By Canadian Press

Canadian 4×100 men’s relay team eliminated in heats at world championships

Oct 6, 2019 | 12:32 PM

DOHA, Qatar — Canada’s 4×100 metre men’s relay team won’t be racing for medals at the world track and field championships.

Despite completing the race in a season-best 37.91 seconds on Friday, Canada was sixth in its heat and eliminated from the competition.

The first three in each heat and the next two fastest times advanced to the eight-team final. Canada had the eighth fastest overall time, but had the misfortune of running in the faster of the two heats.

Canada was edged out by the Netherlands for fifth in the heat and a spot in the final. Both clocked 37.91 seconds, but the Netherlands was faster by five thousandths of a second.

Gavin Smellie of Brampton, Ont., Toronto’s Aaron Brown and Brandon Rodney and Andre De Grasse of Markham, Ont., ran for Canada.

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“To run 37.91 … is pretty impressive, it’s just everyone else ran really fast,” Brown said. “I never thought that a 37.91 would not make it into the final. We’ll grow from here, regroup and be better from this.”

The result means De Grasse won’t be able to match his three-medal showing from the 2016 Rio Olympics.

De Grasse won bronze in the 100 metres and silver in the 200 metres earlier this meet.

Meanwhile, Michael Mason of Nanoose Bay, B.C., finished seventh in the men’s high jump with a top leap of 2.30 metres.

Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim took gold with a jump of 2.37.

“On paper, jumping 2.30 is a good day,” said Mason, who missed at three attempts at a personal-best height of 2.33. “I’m left wanting one more bar, but I gave it absolutely everything. I was exhausted by the end of it, mentally and physically. I’m happy with the consistency for sure.”

Sage Watson of Medicine Hat, Alta., was eighth in the women’s 400-metre hurdles, finishing in 54.82 seconds.

Dalilah Muhammad of the U.S. broke her own world record (52.20) with a winning time of 52.16.

“I have a lot to build on moving forward,” said Watson, who set a Canadian record in the semis. “I’m really happy with my performance in Doha. To make the final is an honour and just going to keep building on it.”

Matthew Hughes of Oshawa, Ont., finished 14th in the men’s 3,000-metre steeplechase with a time of 8 minutes 24.78 seconds.

Hughes wasn’t thrilled with the performance

“I’m not going to let this eat me up inside, these are the things that fuel an athlete,” said Hughes. “There’s 10 months until Tokyo (the 2020 Olympics). Just going to train hard and go at it.”

Evan Dunfee of Richmond, B.C., was scratched in the 20-kilometre race walk after taking bronze in the 50 km event earlier in the meet.

Canada has five medals — one silver and four bronze — at the worlds with two days to go.

Canada’s top showing at the worlds came in 2015 when the country won eight medals in Beijing (two gold, three silver, three bronze).

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Oct. 4, 2019.

The Canadian Press