Botswana line up as the world champions following the victory by Lee Bhekempilo Eppie, Letsile Tebogo, Bayapo Ndori and Collen Kebinatshipi last year in Tokyo. World 400m champion Kebinatshipi, world 400m bronze medallist Ndori and Eppie are listed specifically for the men’s 4x400m in Gaborone – along with Leungo Scotch who ran in the heats in Tokyo – while Olympic 200m champion Tebogo is included in the wider squad.

With USA not fielding a team in the men’s 4x400m, Botswana also start as the leading team from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. There, Kebinatshipi teamed up with Tebogo, Ndori and Anthony Pesela to secure silver in an African record of 2:54.53.

Now Botswana will have sights set on regaining the World Relays crown in front of home fans and securing their spot for a world title defence in Beijing next year.

It’s South Africa who start as the defending World Relays winners as Gardeo Isaacs, Udeme Okon, Leendert Koekemoer and Zakithi Nene won in Guangzhou last year ahead of Belgium and Botswana. They all star in the squad again this time, joined by 2022 world U20 400m champion Lythe Pillay who ran in the heats in Guangzhou and then formed part of his nation’s world bronze medal-winning quartet in Tokyo along with Okon, Nene and Wayde van Niekerk.

As well as making the podium at the past two World Relays, Belgium are two-time world bronze medallists and they also claimed world indoor silver in Kujawy Pomorze in March. Jonathan Sacoor, Christian Iguacel, Julien Watrin, Alexander Doom, Robin Vanderbemden and Dylan Borlée were on that silver medal-winning squad and they have all been selected for Gaborone across the men’s and mixed 4x400m teams.

Great Britain and NI bagged Olympic bronze behind USA and Botswana in Paris and will want to make their mark again with a squad that stars two of the members of that team: Charlie Dobson and Alex Haydock-Wilson, while Lewis Davey has been named for the mixed event.

Jamaica are 2025 and 2026 world indoor medallists, fresh from adding bronze behind Belgium in Kujawy Pomorze to their silver from Nanjing, and they should also be in the mix with a squad that includes 2023 world 400m champion Antonio Watson.

Netherlands won ahead of Japan and Botswana at the 2021 World Relays and went on to secure Olympic silver that year in Tokyo. Both federations will join Botswana in Gaborone.

Other finalists from the World Championships in Tokyo – Qatar and Portugal – will also be among those seeking qualification for Beijing, along with last year’s World Relays finalists Kenya and China.

Jess Whittington for World Athletics