Australia finished second in their semi-final behind a fast Nigerian quartet, who survived a protest to make the final.
Australia’s specialist 4x400m team – not including the two men (Tom Reynolds and Reece Holder) who contested the individual event – held their own to qualify third fastest into the final in a time of 3:15.21.
Luke Van Ratingen ran a strong first leg, passing to Mia Gross in the lead. Gross ran a strong leg, setting up Cooper Sherman for his leg.
Sherman ran bravely to change just behind Nigeria, whose Samuel Ogazi – the favourite for the individual event – running a 44.10 split to reel in a 5 metre lead.
It was then left to Jemma Pollard to safely anchor the team home, 0.63 seconds behind.
Nigeria survived a protest made against them by the winner of the other heat, England, made half an hour after the finish.
England believed that the outgoing Nigerian runner on the first change had stepped inside the lane on two occasions and that the team should be disqualified.
The Jury of Appeal reviewed multiple video views of the outgoing runner and concluded there was only a single touch of the line. The appeal was rejected.
