's Fred KERLEY, who qualified on time with his 44.51.

What a far cry from decades of USA dominance of the 400. LaShawn Merritt ran a horrible race trying to keep up with Wayde and died a painful death down the stretch. Maybe he's over the hill now though I recall he ran a fast 200 earlier this season.

Wil finished 12th overall which is quite an accomplishment at age 19. If he had come close to his PR of 44.47 he would've made the final. My only disappointment is that he ran slower in the semi than round one and I see no excuse for that with a World final on the line. You can't hold anything back in that situation.

Malbec said:

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Interesting that the IAAF changed the heats to move VAN NIEKERK (RSA) to lane 6 of Heat 2, and shifted ALLEN (JAM) to Heat 1. Then ALLEN runs 2nd and gets the auto qualifier.

Wil had a lackluster backstretch that left him too much work to do coming home, and GARDINER and ALLEN just cruised home. GARDINER broke the BAH NR with his 43.89, and ALLEN set a PB at 44.19. KERLEY was 3rd in 44.51 and BORLEE (BEL) was 4th in 45.10. Wil finished 5th in 45.12, so it's on to the relay for him.

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London looked like he would have finished fourth in his heat if he hadn't coasted a couple of steps before the finish line. I guess it didn't make much difference. It's still an amazing feat for him at this stage in his career.