Commonwealth Games: England denied dramatic relay gold by disqualification

England were denied a dramatic 4x400m Commonwealth relay gold after officials ruled they committed a lane infringement before anchor Jessie Knight edged the tightest of finishes.

But the hosts were denied a fairy tale end to the athletics programme as judges spotted Jodie Williams’ foot straying on the first changeover.

Scotland were promoted to bronze.

Their team of Zoey Clark, Beth Dobbin, Jill Cherry and Nicole Yeargin, rather than England, climbed the podium in front of a half-empty Alexander Stadium when the medal ceremony took place.

The infringement and decision denied England one of the moments of the Games as Knight, a 400m hurdles specialist, flung out her baton-holding arm to thrust her torso across the line and edge out Constantine by the slimmest of margins.

Constantine’s flat personal best is more than one and half seconds faster than Knight’s, but, after a wait to analyse the photo finish, the England anchor’s lunge seemed to have done just enough.

Victoria Ohuruogu, Williams and Ama Pipi, all of whom had competed in the individual final earlier in the day, had done superbly to set Knight up in a promising position.

But while the Alexander Stadium rocked in celebration and the quartet posed for pictures, the officials were scrutinising the start of the second leg, when Williams’ foot strayed out of her lane.

Like Knight’s apparent victory, it seemed a matter of millimetres. But it was clear and decisive and England, who did not appeal, were stripped of their eighth track-and-field gold of the Games.