Kenya’s 4x400m mixed relay team’s hopes of scaling up the world ranking went up in smoke when they were disqualified at the True Athletes Classics Meeting in Leverkusen, Germany on Saturday.
The team of Wycliffe Kinyamal, Boniface Mweresa, Mary Moraa and Naomi Korir breached World Athletics’ Technical Rule (TR) 24.19. TR 24.19 is for all takeovers where athletes are not permitted to begin running outside their takeover zones.
If an athlete does not follow this rule, their team is disqualified.
Great Britain and Northern Ireland’s team of Joseph Brier, Ama Pipi, Rio Mitcham, and Victoria Ohuruogu won the race in three minutes and 14. 22 seconds.
The hosts clocked 3:15.79 followed by Team Leverkusen in 3:29.97.
Great Britain and Northern Ireland’s performance saw them improve their previous time of 3:14.27 but they now tie in 14th place in the world ranking with Switzerland.
Kenya remains in 16th place with their previous time of 3:14.64, hoping that their position won’t change by midnight on Monday for them to qualify through ranking to the World Athletics Championships scheduled for August 19 to 27 in Budapest, Hungary.
The 16 top ranked countries in the world by July 31 will automatically qualify for the world championships and Kenya can only pray that no team dislodges them.
Kenya also hopes to send the men’s 4x400m team to Budapest by virtue of Kenya Police team’s time of 3:02.02 that is currently placed 16th in the world ranking.
The Police team posted the time when they won the 4x400m event at the National Championships.
