FLASH: Jamaica set mixed 4x100m world record of 39.99 in Gaborone

The Jamaican quartet of Ackeem Blake, Tina Clayton, Kadrian Goldson and Tia Clayton stormed to a mixed 4x100m world record* in the very first event of the Debswana World Athletics Relays Gaborone 26 on Saturday (2).

The competition started in sensational style as Jamaica’s 39.99 in the third of the three mixed 4x100m heats beat the world record of 40.07 set by Canada in heat one. That had improved on the world best of 40.30 achieved by Canada when the mixed 4x100m made its global debut at last year’s World Relays in Guangzhou.

Using the new running order of man, woman, man, woman, Blake handed the baton to Tina Clayton, who then passed it on to Goldson before Tia Clayton ran away unchallenged to break 40 seconds in this event for the first time.

Great Britain & NI finished second in that heat in 40.72.

Eliezer Adjibi, Marie-Éloise Leclair, Duan Asemota and Audrey Leduc formed the Canadian team that ran 40.07, Leduc running a storming anchor leg to hold off Germany (40.15), Netherlands (40.20) and Nigeria (40.24), who all also dipped under the previous world best.

Those four teams all also qualified for the final on Sunday (3) and automatically qualified for the World Athletics Championships Beijing 27 – with the top two teams in each of the three heats and the next two quickest securing their spots. On Sunday, teams will also race for places for the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest in September – the top six teams in the final will book those places.

USA won the second mixed 4x100m heat in 40.36 ahead of Spain (40.51).

Qualified for World Championships and progressing to World Relays mixed 4x100m final

Ht 1: Canada (40.07 WR), Germany (40.15), Netherlands (40.20), Nigeria (40.24)
Ht 2: United States (40.36), Spain (40.51)
Ht 3: Jamaica (39.99 WR), Great Britain & NI (40.72)

Jamaica top qualifiers in women’s 4x100m

Jamaica also led the women’s 4x100m heats as two-time world 200m champion Shericka Jackson combined with Jodean Williams, Lavanya Williams and Jonielle Smith to clock 41.96 and win the third and final heat.

As for all events in Gaborone, the top two teams in each of the three heats and the next two quickest automatically qualified for the final and also booked their spots for the World Athletics Championships Beijing 27.

Germany finished second behind Jamaica in that third heat in 42.44, Sina Kammerschmitt and Sophia Junk returning to the track a short while after forming part of their nation’s mixed 4x100m team.

Spain won the first heat in 42.26 from Canada in 42.39 – both teams also featuring team-members from the earlier mixed 4x100m – María Isabel Pérez and Jaël Bestué for Spain, and Audrey Leduc and Marie-Éloise Leclair for Canada.

Pérez and Bestué also featured on Spain’s team that placed runner-up at last year’s World Relays in Guagzhou and they will aim to go one better in tomorrow’s final, but they won’t be joined by last year’s champions Great Britain & NI as their quartet was disqualified from the second heat after a baton exchange outside the takeover zone.

China won that second heat in 42.62 and world indoor 60m champion Zaynab Dosso anchored Italy to second place in 42.94.

The final will also feature Poland (43.09) and Portugal, whose national record of 43.11 saw them qualify a women’s 4x100m team for the World Athletics Championships for the first time, by just 0.003 of a second.

Reigning Olympic and world champions USA finished fourth in their heat in 43.33 but will have another chance to race for World Championships qualification in the additional round on Sunday.

Qualified for World Championships and progressing to World Relays women's 4x100m final

Ht 1: Spain (42.26), Canada (42.39), Poland (43.09)
Ht 2: China (42.62), Italy (42.94)
Ht 3: Jamaica (41.96), Germany (42.44), Portugal (43.11)

More to follow...

*Subject to the usual ratification procedure