Purely historically, the men’s 4x400m relay performance was one of the most anticipated. In the past, the Polish team has won many medals in indoor world championships, including those made of the most valuable metal. In addition, we are talking about the team that came to Belgrade as a defending champion from Birmingham, where the Poles broke the world record.
However, four years have passed since then. There is no one left from this golden team. The lineup has been significantly modified, even given the recent Olympics in Tokyo. Only Kajetan Duszyński and Mateusz Rzezniczak remained from the fifth Olympic team. Moreover, as evidenced by the individual competition, Duszyński did not attend the event in the highest form, which was confirmed by the competitor himself.
The Poles had a slightly easier task in the semi-finals, because they competed with only three teams – the national team of the Netherlands, Great Britain and Romania. The third could not count on success, as their time clearly differed from the rest of the teams. The Dutch seemed to be the main opponent. There was not much room for defeat, because the winners of the semi-finals and the three teams with the best times qualified for the finals.
From the very beginning, the Poles ran with a clear tactic. Timotiusz Zimni, who was in the first pink, and Mateusz Rzynicak, who ran in second, both started the distance quietly, only to accelerate on the second lap. This tactic worked well, because Jacek Majewski got the baton on a par with the leading Dutchmen. Unfortunately, Majewski lost some distance from his rivals, as the British overtook him. However, Kajetan Duszyński did his job during the last shift. The Olympic gold medalist quickly managed to catch up with his rivals, and at the last turn he made an effective attack, thanks to which Poland finished the race in second place.
There was an amazing situation in the first race. Belgians and Americans competed for first place. In the latest turn, the drama has taken over from Isaiah Harris. At the start of the second lap, the runner sustained a serious leg contusion. The race seemed to be over for the US, but Harris overcame the pain and finished the race. There was no doubt about the win, but the American relay came in second. In the end it did nothing. Other teams ran faster, so the US withdrew from the competition prematurely.
Belgium advanced from the first temperature to the final. In the second semi-final, the Spaniards defended themselves against the attack of the Czechs, who also qualified for the final. Players from Great Britain were the last to compete for medals. The final competition will start around 19:55. The final competition will be in the World Indoor Championships.
