Stage is set for another USA vs Netherlands showdown
USA out for revenge after being beaten at the Olympics last year
Dutch hopes rest on Femke Bol’s participation, but Poland also pose a threat
Perhaps the only certainty with the mixed 4x400m at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 – if recent major competitions are anything to go by – is that it will provide plenty of drama.
At last year’s Olympics, for example, the USA broke the world record in the heats but was then beaten in the final by the Netherlands. It was redemption of sorts for the Dutch squad after their misfortune at the 2023 World Championships, where anchor leg runner Femke Bol fell in the final few metres and could only look on as USA charged to victory.
The USA was in dominant form at the World Relays earlier this year, cruising to a championship record of 3:09.54 to win by almost three seconds. Their squad for Tokyo will undoubtedly be even stronger, as they could potentially draft in one-lap stars such as Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Rai Benjamin and Jacory Patterson to name but a few. Such is their depth, they may opt to save some of their top talent for the men’s and women’s 4x400m finals.
If the Paris Olympics taught the USA anything, though, it’s that they perhaps can’t afford to take things too easy. Not only will the Dutch team be out for redemption, the likes of Poland, Great Britain & NI, Belgium and Italy will all be vying for a spot on the podium. In fact, the six fastest nations in history have all recorded their best performances within the past 13 months, so it’s fairly certain the final will be of a high standard.
It’s unclear whether Bol will feature on the Dutch mixed 4x400m team. She may skip the heats and just run the final, as was the case in Paris last year; then she’d have a day’s rest before the 400m hurdles gets underway.
Poland heads to Tokyo as the world leaders. They won at the European Team Championships in 3:09.43, breaking the national record they set when taking gold at the 2021 Olympics. Italy and Great Britain finished close behind in that race, both teams clocking 3:09.66. Great Britain also claimed silver at the last World Championships and bronze at last year’s Olympics, so they’ll be keen to maintain that momentum.
Belgium finished just outside of the medals in Paris last year in 3:09.36, making them the fourth-fastest nation in history. Another sub-3:10 clocking would put them in contention for a medal.
Given Spain’s incredible relay success across the board this year, they could be another nation to look out for. The same is true of Australia and Kenya, who finished second and third at the World Relays. Jamaica, winners of this year’s NACAC Championships, and South Africa are other teams with strong potential.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics
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