Kenya’s mixed 4x400m relay squad put themselves in place for a Commonwealth Games medal after securing their spot in the event final set for Saturday, 1 August.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsRunning in Heat Two of Friday, 31 July’s morning session at Scotstoun Stadium, Kenya’s quartet of: Kelvin Kiprotich Tonui, Mercy Chebet, Boniface Mweresa and Mercy Adongo Oketch produced a decent performance to ease into a comfortable second place finish, timing 3:15.92.##NAJAVA_MECA_9872199##Tonui ran a strong opening leg for the former World Athletics Relays bronze medalists, before paving way for Chebet, who handed over to Mweresa with Kenya in the lead.A tough anchor leg saw Oketch fail to catch up with England’s Laviai Nielsen, who led her country to victory in a time of 3:15.11.©AFPOnly the top three finishers in the two heats automatically booked their place in the final, with the other two extra spots going to the fastest fourth-placed finishers.Behind Kenya in Heat Two were hosts Scotland, who placed third in a season-best time of 3:19.07, joining heavyweights Nigeria, Australia and Jamaica, who all secured passage to the final in Heat One.The two fastest non-automatic qualifiers were Zambia and India from Heat One and Two, respectively.Commonwealth Games: Kenya's long distance woes continue as Nyaga misses 5000m podiumElsewhere at SEC Hall 4, Kenya saw one of its judokas stand one contest away from claiming a historic medal, after Regan Wali battled through three matches in the opening session to qualify for a men’s 60 kilograms bronze-medal dust-up.Wali, 22, kicked off his Commonwealth Games journey with a 3-2 yuko victory in golden score over Sri Lanka’s Wickrama Arachchige, to move on to the quarter-finals.FILE ©Team KenyaOnce there, the Kenyan was up against it when he fell to the experienced Pedro Antun Neto, who won 1-0, thanks to what looked like a contested yuko.The defeat did not mark Wali’s elimination from the Games however, as he was awarded a path back to claiming one of the two bronze medals on offer, by fighting in a repechage against Vanuatu’s Alan Monthouel.Wali would not waste that precious opportunity, claiming a quick 13-second victory via ippon.Rosemary Longisa leads Kenyan trio into Commonwealth Games mile finalThat win means Wali, who admitted to using these Games as a means to popularising the sport in Kenya, stands a contest away from winning Kenya’s first Commonwealth Games medal in judo.All eyes will therefore be on his match against England’s Charlie Ayre on Friday evening.##NAJAVA_MECA_9872580##Meanwhile in the men’s 66 kilograms, Kenya’s Felix Okoko was eliminated in the Round of 32 after suffering a 2-100 defeat to Welshman Joshua Bell via ippon.In track cycling, no Kenyan qualified past the first rounds, with all of: Monica Jelimo Kiplagat, Nancy Akinyi, Kendra Masiga, Josette Kiarie and Peter Karanja, all ranking low in the women’s sprint, women’s 4000m individual pursuit and men’s 4000m individual pursuit qualifiers, respectively.
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