Two African countries, Ghana and South Africa, will feature in Friday's 4x100 metres relay semi-finals as the 15-23 World Athletics Championships cruise to a befitting end at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Germany. According to the IAAF website, Ghana's quartet, running in lane four of heat two, will battle for a place in the finals against relay giants Canada, Portugal, Britain, the United States and Netherlands.
In the first heat, South Africa, also in lane four, will run against the quartets from Japan, France, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago and Brazil.
The Usain Bolt-led Jamaican quartet, who are the defending champions, will run in heat three, lane three, against Australia, Thailand, Poland, Italy and hosts Germany.
The Jamaicans, who set their world record on 22 August, 2008, in Beijing, China, are expected to retain the title giving the devastating form of their runners, including the towering Bolt.
According to IAAF, the first two teams in each heat will qualify for the finals along with the two teams with the fastest losing times.
BERLIN (AP) - Selected results from the World Athletics Championships at the Olympic Stadium yesterday (q-qualifies for next round):
Women
100 Qualifying
Heat 2 -- 1, q-Kerron Stewart, Jamaica, 11.31. 2, q-Vida Anim, Ghana, 11.38. 3, q-Ivet Lalova, Bulgaria, 11.48. 4, q-Chisato Fukushima, Japan, 11.52. 5, Ahamada Feta, Comoros, 11.80. 6, Fatou Tiyana, Gambia, 12.22. 7, Dana Abdul Razak, Iraq, 12.38.
Quarterfinals
Heat 2 -- 1, q-Lauryn Williams, United States, 11.06. 2, q-Aleen Bailey, Jamaica, 11.12. 3, q-Tahesia Harrigan, British Virgin Island, 11.21. 4, q-Vida Anim, Ghana, 11.34. 5, q-Elena Artymata, Cyprus, 11.37. 6, q-Ayanna Hutchinson, Trinidad and Tobago, 11.40. 7, Chisato Fukushima, Japan, 11.43. 8, Myriam Soumare, France, 11.45
Men - 100
Heat 10- 1, q-Richard Thompson, Trinidad and Tobago, 10.36. 2, q-Tyrone Edgar, Britain, 10.42. 3, q-Simon Magakwe, South Africa, 10.54. 4, Aziz Zakari, Ghana, 10.57. 5, Idrissa Sanou, Burkina Faso, 10.74. 6, Mhadjou Youssouf, Comoros, 10.89. 7, Desislav Gunev, Bulgaria, 11.07. 8, Nooa Takooa, Kiribati, 11.74.
