Aaron Evans has dedicated his victory in his 800 metres heat at the Commonwealth Games to Torrin Lawrence, his former University of Georgia team-mate, who died in a car crash on Monday.

Lawrence, who helped the United States win a gold medal in his final race at the IAAF World Relays in Nassau this month, was killed after a truck collided with his car in Cordele, Georgia. He was aged just 25.

In an emotional gesture to honour his “dearest friend”, Evans beat his fist against his heart when a television camera rested on him for his close-up at the start of yesterday’s race at Hampden Park.

Evans finished in a time of 1min 50.48sec to qualify for today’s semi-finals, where he will join Shaquille Dill, his Bermuda team-mate, who placed fourth in his heat in 1:49.61.

“Torrin was an amazing runner and he was in my heart when I stepped on the line,” Evans said. “That’s why you might have seen me beat my chest.

“Tomorrow I’ll be doing the same thing because I’m running in Torrin’s honour. I’ve lost a team-mate, a room-mate and a dearest friend.”

Evans executed his tactics to perfection as he waited patiently in fourth position, just outside the automatic qualifiers, for the majority of the race before shifting through the gears in the final 200 metres.

It was an impressive performance by the 24-year-old, who is competing at his first major Games. “It was a very slow race and I knew that the top three qualified, so I just wanted to sit behind in fourth until the race opened up a little,” the Nike Oregon Track Club Elite runner said.

“I didn’t even know that I’d won the heat and it doesn’t really mean too much, other than being a confidence-booster.

“I always expected to do big things this year, but, unfortunately, I’ve been battling a few injuries. I’m excited to reach the semi-finals, although I’m expecting a very different race.”

Dill, who advanced to the semi-finals as one of the four fastest losers, said that he was hampered by hamstring problems along the home stretch and was disappointed not to have posted a quicker time.

“Everything went well until the last 100 metres when my hamstrings got really tight on me and I just couldn’t switch up the gears,” the 20-year-old said. “The race went OK and I’m just thankful that I went through, but I know I can go quicker than that.”

Dill was fifth across the line but moved up a place on review after the Englishman Andrew Osagie was disqualified for obstructing Joe Thomas, of Wales, in the home straight.

The semi-finals will start at 4.55 Bermuda time, with Dill in the first heat, drawn next to David Rudisha, the world record-holder from Kenya.