Japan storms into 4×400 relay final at worlds

EUGENE, Ore. — Japan’s 4×400-meter relay team was second in Heat 1 at the athletics world championships on Saturday, reaching the final in the event for the first time since the 2003 Paris meet.

The quartet of Fuga Sato, Kaito Kawabata, Julian Walsh and Yuki Joseph Nakajima crossed the finish line in 3 minutes 01.53 seconds, just behind the United States.

Japan ran to a seventh-place finish 19 years ago at the Paris worlds.