T&F: Elija Godwin Leads Team USA To 4x400m Final At World Championships
Current Bulldog Elija Godwin ran the leadoff leg on the winning 4×400-meter relay team during the qualifying round at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Ore., Saturday.
Godwin handed to Vernon Norwood before Bryce Deadmon and Trevor Bassitt finished Team USA’s four laps with a winning time of 2:58.96. America will now aim for the World title on Sunday at 10:35 p.m. ET.
The Bulldogs also finished the first five events of the decathlon in fourth (Team USA’s Kyle Garland, 4,413 points), 11th (Estonia’s Johannes Erm, 4,264), and 12th (Estonia’s Maicel Uibo, 4,224) while volunteer assistant and fellow Estonian Janek Oiglane is in 14th (4,193). Garland and Erm and returning Bulldogs, while Uibo was a two-time NCAA champion for Georgia in the past.
Georgia’s current and former competitors have already combined for a gold medal and a bronze medal. Complementing her two consecutive Olympic gold medals and pair of silvers at past Worlds competitions, Shaunae Miller-Uibo ran a world-leading 49.11 out of lane three in the 400m final, the closest of the seven other finalists ran a 49.60 on Friday.
On June 15, Godwin, a native of Covington, Ga., ran the opening leg for Team USA’s mixed 4x400m relay as the foursome ran a 3:10.16 to earn a bronze medal. Godwin handed the baton to Allyson Felix, a 19-time World Championships medalist who officially retired following the race.
The meet began at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field last Friday and runs through Sunday. The Bulldog contingent represents Team USA, Antigua, Bahamas, Brazil, Estonia, Greece, Jamaica, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
The World Championships will be broadcast (NBC/CNBC) and streamed (NBC Sports/Peacock) at a mixture of times over the 10 days of action.
Garland surged early in the decathlon with a fourth-place finish in the shot put after his top effort traveled 15.24 meters/50 feet. He returned in the high jump and kept to his tradition of clearing 7 feet after he passed over the bar at 2.14m/7-0.25 for second overall.
Erm began his first day with the best long jump of 2022 with a mark of 7.37m/24-2.25. Then, Erm launched the longest shot put toss of his life (15.01m/49-3). He saved his best performance of the day after with a career-best 47.02 in the 400m for fourth in the event.
Uibo started his day with a season-best of 11.14 in the 100m a day after his wife, Shaunae Miller-Uibo, collected the 400m gold. He followed that up with a personal best in the shot put (15.17/49-9.25). Uibo was one spot behind Garland for third in the high jump with a 2.11m/6-11 clearance. He finished his first five events after running a season-best 50.38 in his final lap of the day.
Oiglane also had a season-best (7.26m/23-10) in the long jump during his first day. He matched his personal best in the high jump thanks to a safe clearance of 2.05m/6-8.75. Oiglane concluded his day one with a season-best time of 49.16 in the 400m.
Former Lady Bulldog All-American Chanice Porter also finished 22nd in the long jump during the qualifying round. Jamaica’s Porter, who is now an employee for the UGA Athletic Association, traveled 6.29m/20-7.75, missing Sunday’s final.
The decathletes start the final day of the meet with the 110m hurdles at 12:35 p.m., with the discus, pole vault, javelin and 1500m coming in order after the hurdles.
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