The mixed 4x400m at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 (© Getty Images)
Women's 4x400m
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Relays can often be difficult events in which to predict a winner, but of all the championship relay disciplines, the women’s 4x400m is usually the easiest one to call.
USA has dominated the event in recent times, winning seven of the past eight world titles, and all Olympic gold medals in the event from 1996 onwards.
Given the current standard of 400m running in the USA, their winning streak looks set to continue in Budapest.
Even with the recent withdrawal of world leader Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the USA could still potentially field a relay team of four women who have broken 50 seconds for 400m this year: Britton Wilson, Talitha Diggs, Shamier Little and Gabby Thomas.
Britton Wilson in the 4x400m at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 (© Getty Images)
Jamaica was the last team to defeat the USA at the World Championships, doing so in 2015. They have reached the podium at nine of the past 11 editions of the event, as well as at the past six Olympic Games.
They also head to Budapest with the second-best overall depth at 400m, with several women with sub-51-second season’s bests.
But Great Britain has a similarly consistent record of reaching the podium at the World Championships, doing so in eight of the past nine editions, including in Oregon last year when they earned bronze.
A dropped baton in the heats prevented the Netherlands from contending for a medal in Oregon last year, so their quartet will be hugely motivated in Budapest. They have two formidable sub-50-second performers in the shape of Femke Bol and Lieke Klaver; they’ll just have to play their aces wisely to use them to maximum effect.
Poland, the Olympic silver medallists in 2021, don’t have quite the same depth this season as they have done in recent years, but Natalia Kaczmarek – who has improved to 49.48 this year – should be a huge asset to the team. They may, however, decide to channel their energies into the mixed 4x400m, which could represent a better chance of a medal.
Canada has finished fourth in the women’s 4x400m at the last World Championships and Olympic Games, despite not having the speediest team on paper, so don’t be surprised if they’re a factor in the final once again.
The same applies to Belgium, who set a national record of 3:22.12 last year to finish fourth at the European Championships, a month after finishing sixth at the World Championships.
Men's 4x400m
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As the reigning world and Olympic champions – and, quite simply, the most dominant 400m nation in the world – it’s difficult to look past the USA in the men’s 4x400m.
They have won eight of the past nine world titles in this event, and they could well add to that tally in Budapest, provided they don’t have any mishaps. Even if they spread some of their 400m talent pool to the mixed 4x400m, they will likely still have better depth in the men’s 4x400m than any other nation in the world.
Champion Allison anchors USA to men's 4x400m victory in Oregon (© AFP / Getty Images)
But sometimes relays can bring out the unexpected best in people, and smaller nations challenge the athletics superpowers.
Jamaica has earned silver in this event at the past two World Championships, both times finishing just ahead of Belgium. The current standard of Jamaican 400m running certainly suggests the Caribbean nation could once again challenge for a medal in Budapest. Belgium, meanwhile, hasn’t had its best year of 400m running, but experience can count for a lot in relays, so they can’t be discounted.
The Netherlands and Botswana took silver and bronze at the Olympic Games in 2021, and both teams should also be a factor in Budapest.
Botswana boasts four sub-45-second performers this year, so they have the potential to break 3:00. No Dutch 400m runner has bettered 45 seconds this season – but, then again, Terrence Agard had a season’s best of 46.01 in 2021, yet went on to run a 43.7-second split at the Tokyo Olympics.
Several area champions will also be in action in Budapest.
Great Britain won the European title in Munich last year, finishing ahead of Belgium and France in a close race. They’ll also be keen to make amends in Budapest, after not qualifying in this discipline at the last World Championships.
Trinidad & Tobago, the world 4x400m champions in 2017, won gold at the recent Central American & Caribbean Games with a squad that was anchored by world indoor champion Jereem Richards.
Sri Lanka, meanwhile, took a surprise gold at the recent Asian Championships in a national record of 3:01.56, making them the second-fastest team heading to Budapest.
Japan finished fourth in Oregon last year, setting an Asian record of 2:59.51 and finishing ahead of Trinidad & Tobago and Botswana. Individually, Japan’s 400m depth this year is significantly better than it was in 2022, so they could contend for a place on the podium.
Italy, France and Poland have all made global finals in recent years, so they’ll be among the teams to watch in the final. India, who narrowly missed the Olympic final in Tokyo but recently claimed silver at the Asian Championships, could also be among the contenders.
Mixed 4x400m
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Despite the USA having the biggest pool of 400m talent to call upon, the sprint powerhouse has so far won just one mixed 4x400m final at the three global championships at which it has featured since being added to the major event programme.
They won the inaugural world title in 2019 in a world record time (3:09.34), but Poland were the surprising victors at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in a European record of 3:09.87, while the Dominican Republic struck gold in Oregon last year in a national record of 3:09.82, the second-fastest time in history.
Marileidy Paulino in the mixed 4x400m at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 (© AFP / Getty Images)
The USA looks like the team to beat heading into Budapest, but that also seemed the case ahead of the last two global championships and they ended up with bronze on both occasions.
That said, both Poland and the Dominican Republic don’t have quite the same depth this season as they have done in recent years, so it would be a huge surprise if either team once again managed to beat the USA.
The Netherlands, on the other hand, could mount a strong challenge for gold. After all, they finished ahead of the USA at last year’s World Championships to take silver, and their squad includes the likes of Femke Bol and Lieke Klaver.
Jamaica took silver in the mixed 4x400m in 2019, but placed seventh at the Olympic Games in Tokyo and fifth at last year’s World Championships. Keen to return to the podium, they will be utilising Rusheen McDonald – who clocked a PB of 44.03 earlier this year – in the mixed 4x400m in Budapest.
Great Britain & Northern Ireland has enough one-lap sprint talent to challenge for medals in the mixed 4x400m, even though they’re yet to earn a global medal in this discipline. Perhaps Budapest is where their fortunes will change.
Belgium placed fifth at the Olympics, while Ireland reached the final at the most recent World Championships and Olympics. Their investments in this event is clearly paying off.
Somewhat surprisingly, the Czech Republic has the world-leading mark leading into Budapest with their 3:12.34 national record from the European Team Championships. But if they match that time in the Hungarian capital, it should be enough to advance to the final.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics
