Birmingham: Every runner, including the world's fastest man this year, was disqualified in a bizarre 400 metres heat that made athletics history on the second day of the World Indoor Championships on Friday.
Bralon Taplin was among the casualties after appearing to qualify for the semi-finals later on Friday by winning the third heat comfortably in 46.37 seconds.
But the Grenadan was ruled to have run out of his lane, along with the other three finishers, Jamaica's Steven Gayle, Latvia's Austris Karpinskis and Alonzo Russell from the Bahamas.
Another runner, Qatar's Abdalelah Haroun, was earlier red carded for false starting in the same heat.
It is the first time every athlete has been disqualified from a heat at a major championships, according to statistician Mark Butler.
Grenada officials launched an appeal, but it was rejected, as was that for Costa Rica's Nery Brenes, who was disqualified from a later heat, also for a lane infringement.
The first two athletes in each heat were supposed to advance through to the semi-finals, but confusion soon reigned about five minutes after the race when every athlete's result was wiped out.
Despite a lack of obvious visual evidence, all four athletes who had completed the race were disqualified for lane infringements, having stepped outside their allocated lane at some point during the race.
That meant not a single athlete was eligible for the semi-finals, with their places instead going to fastest losers in other heats.
The absence of Haroun and Taplin, who is the fastest man in the world this year, leaves the event wide open with Czech athlete Pavel Maslak chasing a hat-trick of world indoor titles.
There was no such drama in the final heat when Maslak eased though, qualifying behind Spain's Oscar Husillos as the Czech indoor specialist attempts to become the first three-time 400m champion at the event.
In the women's 400m heats, Americans Courtney Okolo (51.54) and Shakima Wimbley (52.43) both qualified comfortably, along with Switzerland's Lea Sprunger (52.46).
