Japan, South Africa and Spain stormed into the 4x100m finals and secured spots for the World Championships, while the mixed 4x100m launched in dramatic fashion to kick off the first day of competition at the World Athletics Relays Guangzhou 25 on Saturday (10).
There was plenty at stake on a warm and rainy evening in Guangzhou, with eight teams in the first round of the men’s 4x100m and women’s 4x100m automatically qualifying for the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 in September.
South Africa and Japan both ran 37.84 – the fastest time in the world so far this year – to top the list of qualifiers in the men’s event, while Spain set a national record of 42.18 to lead the way in the women’s event.
Canada, Italy and Jamaica won their respective heats in the mixed 4x100m, but there were the expected thrills and spills as the event made its global debut in Guangzhou.
Japan and South Africa dominate
Japan may already have had a place for the World Championships secured as the host nation, but that didn’t stop the men’s 4x100m quartet from giving it their all in the heats.
With World Relays titles, prize money and preferential World Championships lane seeding positions up for grabs for the finalists in Guangzhou, Abdul Hakim Sani Brown combined with Rai Atago, Towa Uzawa and Naoki Inoue to dominate the third men’s 4x100m heat. They clocked 37.84 to match the time achieved by South Africa in the previous heat and finish clear ahead of Olympic champions Canada.
The full Olympic gold medal-winning quartet was in action for Canada and Andre De Grasse ran a powerful anchor to secure the runner-up spot, a place in the final and World Championships qualification in 38.15.
The South African squad starred three of the four members of the team that got Olympic silver behind Canada in Paris – Akani Simbine, Bayanda Walaza and Bradley Nkoana joined this time by Sinesipho Dambile. Simbine anchored them to the heat two win, chased by Lucas Ansah-Peprah who secured second place for Germany with a storming finish.
Kenya set a national record of 38.35 but were denied a place in the final by just two hundredths of a second, while there was disappointment for Jamaica – the squad including Yohan Blake and Kishane Thompson – as the baton never reached Thompson on anchor.
“We came in here as a team and this is our first race as a team together. We went well,” said Simbine. “Tomorrow we just need to make sure we’re cleaner with the exchanges to get the win.”
USA’s Courtney Lindsey, Kenny Bednarek, Kyree King and Brandon Hicklin kept USA’s World Relays title defence on track by winning heat four in 37.86 ahead of Italy in 38.16, in a heat that saw Botswana set a national record of 38.49 to finish fifth, while Great Britain & Northern Ireland will join them in advancing as they won the first heat in 38.18 from Poland in 38.43. Korea’s record of 38.56 placed them fourth.
Qualified for World Championships and progressing to World Relays men’s 4x100m final
Ht 1: Great Britain & NI (38.18), Poland (38.43)
Ht 2: South Africa (37.84), Germany (38.33)
Ht 3: Japan (37.84), Canada (38.15)
Ht 4: United States (37.86), Italy (38.16)
Spain in the spotlight with national record run
The focus might have been on Jamaica, with multiple global gold medallists Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson in the line-up, but it was Spain who stole the spotlight in the first round of the women’s 4x100m.
Esperanca Cladera, Jael Bestue, Paula Sevilla and Maria Isabel Perez combined to run a national record of 42.18 to win the second heat ahead of Jamaica, that team anchored by Jackson in 42.51 after legs by twins Tia and Tina Clayton plus Fraser-Pryce. Germany, with Rebekka Haase on the final leg, clocked 42.98 for third place in a race that saw Poland and hosts China disqualified. That time was enough for Germany to progress as the fastest non automatic qualifier.
“This result is beyond our expectations,” said Cladera. “We are now in May and not even at our greatest or fastest version yet. Seeing this mark gives us tremendous security, and we hope to enjoy it.”
Fraser-Pryce said: “We came out here to qualify, that was the intention. We do have a mix of experiences on the team, we are used to relays. We just had a good run, we finished healthily. We have to stick around and trust each other. We know what to do for tomorrow.”
There was a powerful last leg by Delphine Nkansa to carry Belgium to a heat one win, the team – also featuring Rani Vincke, Rani Rosius and Lien Torfs – clocking 42.80 to pip Olympic silver medallists Great Britain, anchored by Desiree Henry in 42.92. Chile set a national record of 43.64 in fifth.
The US team, which featured Olympic 4x100m champion Twanisha Terry on the last leg, clinched victory in the third heat despite a challenging final handover. She finished clear ahead of Canada’s Audrey Leduc, who brought her team home in 43.11, and they will be joined in the final – as well as at the World Championships – by the Netherlands who qualified thanks to their time of 43.13 for third place.
Qualified for World Championships and progressing to World Relays women’s 4x100m final
Ht 1: Belgium (42.80), Great Britain & NI (42.92)
Ht 2: Spain (42.18), Jamaica (42.51), Germany (42.98)
Ht 3: United States (42.86), Canada (43.11), Netherlands (43.13)
Mixed 4x100m makes debut
The session had started in historic style as the mixed 4x100m was held at the World Relays for the first time.
Samuele Ceccarelli anchored Italy to a first heat win, the 2023 European indoor champion holding off France’s Antoine Thoraval as they clinched the top two spots to qualify for the final – 41.15 to 41.28.
But there was disappointment for USA and Poland, as USA fumbled on the second changeover – during the new woman to man baton exchange between Jada Mowatt and Kendal Williams – and Poland struggled on the third and failed to finish.
The new event features a running order of woman, woman, man, man, and Jamaica got off to a strong start in the second heat through multiple global relay gold medallist Natasha Morrison and Krystal Sloley. Javari Thomas then handed over to Rasheed Foster and although Great Britain’s Joe Ferguson finished fast, Foster held him off by just 0.01 to triumph in 41.04. Host team China was third in 41.30 – enough to clinch them a place in the final on time.
Canada went quicker to win the third heat, Eliezer Adjibi storming down the home straight to overpower Belgium’s Rendel Vermeulen and Australia’s Josiah John.
John and Vermeulen had been pretty evenly matched at the last handover before Adjibi powered past and John chased him down to clinch the second automatic place for the final. Belgium will join Canada – whose quartet also included Gabrielle Cole, Jacqueline Madogo and Duan Asemota – and Australia in that final as the fastest non automatic qualifying team.
“It was exciting to be in a brand new event,” said Asemota. “So, no matter what we do, we’re gonna make history. Our team just won the Olympics, so it’s a rich tradition for 4x100m.”
Progressing to World Relays mixed 4x100m final
Ht 1: Italy (41.15), France (41.28)
Ht 2: Jamaica (41.04), Great Britain & NI (41.05), China (41.30)
Ht 3: Canada (40.90), Australia (41.15), Belgium (41.24)
Jess Whittington for World Athletics
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