Indian men’s 4×400 meter relay team, which was placed in seventh place in the second heat, has also been disqualified.
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Olympic authorities are yet to explain why Britain were disqualified, but there was a suggestion that it was to do with the final handover of the baton between Hudson-Smith and Rooney.
That time would have put them firmly in the hunt for a medal in tonight’s final – only for the team to belatedly be told that they had been disqualified for an unspecified violation at the third changeover as Matthew Hudson-Smith handed the baton to Martyn Rooney.
BBC commenatator Steve Cram said: “We have been told it is a rule where you can not start running outside of the zone”. I know we have heard a lot about lanes at this Games, but it is tight here and Nigel was incredible, Delano was incredible, Matt was awesome, and I was so proud of how they ran.
“In the first change over you have to be between two red lines which are about 20m apart”.
Brazil have now been given a place in the final after an appeal from Great Britain was turned down.
“Martyn Rooney had one foot outside of the line. Whether the judges had decided he had started running because of that, it would be incredibly harsh”, he said. “I want to celebrate this. I think all our training is paying off”.
Having already made it to Sunday’s 400m final, Hudson-Smith, from Lanesfield, Wolverhampton, was back out on Rio’s blue track five days later as part of the Great Britain’s 4x400m team looking to secure a spot in today’s final.
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“Now we have to refocus and use this as motivation for London 2017 (the World Championships)”.
