A dramatic first day in China saw shocks, debut and fierce fighting for relay qualification
The World Relay Championships in Guangzhou started on May 10, while relay teams from all over the world fought for a place on the World Athletics Championships 2025 in Tokyo.
The top 14 finishers in each of the 4x100m and 4x400m relay of the men and women, plus the mixed 4x400m, book their tickets for Tokyo. Two extra places in each event are later awarded via the World Athletics Rankings System, which is based on performance points in the entire season.
A new event was made in Guangzhou when the mixed 4x100m relay made its international debut. The event, designed with a permanent running order – two women leading, followed by two men – Seet the stage for an exciting start of the world relay.
Leave the introduction, the mixed 4x100m will not occur in Tokyo 2025, which means that there were no qualifying places on the line. However, the event will be included in the upcoming World Athletics Ultimate Championship 2026 in Budapest.
Asked in the first heat when the US stops walked between their second and third athletes, eliminating them from the final. Warmth Two offered a tight battle between Great Britain and Jamaica. The British quartet of NIA Wedderburn-Goodison, Kissiwaa Mensah, Jeriel Quainao and Joe Ferguson performed flexible stick changes, but Jamaica approached the last part thanks to Rashed Foster who clocked 41.04 while Great Britain clocked 41.05. Both teams went on to the final.
Groot -Britain also printed in the mixed 4x400m relay, built on their bronze medal success of the Olympic Games in Paris. This time the team contained Josh Faululds, Emily Newnham, Sam Lunt and Nicole Yeargin with Faululds and Newnham who won earlier this year. Yeargin was driven by the anchor bone and caught up with the Zeny van der Walt from South Africa to end in 3: 13.28 and secure in the final, together with Tokyo 2025 qualification.
The United States were at the top of the 4x400m heats with a time of 3: 11.37, while Ireland took second place in 3: 12.56 after a strong final Strong
In the meantime, the 4x100m of the women does not heat -printed twists. Jamaica welcomed rear star Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Sherickka Jackson, but it was Spain who surprised the crowd by winning against Jamaica in a national record time of 42.18. Jamaica still merged as the second-phase test qualifications with 42.51.
Belgium, the third fast qualifications with 42.80, destroyed Great Britain in their heat. Listen to strong effort by Desiree Henry on the last stage after receiving the baton in the leadership, Belgium’s Delphine Nkansa armed itself ahead. Yet the British team of Henry, Bianca Williams, Amy Hunt and Asha Phillip earned a world championships with a time of 42.92.
In the 4x100m of men, Great Britain was set for a simple victory in their heat. Even with the world and European interior champion of 60m champion Jeremiah Azu absent, the team of Romell Glave, Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, Jona Efoloko and Eugene Amo-Dozie delivered a clean achievement, ending in 38.18 to defeat pole.
The second Rhtwite saw more relay-heart seas as Jamaica’s with stars strewn line-up from Rohan Watson, Julian Forte, Yohan Blake and Kishane Thompson rumbled the Stokbeurs at the same point where the US had dropped theirs in the mixed race. As a result, Olympic medal winner Thompson has never been run and the team will try to qualify through the repecage.
South Africa benefited from Jamaica’s fault and stormed into the victory in 37.84 with Akani Simbine ergoing. Japan agreed that time to qualify as the second fast, while the US was generally third with 37.86.
In the 4x400m of the ladies, Great Britain was confronted with disappointment. Because they were Olympic bronze medal winners, they finished third in their heathland with 3: 27.47, behind Spain and Italy, and could not automatically qualify or as one of the two fastest non-automatic qualifications. They will now have to compete in the Repechage to chase a place at the world championships.
The United States led the 4x400m qualifications of women by 3: 26.05, while Spain continued their strong show with the second fast time of 3: 26.25.
On the men’s side of the 4x400M, South Africa placed the fastest time in general with Clean 3: 00.00. France then came and won their heat in 3: 00.30, before Kenya and the US when the last automatic qualification missed and went to the repecage.
Great -Britain, however, insured their place in Tokyo. The quartet of Efekemo Okoro, Toby Harries, Rio Mitcham and Charlie Dobson Klokken 31: 01.38 in their heat behind the 3: 01.35 of Belgium. They both had to fight for it because there was a bit of physical struggling between Qatar’s Ammar Ismail Yahia Ibrahim, with Qatar third in 3: 03.97.
The world relay are streamed live on BBC IPLAYER at 12:05 pm BST on Sunday 11 May.
