Dark clouds are definitely hanging over Jamaica right now—and not the rain kind. First, they weren’t the fastest in the mixed 4x100m relay (Canada stole that spotlight), and then came the women’s 4x100m heats on May 9 at the World Relays. Jamaica rolled out a heavy-duty lineup in Heat 2 and still ended up finishing second. Not ideal, but hey, it wasn’t the end of the world… until the men’s 4x100m heat hit the track.
Let’s talk about Heat 2. Jamaica had Rohan Watson, Julian Forte, Yohan Blake, and Kishane Thompson ready to roll. On paper? Firepower. On the track? A disaster. They didn’t just underperform—they got disqualified. Yep, you read that right. DQ’d. South Africa ended up advancing, but it could’ve easily been Jamaica if not for… whatever went wrong in that exchange. Yohan Blake’s crew had one job, and now everyone’s left scratching their heads. So now the question is: what exactly went wrong with Blake’s team?
Well, that was tough to watch — Jamaica’s men are out of the 4x100m at the World Relays after a dropped baton on the second exchange. One bad handoff, and just like that, they were disqualified. Fans were left stunned — it wasn’t just a mistake, it was a total momentum killer. Meanwhile, South Africa took full advantage. Bayanda Walaza, Sinesipho Dambile, Bradley Nkoana, and Akani Simbine blazed to a 37.84 finish to win the heat. Germany followed with 38.33 thanks to Kevin Kranz, Owen Ansah, Yannick Wolf, and Lucas Ansah-Peprah.
Jamaican men out of the 4x100m after dropping the baton on the second exchange. #WorldRelays pic.twitter.com/W57KMyTYHb
— Travis Miller (@travismillerx13) May 10, 2025
Kenya’s squad — Boniface Ontuga Mweresa, Ferdinand Omanyala, Meshack Babu, and Steve Onyango Odhiambo — clocked a national record of 38.35 but just missed the cut. For Jamaica, it’s not just a loss — it’s a bitter reminder of that baton blunder in the Paris Olympics.
Jamaica’s 4x100m relay disaster at the 2024 Paris Olympics
So, back in 2024, Jamaica’s men’s 4x100m relay team had a bit of a disaster at the Paris Olympics — and honestly, it was a gut punch. Ackeem Blake, Jelani Walker, Jehlani Gordon, and Kishane Thompson ran a solid 38.45 seconds, but here’s the kicker: they missed qualifying by just 0.06 seconds. The baton exchanges were a mess, especially the handoff between Walker and Gordon, and then from Gordon to Thompson. One little mistake in a relay race can cost everything, and that’s exactly what happened. They ended up finishing fourth in their heat, behind Canada, France, and China, and that was it — no final.
Now, here’s the thing: this wasn’t just any loss. Jamaica has been the sprinting powerhouse for so long, and this was a wake-up call. Since Usain Bolt retired in 2017, it’s been a bit of a struggle to keep the same dominance. The men’s team only grabbed two World Championship bronze medals since then, and this setback in Paris didn’t help. To make it worse, Julien Alfred from St. Lucia knocked out Jamaica’s Tia Clayton in the 100m, ending their four-Olympic gold streak.
And if that wasn’t enough, Gabby Thomas from the U.S. took the 200m title, an event Jamaicans used to completely own. It really hit home that even the best can have their day in the sun and then fade away.
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