World leads fall as 4x400m teams light up first round in Gaborone

• Four teams break 3:10 in mixed 4x400m heats

• Britain dominate women’s 4x400m with second-fastest time ever at World Relays

• Australia upstage hosts Botswana to smash Oceanian record in men’s 4x400m

 

World-leading marks fell across all three 4x400m disciplines at the Debswana World Athletics Relays Gaborone 26 on Saturday (2), as Great Britain & NI and Australia produced standout performances in the first round.

Before this year, there had been just one sub-3:10 performance in the mixed 4x400m at the World Relays. In Gaborone on Saturday, four teams broke that barrier in a high-quality opening round, with Great Britain & NI, USA, Kenya and Spain all dipping under 3:10.

USA, the world champions and world record-holders, started as the overwhelming favourites in the first heat as they set out to defend the title they won in Guangzhou last year.

Bryce Deadmon and Paris Peoples gave the US an early lead on the opening two legs. Brian Faust took up the running on leg three, but he was overtaken by Australia’s Thomas Reynolds in the closing stages.

Bailey Lear regained the lead for the US on the final leg, but had to work hard to hold off the challenge from Spain’s Blanca Hervas. Lear crossed the line in 3:09.82 as Spain finished second in a national record of 3:09.89. Australia placed third in an Oceanian record of 3:10.57, which ultimately proved enough to secure World Championships qualification and a place in the final. Ireland, European champions in this event just two years ago, missed out (3:12.05).

The second heat was more clear-cut, with Jamaica dominating from the midway point. Deandre Watkin and Shana Kaye Anderson gave Jamaica a slight lead at halfway before 2023 world champion Antonio Watson opened up daylight on the chase pack.

Rushell Clayton maintained Jamaica’s lead on the final leg, but behind her there were significant changes. Natalia Bukowiecka elevated Poland from fourth to second, with Nigeria’s Patience Okon George fighting hard. Clayton crossed the line in 3:11.68 ahead of Bukowiecka (3:13.00) with George close behind (3:13.12).

Kenya led for most of the way in the final heat, with George Mutinda and Mercy Oketch producing strong efforts on the opening two legs. But Olympic bronze medallists Great Britain & NI closed well on the final leg thanks to Yemi Mary John, catching Kenya just before the line to win in 3:09.69.

Kenya’s Mercy Chebet held on to finish second in an African record of 3:09.87, while Italy placed third in 3:10.60 to secure the final qualifying spot for the World Championships.

Qualified for World Championships and progressing to World Relays mixed 4x400m final

Ht 1: USA (3:09.82), Spain (3:09.89), Australia (3:10.57)
Ht 2: Jamaica (3:11.68), Poland (3:13.00)
Ht 3: Great Britain & NI (3:09.69), Kenya (3:09.87), Italy (3:10.60)

 

British women dominate in 4x400m first round

Defending champions Spain got proceedings under way in the women’s 4x400m. They were locked in battle with Germany for most of the way, but Blanca Hervas, who had already raced in the mixed event just 88 minutes prior, came through to win in 3:24.44 – their second-fastest time behind the Spanish record of 3:24.13 they set when winning in Guangzhou.

Czechia’s world indoor champion Lurdes Gloria Manuel produced a superb anchor leg to finish second in 3:25.42, overtaking Germany (3:25.76) in the closing stages.

Canada dominated the second heat after Zoe Sherar and Lauren Gale built a big lead by halfway, and their teammates maintained that advantage through the second half. They won comfortably in 3:23.52, their fastest ever time at the World Relays.

Italy placed second in 3:24.46, finishing clearly ahead of Poland, whose time of 3:27.62 wasn’t enough to secure World Championships qualification.

Great Britain & NI were unchallenged in the third and final heat. Laviai Nielsen, Emily Newnham, Charlotte Henrich and Nicole Yeargin teamed up to win in 3:21.28 – their fourth-fastest time ever, behind only the three performances that earned them global medals. It’s also the second-fastest time ever at the World Relays, after USA’s competition record of 3:19.39 set back in 2015.

Behind them, Norway – anchored by 2025 world indoor bronze medallist Henriette Jaeger – finished second in a national record of 3:22.78. The Netherlands placed third in 3:24.74 to secure the last available qualifying place for the World Championships.

Qualified for World Championships and progressing to World Relays women’s 4x400m final

Ht 1: Spain (3:24.44), Czechia (3:25.42), Germany (3:25.76)
Ht 2: Canada (3:23.52), Italy (3:24.46)
Ht 3: Great Britain & NI (3:21.28), Norway (3:22.78), Netherlands (3:24.74)

 

Australia threaten competition record to hold off Botswana in men’s 4x400m

Australia’s quartet of Luke van Ratingen, Reece Holder, Matthew Hunt and Aidan Murphy joined forces to take down an Oceanian 4x400m record that had stood since 1984.

Despite the home crowd cheering on world champions Botswana, Australia led after two legs, reaching halfway in 1:27.71. World champion Collen Kebinatshipi put Botswana back into the lead on the third leg, but he fumbled his exchange as Australia regained the lead.

Murphy held on to win for Australia in a world-leading Oceanian record of 2:57.30 – just 0.05 shy of USA’s competition record from 2015. Botswana placed second in 2:57.52, the third-fastest time ever at the World Relays. The Netherlands were third in 2:58.22, which ultimately proved enough to secure a World Championships place.

Zimbabwe proved to be the surprise package of the second heat, leading at halfway ahead of defending champions South Africa. Teenager Leendert Koekemoer produced a powerful third leg to give South Africa a lead they maintained to the finish, winning in 2:58.04.

Portugal finished strongly to catch Zimbabwe just before the line, with both teams clocking national records of 2:59.01 and booking their spots in Beijing.

The third heat produced the closest finish of the day – so close that Qatar and Belgium could not be separated to the thousandth and were declared joint winners in 2:59.83. Spain finished third in a national record of 3:00.26 but missed out on a World Championships place.

Qualified for World Championships and progressing to World Relays men’s 4x400m final

Ht 1: Australia (2:57.30), Botswana (2:57.52), Netherlands (2:58.22)
Ht 2: South Africa (2:58.04), Portugal (2:59.01), Zimbabwe (2:59.01)
Ht 3: Belgium (2:59.83), Qatar (2:59.83)

Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics