Nicole Yeargin is on a mission to end a challenging season with a World Championship medal as Britain laid down a marker in the women’s 4x400m relay.
Maryland-born Yeargin, whose mother is from Dunfermline, combined with Laviai Nielsen, Amber Anning and Yemi Mary John to claim an imposing heat victory after a ding-dong battle with the USA.
The 26-year-old's 50.77s run on the third leg delivered John into the lead and the Americans botched the final changeover to be disqualified, handing Britain a morale-boosting win in 3:23.33, third-quickest qualifiers for tonight’s final.
Yeargin, who won women’s 4x400m bronze with Team Scotland at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, only managed sixth in the individual 400m at the British Championships.
“I'm super fit this season, but mentally I haven't been able to tell myself I can do more," she said. "I feel like I’ve been second guessing myself at times.
"I came out for the heat and told myself, ‘10 percent fitness, 90 percent mentality.’ That really helped me feel like I could do it. I knew I had the strength, I just had to go out there and do it.
“A medal is absolutely out there for us and I can’t wait to get the gold.”
Elsewhere, a new British middle-distance name burst onto the scene with Ben Pattison taking a shock bronze in the men’s 800m.
The Commonwealth bronze medallist, 21, ran a brilliant tactical race and held the inside line to cross in 1:44.83, with Canada’s Marco Arop winning gold and silver going to world leader Emmanuel Wanyonyi of Kenya.
Pattison is the first British man to win a global 800m medal since Peter Elliott's silver in 1987, with his bronze and Josh Kerr's gold making it the first time that Britain have medalled in both men's middle-distance events.
“Josh was the last person to wish me good luck leaving the team hotel," said Pattison. "Last year I was sat at home watching him in championships, so it's incredible."
Britain's women banked another bronze in a chaotic women's 4x100m relay, as Asha Philip, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Bianca Williams and Darryl Neita finished in 41.97s behind USA and Jamaica.
The GB men's 4x100m relay quartet of Jeremiah Azu, Zharnel Hughes, Adam Gemili and Eugene Amo-Dadzie finished fourth, 0.04s short of the podium, with Noah Lyles winning a third gold medal of the championships in anchoring USA to victory.
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