GABARONE, BOTSWANA, May 01–02 — If a single race can characterize the eighth edition of the World Relays, then the men’s 4 x 400 win by the hosts is the one. The astounding and competitive battle in the meet’s final event made Botswana National Stadium explode in one of the loudest celebrations ever, the victors greeted by the nation’s president trackside amid a party that continued long past the broadcast window. The jubilant scene more than made up for any disappointment of not seeing a fully-charged U.S. team take on the world. Here’s our recap of the finals as they happened:
Mixed 4 x 100: The World Record, 40.30 by Canada in last year’s edition, didn’t last long. First the defenders produced a WR 40.07 to win heat 1. Heat 2 went to the United States in 40.36. Then Jamaica, running an A team, stamped itself as the favorite with a WR 39.99 in heat 3.
The final played out with few surprises. The key squads made no substitutions. Jamaica got out well in lane 6 with Ackeem Blake as Courtney Lindsey kept the U.S. close. Tina Clayton’s backstretch sprint broke the race open, leaving Jada Mowatt and the U.S. well behind. On the second turn, Kadrian Goldson continued the rout, Kyree King unable to close at all. The final stretch belonged to Jamaica as Tia Clayton lengthened the lead to 7 meters. U.S. anchor E’Lexis Hollis got caught by Canada’s Audrey Leduc.
For the islanders, a new World Record of 39.62, with Canada at 40.23 and the United States settling for bronze in 40.33. For the Americans it marked an improvement over ’25, when the U.S. had stick problems and finished last in its heat. Of the original four named to the U.S. squad, the only one who ran was Hollis (PR 11.25 at altitude).
Mixed 4 x 400: In the final, Jamaica handed off first after Deandre Watkins’ 44.81. Australia’s Cooper Sherman covered the opener in 45.08, just ahead of Bryce Deadmon’s 45.12. On the second leg, Team USA’s Paris Peoples quickly caught Jamaica’s Shana Kaye Anderson and the two pulled away, Peoples clocking 49.19 to Anderson’s 49.77.
Jenoah McKiver hammered the third leg in 43.50, hoping to get more daylight on the Jamaicans, whose Antonio Watson lost ground with his 43.87.
Bailey Lear and Jamaican 400 hurdler Rushell Clayton battled on the final lap, with the Jamaican moving into passing position before Lear dug deep on the final stretch. Her 49.66 contributed to a championship record 3:07.47, missing the WR set at the Paris Games by just 0.06. Clayton’s 49.79 gave the Jamaicans silver in a national record 3:08.24, now the No. 4 nation ever. Kenya’s Mercy Adongo Oketch made a brave bid for bronze with her 49.46 but Great Britain’s Yemi Mary John reeled her in with a 49.08, final times 3:09.84-3:09.93.
Women’s 4 x 100: The U.S. bid for a medal ended in the heats, when the foursome of Semira Killebrew, Jadyn Mays, Samirah Moody and Karimah Davis finished 4th in heat 1 in 43.33, well behind the winning 42.26 of Spain, with Canada at 42.39.
In the final, the Canadians led at each exchange, forcing a solid Jamaican squad to play catch-up. It took 5-time Olympic gold medalist Elaine Thompson-Herah on anchor to finally pass the challengers. She streaked to a 42.00, ahead of a Canadian record 42.17 and Spain’s 42.31.
Men’s 4 x 100: Running a world leader of 37.77 in heat 1 assured the United States nothing at all. In heat 2 the Canadians — running their Olympic gold lineup — bettered that with a 37.56 while Germany ran 37.67 and Australia 37.87. Then the defending champion South Africans ran 37.68 in heat 3. Not advancing were the Jamaicans, with a non-qualifying 38.08 for 4th in heat 2 (and some controversy over world 100 champion Oblique Seville’s absence — scheduling conflict vs. rumors of refusal to pay for his travel).
The final came down to the United States in lane 6 and South Africa in 7. Smooth handoffs for both throughout, with Ronnie Baker, Max Thomas and Lance Lang getting the baton to Pjai Austin a step ahead of the South Africans with Akani Simbine on anchor. Austin drove hard, and though Simbine ate into that lead, he held on for the gold in a world-leading 37.43, with South Africa setting an African record 37.49. It was only the second time ever that two teams had broken 37.50. Germany grabbed bronze in 37.76. Canada’s hopes died when Jerome Blake pulled up on the backstretch and limped to the exchange; the team finished 7th in 40.06. Britain dropped its baton on the second exchange.
Said Austin of the U.S. effort, “There was a lot of pressure on us… they said we brought our C team or whatever, but I feel like whenever we step on the track, we get the job done.”
Women’s 4 x 400: The absence of U.S. entries in both 4x4s rightfully disappointed fans home and abroad. In the women’s race, Great Britain led the heats at 3:21.28, ahead of Norway’s NR 3:22.78. The usually strong Jamaicans (3:27.19) and Poles (3:27.82) failed to advance.
