Debutant Alex Beck has helped Australia finish second in their 4 x 400m relay heat to automatically qualify for the World Championship final in Moscow tomorrow night.
The team was lead out by Olympic 400m finalist Steve Solomon, anchored by 400m hurdler Tristan Thomas and also featured another debutant in Craig Burns who ran the second leg.
The Australians finished second to Russia in the third and final heat to snatch the last place in the final. The US team was the fastest qualifier (2:59.85) ahead of Jamaica (3:00.41) in the earlier heats.
At the third baton change Australia was in fifth place, requiring anchorman Thomas to run a breathtaking last leg to pass three runners in the final 150m, clocking a season best time of 3:02.42.
The 400m hurdles specialist praised Beck for his run:
“I was fifth but … Alex really dug to the line, so while I was fifth they weren’t an impossible distance away.”
Post race Beck said he felt he had “a lot to prove this year”.
The final will be run tonight at 21.30 local time.