United States seeking to return to gold standard after 2023 baton blunder
Femke Bol to anchor Dutch as they defend title
Great Britain and Jamaica are medal contenders – along with World Athletics Relays victors Spain
Since earning women’s world 4x400m relay gold for the first time in 1993, the United States have won 10 of the past 16 titles on offer.
They will arrive in Tokyo keen to restore their prestige in these championships following their disqualification at the last edition in Budapest two years ago for passing the baton outside the takeover zone.
That opened the way for the Netherlands, anchored by Femke Bol, to make their first World Championship medal in this event a golden one, with Jamaica and Great Britain taking respective silver and bronze.
Victory at last year’s Olympic Games ahead of the Netherlands and Great Britain restored the USA’s global standing, but they will still be hard pressed in Tokyo.
Jamaica will also be in the mix once again. They have made the podium on all but two occasions since winning this title at the 2001 World Championships, taking silver at the past two editions. The Jamaicans will also have their own point to prove, having failed to finish in last year’s Olympic final.
Of the US quartet that secured Paris 2024 gold – Shamier Little, Gabby Thomas, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Alexis Holmes – only the latter two are available.
Holmes is named for the relay along with Lynna Irby-Jackson, a squad member for the 2021 Olympic gold medallists, and Britton Wilson. All three ran for the team that currently tops the world list with a time of 3:23.24.
Holmes is the only member in Tokyo of the quartet that won gold at this year’s World Indoor Championships in Nanjing.
The USA’s individual 400m representatives are Aaliyah Butler, Isabella Whittaker and McLaughlin-Levrone. Clearly the involvement of the latter athlete – double Olympic champion and world record holder at 400m hurdles, now seeking a first global title on the flat – will be critical.
The Netherlands will once again be able to call upon Bol, who will defend her 400m hurdles title in Tokyo. At this year’s European Indoor Championships on home ground in Apeldoorn, she anchored the Dutch team to victory in a championship record of 3:24.34.
Great Britain, silver medallists behind the Netherlands in that race, will be able to call upon three of the four runners who secured Olympic bronze last year in a national record of 3:19.72 – Amber Anning, Nicole Yeargin and Victoria Ohuruogu.
Meanwhile, Spain emerged as a potential medal contender following a surprise victory at this year’s World Relays in Guangzhou, winning in a national record of 3:24.13 to beat the USA. South Africa were third in that race a national record of 3:24.84, and Norway also set a national record to finish fourth.
Italy, France, Canada and Germany were the other finalists in Guangzhou, with the remainder of the qualifying places going to the top three in the two repechage races.
Britain won the first of these ahead of Belgium and Poland, while the second saw Ireland – who finished fourth at the Paris 2024 Games – take first place ahead of Australia and Switzerland.
Mike Rowbottom for World Athletics
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