Spain got out best in the final, with Paula Sevilla’s 50.60 ahead of Norway’s Josefine Tomine Eriksen (51.26). On leg 2, Norway’s Amalie Iuel (49.71) caught a Canadian breakaway before the exchange. On the third leg, Norway’s Astri Ertzgaard led much of the distance with her 51.08, with Spain’s Rocio Arroyo (50.51) catching her before the final handoff.
Henriette Jæger, the World Indoor bronze medalist, passed Blanca Hervás on the backstretch to give Norway the lead again. She finished an impressive 48.91 for the gold and another Norwegian record, this one 3:20.96. Hervás clocked 49.44 for a Spanish record 3:21.25 in silver. Canada got bronze in 3:22.66, Savannah Sutherland’s 50.34 almost falling to the 49.40 anchor by Charlotte Henrich for Britain’s 3:22.77.
“I knew that we were about to do something crazy,” said Norway’s Iuel, a USC alum.
Men’s 4 x 400: That Botswana would be favored in the absence of the United States was no surprise, especially given the adrenaline of the home crowd. But that the race would be so incredibly competitive gave fans plenty to cheer. After a 2:57.52 in the heats behind Australia’s 2:57.30, the home team brought in superstar Letsile Tebogo for the final.
The roar of the crowd accompanied the Batswana throughout, with Lee Eppie leading the first leg in 44.26. Tebogo then started strongly but appeared to fade on the stretch, allowing South Africa’s Lythe Pillay to pass him and Australia to come close. The splits, though, told a different story. Tebogo had clocked a solid 43.50, while unheralded Pillay, a 44.31 open performer, had produced the fastest split in world history with his 42.66 (topping Michael Johnson’s 42.94 from ’93), and Australia’s Reece Holder had split 43.12.
Bayapo Ndori made a strong bid to recapture the lead on the backstretch, but South Africa’s Leendert Koekemoer held him off. Ndori fought back again before the exchange, his 43.62 giving the team an 0.04 advantage.
The final lap couldn’t have been more stirring. On the backstretch, South Africa, Botswana and Australia ran side-by-side. Once they came off the curve, Australia fell back while Botswana’s Collen Kebinatshipi fought his way past South Africa’s Zakithi Nene. At the line he had nearly a 5-meter lead, his 43.09 clinching a 2:54.47 meet record — the No. 3 time ever — that had the stadium shaking with dancing and deafening noise. South Africa claimed silver in a national record 2:55.07, ahead of Australia’s record 2:55.20, the fastest 3rd-place ever.
Admitted leadoff Eppie, “We sat down yesterday and agreed that we would not make any more mistakes because we wanted to run the World Record. We didn’t care about the gold.”
WORLD RELAYS RESULTS
(altitude 989m)
Men’s Events
4 x 100: 1. United States 37.43 (WL, AL) (9 A) (Ronnie Baker, Max Thomas, Lance Lang, Pjai Austin);
2. South Africa 37.49 NR (#6 nation) (Moss, Johnson, Nkoana, Simbine);
3. Germany 37.76 (Kranz, Schulte, Ansah, Ansah-Peprah);
4. Australia 38.00 (Kennedy, Azzopardi, Ius, Browning);
5. Netherlands 38.17 (Omalla, Burnet, Adigida, Afrifa);
6. Botswana 38.35 (Mandoze, Selepe, Lobatlamang, Omphile);
7. Canada 40.06 (Brown, Blake, Rodney, De Grasse);
… dnf—Great Britain (Azu, Hughes, Mitchell-Blake, Glave).
Heats: I–1. United States 37.77 (WL, AL). II–1. Canada 37.56 (WL); 2. Germany 37.67 NR (#9 nation).
4 x 400: 1. Botswana 2:54.47 NR (WL) (3 W) (Lee Eppie 44.26, Letsile Tebogo 43.50, Bayapo Ndori 43.62, Collen Kebinatshipi 43.09);
2. South Africa 2:55.07 NR (5 W)
(Mthimkulu 44.40, Pillay 42.66 [fastest split ever], Koekemoer 44.36, Nene 43.65);
3. Australia 2:55.20 NR (6 W)
(Van Ratingen 44.86, Holder 43.12, Reynolds 43.43, Murphy 43.79);
4. Portugal 2:59.75
(Afonso 45.28, Tavares 45.46, Coelho 44.76, Elkhatib 44.25);
5. Zimbabwe 2:59.79
(Hove 45.32, Leeford 44.91, Muwishi 45.33, Ndlovu 44.23);
6. Netherlands 3:00.13
(Blake 45.94, Omalla 45.26, van Diepen 44.20, Phijffers 44.73);
7. Belgium 3:00.69
(Watrin 46.06, Vanderbemden 45.34, D. Borlée 45.21, Doom 44.08);
… dq[lane]—Qatar.
