Every track and field athlete is chasing the same dream right now: making it to the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September. But there’s a catch. You don’t just show up—first, you’ve got to earn your spot at the World Athletics Relays. And not just on one day, either. You’ve got to create a stir on both days. Only the 14 best teams in men’s and women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relays and mixed 4x400m will have their tickets stamped for Tokyo. Here comes the juicy part. The mixed 4x100m heats began on May 9. So, who broke the fastest time in all the heats? Want to take a guess? You’d think it was from the U.S. or Jamaica, correct? Nope. Neither of them. So, who won?
It was Canada that came out swinging in Heat 3 in Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China. Their squad—Gabrielle Cole, Jacqueline Madogo, Duan Asemota, and Eliezer Adjibi—clocked a lightning-fast 40.90, the best time of the day across all heats. Yeah, Canada didn’t just qualify—they made a statement.
Australia wasn’t far behind, though. Olivia Dodds, Carla Bull, Connor Bond, and Josiah John got the baton around in 41.15 to take second in that heat. Belgium held it down for third with 41.24, thanks to Janie De Naeyer, Lotte Van Lent, Robbe Torfs, and Rendel Vermeulen. And right behind them, the Netherlands wrapped things up with a solid 41.81 from Demi van den Wildenberg, Fenna Achterberg, Timo Spiering, and Eugene Omalla. But hold up—Jamaica was doing their thing too.
The first-ever mixed 4x100m relays were eventful
At the World Relays in Guangzhou USA did not qualify for the final after dropping the baton in the heats.
Great Britain finished a close second in their heat (41.04) to Jamaica (41.05) as they both qualify alongside the likes… pic.twitter.com/ucuwUTVwoL
— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) May 10, 2025
Jamaica looked like they had it in the bag—until Canada flipped the script in Heat 3. For a moment, the sprint powerhouse seemed ready to remind everyone why they’re the gold standard in relays. With a legacy built on Olympic dominance and a lineup that read like a sprint all-star list—Natasha Morrison, Krystal Sloley, Javari Thomas, and Rasheed Foster—they blazed through Heat 2 in 41.04, the fastest time of that heat and second-best overall.
That should’ve been enough to top the charts, but Canada edged them out with a 40.90 in the next heat. It was a bitter pill, especially for a country where sprinting is practically a national sport. Great Britain trailed just behind with a razor-thin 41.05, while China followed with 41.30 seconds and Germany with 41.43. But hey, they still made it. The top two teams from each heat automatically advanced to the final, with the next two fastest overall filling out the lineup.
So it’s Canada and Australia from Heat 3 and Jamaica and Great Britain from Heat 2 who’ll battle it out in the mixed 4x100m final on May 10. Solid efforts from China, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands just weren’t quite enough to punch a ticket. So while Jamaica didn’t walk away with the fastest time on paper, they’re still very much in the mix—and if history’s any clue, you can never count them out when it’s time to race for real.
But still, they are qualified. The first two teams in each heat automatically advanced to the final, and the next two fastest teams overall filled the remaining slots. That means Canada and Australia from Heat 3 and Jamaica and Great Britain from Heat 2 are the four teams moving on to the mixed 4x100m final on May 10. But where is Team USA? What? They didn’t qualify?
Team USA’s mixed 4x100m relay disaster at the World Relays
The first-ever mixed 4x100m relay for Team USA at the World Relays in Guangzhou was… well, eventful—but not in the way anyone hoped. With a stacked lineup featuring Olympic and world championship medalists like Erriyon Knighton, Kenny Bednarek, and Twanisha “TeeTee” Terry, expectations were sky-high. But once again, the baton curse reared its ugly head.
In the heat of the moment—literally—a clean handoff turned chaotic. As one of the female sprinters came charging in with the baton, her male teammate took off just a beat too soon. What should’ve been a routine exchange turned into a scrambled mess, and just like that, the baton hit the track. Result? The USA was out. No final, no redemption, just another chapter in what’s becoming an all-too-familiar storyline.
And this isn’t just a one-off. It’s part of a disturbing pattern for a country that used to dominate the relays like clockwork. Despite producing world-class sprinters year after year, the U.S. men’s 4x100m relay team has become infamous—not for their speed, but for their spectacular stumbles. Remember Paris? Another loaded squad: Christian Coleman, Kenny Bednarek, Kyree King, and Fred Kerley.
Four stars, one baton, and yet another disaster. Coleman’s pass to Bednarek? Mistimed and outside the legal zone. Bednarek nearly stopped dead to fix it, but the damage was done. DQ. Game over. What used to be a golden guarantee has turned into a gamble every time the U.S. steps onto the track. And after Guangzhou, it’s clear: the baton isn’t just a stick—it’s the Achilles’ heel of American sprinting.
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