Ecstasy to agony. The English women’s 4x400m team were basking in the golden glow of a thrilling relay final, celebrating with the home crowd before realising they had been disqualified for a lane infringement.
Jessie Knight looked to have won gold for England down the home stretch of the final athletics event of the Commonwealth Games at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium on Sunday (Monday NZ time).
It was tight, as Canada’s Kyra Constantine gained ground in the final metres, and the result was only declared after a photo finish.
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English runner Jodie Williams, left, with Jessie Knight, right, after a dramatic final in the women’s 4x400m relay.
After a nervous wait on the track, Knight was adjudged to have crossed the line one thousandth of a second quicker than Constantine and the English quartet, thinking they were winners, jumped for joy, beginning their lap of honour with English flags.
But, as the celebrations continued, unbeknown to the home crowd and the relay team of Knight, Victoria Ohuruogu, Jodie Williams and Ama Pipi, race officials were scrutinising the first changeover before the start of the second leg ran by Williams.
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The English quartet were disqualified after thinking they had won gold after a photo finish.
Unfortunately for the English team, officials ruled that Williams had stepped out of her lane, disqualifying them from the race and stripping them of gold.
England did not appeal the decision.
Replays showed Williams had clearly placed her foot in the wrong lane when receiving the baton from Ohuruogu after the first leg.
Canada’s team were awarded gold instead, with a winning time of 3min 25.84sec, and Jamaica and Scotland were promoted to silver and bronze respectively.
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