(best-ever mark-for-place: 3)
Heats:
I–1. Australia 2:57.30 NR (No. 7 nation) (Van Ratingen, Holder, Hunt, Aidan Murphy).
Women’s Events
4 x 100: 1. Jamaica 42.00 (Briana Williams, Jodean Williams, Lavanya Williams, Elaine Thompson-Herah);
2. Canada 42.17 NR (McCreath, Leduc, Leclair, Ntambue)
3. Spain 42.31 (Carrillo, Bestue, Cladera, Pérez);
4. Italy 42.61 (Pagliarini, Hooper, Kaddari, Pavese);
5. China 42.61 (Liang, Liu, Zhu, Chen);
6. Germany 42.61 (John, Haase, Ernst, Lückenkemper);
7. Poland 43.23 (Stefanowicz, Granaszewska, Niemczyk, Skrzyszowska);
… dq[drop]—Portugal (Bazolo, Pinto, Castelhano, Gandulla)
4 x 400: 1. Norway 3:20.96 NR (WL) (No. 10 nation)
(Josefine Tomine Eriksen 51.26, Amalie Hammild Iuel 49.71, Astri Ayo Lakeri Ertzgaard 51.08, Henriette Jæger 48.91);
2. Spain 3:21.25 NR
(Sevilla 50.60, Prieto 50.70, Arroyo 50.51, Hervas 49.44);
3. Canada 3:22.66
(Sherar 51.30, Gale 50.17, Nijjar 50.85, Sutherland 50.34);
4. Great Britain 3:22.77
(Nielsen 51.81, Yeargin 49.61, Malik 51.95, Henrich 49.40);
5. Netherlands 3:23.12(Franke 51.43, Klaver 49.93, Van Der Schoot 51.09, Saalberg 50.67);
6. Italy 3:23.40 =NR
(Borga 51.93, Troiani 50.52, Bonora 50.42, Mangione 50.53);
7. Czechia 3:28.97
(Malíková 52.03, Bisová 53.19, Táborská 51.94, Lurdes Manuel 51.81);
8. Germany 3:29.37
(Demes 52.86, Bulmahn 52.77, Hoven 52.20, Gorr 51.54).
Mixed Events
4 x 100: 1. Jamaica 39.62 WR (old WR 39.99 Jamaica in heats) (Ackeem Blake, Tina Clayton, Kadrian Goldson, Tia Clayton);
2. Canada 40.23 (Adjibi, Leclair, Asemota, Leduc);
3. United States 40.33 AR (old AR 40.36 in heats) (Courtney Lindsey, Jada Mowatt, Kyree King, E’lexis Hollis);
4. Germany 40.52 (Wolf, Kadiri, Gussmann, Kammerschmitt);
5. Spain 41.05 (Crespi, Navero, Calbano, Rodrigo);
6. Nigeria 42.03 (Ashe, Chukwuka, Chidera, Omokwe);
… dnf—Great Britain (Jones, Bell, Quainoo, Henry);
… dnf—Netherlands (Omalla, Bisschops, Ekpo, De Blaauw).
Heats: I–1. Canada 40.07 WR (old WR 40.37 China ’25). II–1. United States 40.36 AR (old AR 40.84 USA ’26).
III–1. Jamaica 39.99 WR (old WR 40.07 Canada in heats).
4 x 400: 1. United States 3:07.47 (WL, AL) (3 W)
(Bryce Deadmon 45.12, Paris Peoples 49.19, Jenoah McKiver 43.50, Bailey Lear 49.66);
2. Jamaica 3:08.24 NR (6 W)
(Watkin 44.81, Anderson 49.77, Watson 43.87, Clayton 49.79);
3. Great Britain 3:09.84 NR
(Haydock-Wilson 46.13, Nielsen 49.47, Minshull 45.16, John 49.08);
4. Kenya 3:09.93
(Mutuku 45.31, Chebet 51.04, Tonui 44.12, Oketch 49.46);
5. Italy 3:10.52
(Benati 45.75, Polinari 49.63, Aceti 44.96, Coiro 50.18);
6. Spain 3:13.05
(García 46.26, Santidrian 50.61, Arenas 45.02, Avilés 51.16);
7. Australia 3:13.07
(Sherman 45.08, Gross 50.83, Hunt 44.83, Loizou 52.33);
… dnf—Poland.
Heats: I–1. United States 3:09.82 (WL, AL) (Deadmon, Peoples, Brian Faust, Lear); 2. Spain 3:09.89 NR (No. 10 nation). III–1. Great Britain 3:09.69 NR (WL); 2. Kenya 3:09.87 NR (=No. 9 nation).
