Greene left out as Brits storm relay

Rooney said: “It is incredible. When I saw Jack coming in the home straight, I was like, ‘wow, we’re going to get there first!’ I’m just going to apologise to the guys, I didn’t realise — I saw the guy outside me and I thought ‘I’ve got him, it’s fine’. I looked across and checked the time and obviously he is a sprinter who practises his dip. I’m disappointed we didn’t win it so I’m sorry about that but hopefully tomorrow will be ­better.”

Levine, who ran the first leg after failing to qualify in the individual event, said: “After the disappointment of the semis, I’ve learned about the track a bit more. So I tried to set up Conrad in as good a position as possible to qualify easily.”

It was Green’s run that was the most impressive aspect of Britain’s performance and it will be difficult to change a line-up so clearly in form.

The 20-year-old was particularly pleased given that in Saturday’s semi-final of the individual event he fell and did not finish the race. He said: “I have always wanted a chance to run in this relay and after my disappointment in the hurdles, I had a lot to prove. I wanted to put Rooney in the best position I could and I think I did that.”

Meanwhile, Pistorius’s dream of being the first amputee athlete to appear in an Olympic final appeared over when a collision between Ofentse Mogwane and Kenyan Vincent Killu on the final bend of the second leg saw the South African hit the floor.

Mogwane, who was fifth at the time, had to be helped up and left the stadium with his shoulder strapped up.

South African officials claimed Kilu cut across their man and their appeal was upheld by the IAAF, who announced the final would now be a nine-team event. Before the verdict was announced Pistorius, a semi-finalist in the 400m, said: “I can’t tell you how disappointed I feel. 11/10 if I could give it as a number.”

In the other heat, Bahamas edged out the United States in a faster race with both gold medal contenders running easily under three minutes.