Marcell Jacobs at home, 4×100 dominates anyway

4×100, results

It’s an important step toward the World Championships in Budapest. The men’s 4×100 relay team puts the first brick toward qualification for the rainbow event by running 38.38 in Florence in its season debut at the Florence Sprint Festival at the Ridolfi Stadium, in front of a warm and enthusiastic crowd, a prelude to the big Golden Gala celebration on June 2.

The Italian quartet, for three quarters composed of the Tokyo heroes (Lorenzo Patta in first, Fausto Desalu in third, Filippo Tortu in fourth) and with Matteo Melluzzo in second fraction to replace Marcell Jacobs, offers a good performance that allows them to climb positions in the world lists that qualify for Budapest, albeit with changes that can still be improved, particularly the first two, which were quite ‘crushed’. To be certain of qualification, we will have to wait until July 30 and, hopefully, do even better at one of the next two scheduled events, June 9 in Paris in the Diamond League and June 23-25 in Chorzow at the European Team Championships. At the moment, lists in hand, Italy jumps to sixth place among the Nations that have to qualify with the times (8 in all) and that will be added to the 8 already qualified having made the final in Eugene 2022. A step forward, as mentioned, though not yet decisive, considering that there are still three months to peel off the pass and several weighty teams have not yet taken to the track. For statistical purposes, it is the seventh all-time performance by an Italian relay team.