Athletics World Championships: Italy’s 4×100 Excluded Amid Controversies in Tokyo

World Athletics Championships: Jacobs’ 4×100 Team Misses Final Amid Controversy The men’s 4×100 relay team’s journey at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo ends in disappointment, as the Italian team finished sixth in the semifinals with a time of 38.52 seconds, which was not enough to qualify for the final. The controversy centers around a contentious contact between Marcell Jacobs and South African runner Shaun Maswanganyi that occurred before the baton exchange, which allegedly hindered the Italian team’s performance. Jacobs lost his balance, compromising the baton handoff to Fausto Desalu during an already challenging leg. Despite the team’s dignified finish, which also included Lorenzo Patta and Matteo Melluzzo, the damage was already done. The Italian Federation has filed a protest regarding the incident, but after reviewing the footage, the responsibility was attributed to Jacobs himself. “I’ve participated in many relays and I’ve never experienced anything like this,” he stated after the race to Rai microphones. “I felt like I was in my lane, so we will see if there are any chances to recover for the final. It’s really a shame because we were very motivated and confident we could perform well.” Italian Version