Commonwealth Games: Heartbreak as World champion Korir disqualified in 400m

Emmanuel Kipkurui Korir, of Kenya, left, wins during a semifinal heat in the men's 800-meter run at the World Athletics Championships on Thursday, July 21, 2022, in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

World and Olympic champion Emmanuel Korir's hopes of winning men's 400m race at the 2022 Commonwealth Games went up in smoke on Wednesday evening after he was disqualified from the competition.

Despite clocking 46.20 seconds to win heat six which secured him automatic qualification to the 400m semifinals, the Tokyo Olympics 800m gold medallist was disqualified for a lane infringement.

Korir's disqualification saw Zibane Ngozi from Botswana win in 46.33.

Korir's compatriot William Rayan also failed to qualify after finishing fifth in heat seven timing 47.08.

Barbados' Jonathan Jones won the race in 46.39.

Elsewhere, Kenya's Boniface Mweresa qualified for the men's 400m semi-finals at the Commonwealth Games.

Mweresa clocked 45.91 seconds to finish first ahead of Nigeria's Samson Nathaniel who clocked 48.31 seconds with Grenada's Michael Francois securing the third qualification slot in a personal best time of 46.35 seconds.