Dobber (1st) We are constantly stepping up our game and our goals. The sky is the limit. We are improving, preparing for the Olympics and many years to go. Bonevacia (2nd) A big thanks to the people who made this possible. We will work hard for Tokyo. The sky is the limit. Angela (3rd) We really enjoyed the competition. We came here to win and we did so. As athletes you have to be prepared for every situation. We are really happy that this competition went ahead.

 

Ito (1st leg): Coming with the second best time here and now with the silver medal we are very happy. We are known for 4x100m relays, so this is a good statement for us to tell the world that we are able to do the 4x400m as well. Of course, there is pressure, especially as the 4x100m is so good and we are not known for 4x400m and we were able to come second here although some teams were not here. I think it is a good message to the world. Kawabata (2nd leg): There were not a lot of teams here that are very, very good. So we try to be as good as them and at the same time we did something great by coming second in this final. Sato (3rd leg): It is a good statement that we were good here today, so it is not a dream to say that we want to medal in Tokyo.

 

Makwala (1st leg): We were aiming for gold, but it was just too cold today and our legs couldn't move properly, so I'm happy with the bronze. The goal was to qualify for the Olympics, so now we will start preparation for that. The goal for Tokyo is the podium. Any medal there will be OK. Masilo (2nd leg): It's my first international championship medal, so I'm very happy. Now we are going back home to training.

 

 

Holub (2nd leg): We didn't want to finish lower than 5th here, but we dreamed of a medal. Cuba was better this time, but this competition was a test for all teams. We are in good shape, but we will get better. If we get silver in Tokyo, we will be happy. We love competing in Poland. It's too bad there are no fans here to support us, but we hope they will be there next time..

 

Diamond (3rd) It was pretty chilly out there. We are still early in the season. For the first race we did a really good job. It is so nice to be back at championships again, to put on the British kit. To see all the other nations cheering on their athletes. We all missed this the last 18 months. We are not taking it for granted anymore. It is nice to kick off the season in the British kit. The goal for this summer is to again win an Olympic medal.

 

Hechevarria (1st leg): It was a very strong field, especially in the first leg. It was extremely tough. I did my best to hand over the batton as smoothly as possible. We came out strong but above all, and thanks to God, we won gold. We knew Poland has a strong team but we came out strong and we succeeded in getting a world medal. Personally, this is the biggest achievement in my career - and now, I am a world champion.

 

 

Santos (2nd leg): We did our best. The main thing to show a good result in such conditions was to act slow before the race. We were with good clothes. So by doing things slow we could run faster during the race. In think we have never done this race before so it was not bed. We needed a good result but we never fall asleep and be too much satisfied. I guess many people watching at home because we are very united as a nation and many people are supporting us.

 

Odhiambo (1st) Despite the conditions we are really grateful. We thank God for everything. Today we finish on the second position, in Yokohama two years ago we finished 4th. It is a good blessing. We are really happy to defend the colors of Kenya in other events than distance running. We are really coming up in the sprint. The sprinters are there, it is just a matter of time. The goal for this summer is to reach the Olympics and get into the final. Ochieng (4th) It is the first time that I am selected for the Kenyan team. So I am so happy to directly win a medal. I want to thank the team for their trust.

 

Mueller (1sr leg): We really gave it all, I gave everything I had and my teammates also. And the gold medal is the outcome. We trained in Kienbaum in a training camp and did a lot of relay training. It the first time for me do run the relay, I still have to learn. Straub (2nd leg): We would appreciate to have the 4x200m at World Championships and Olympic Games. We were expecting to be on the podium but we had never thought to win the gold medal with such a clear lead. It is even nicer to perform like this at 4 degrees in the rain. We are a young and dynamic team, bringing new wind. We are the next generation. Ansah-Peprah (3rd leg): We will celebrate a little bit tonight, not too hard because we are leaving already tomorrow and also because of the pandemic restrictions.

 

 

Guzowska (1st leg): Running the opening leg carries a reponsibility, but I enjoy it. You just have to start well, carry the stick through and then everything is up to the other girls. Ciba (2nd leg): I'm a 200 specialist, but I'm still afraid of running the distance every time. But seeing our teammates getting the silver in the 4x100 gave us wings. Adamek (3rd leg): I had to to do two races one after another, so it was hard, but the adrenaline carried me. The 4x100 was actually more difficult, having to stay focused and to hand over the baton fast. Gola (Anchor leg): We already have the Olympic qualification in the 4x100, so Polish female sprinting is doing well, but we still want to work on getting better.

 

Lynch (1st leg): The weather does not bother us because we are used to such conditions. We just wanted to pull it off and now, I am shocked. I am not sure about our plans now. I think we will train a bit more and prepare for the next competitions. But all here was great. The stadium is fabulous, everything went so smooth even in these covid times. It is great that Poland was pushing for all there events. Becker (Last leg): We knew we have strong sprinters and we were ready and determined to go fast. We knew that there is a chance.

 

Tenorio (1st leg): We are very happy to have achieved a third place. The 4x200m is a new event, but we worked as a team, despite how cold it is here today. But we had prepared for the 4x100m, so it paid off in this race. We are very happy but not fully satisfied as we can always do better. We always try our best and knowing the relays is a team event, we acknowledge all the teams did their best. We come from a very small country, but with a lot of talent, and step by step we are showing that, especially because we have now taken part in four World Relays in a row. 2015, 2017, Yokohama (2019) and now this is the forth one. We are going to continue to work. And we are very happy that we qualified for Tokyo in the 4x100m - we felt very strong, and in the end that is all that matters.

 

 

 

Stefanowicz (1st leg): for 3 weeks in Tenerife we were building the team spirit and trust between us and today it paid off. The performance today was based on that trust. Sokolska (3rd leg): We came here to make the final, for an Olympic qualification. When we were in the top 3 yesterday, we were happy and today, as I had promised, we just turned on the speed. Skrzyszowska (Anchor leg): I wanted to catch the Italian team and I thought I was capable of it, but in the end I came close to falling, it's as if I had too much speed.

 

Samuel (1st) For the outdoor season we have still a lot to learn and to adjust. We gained another experience. This is a good preparation for Tokyo. We now have to take the next steps for the upcoming competitions. Schippers (2nd) The last exchange went really well. We changed the team so we had to see what happened. For the next time we have to analyze the feet. Today was much better than the qualifying round. That's good. We have to learn from this race. Visser (3rd) It is really nice to be part of the relay team as a hurdler. It is something completely different. It is nice to be in a team. I am looking forward to work hard to do better in Tokyo.

 

Siragusa (1st leg): We wanted to run better than yesterday and it worked. We changed leg 1 to the anchor leg. I do not know how we made this victory. We have to see for the Olympics now. We have a lot of fun in this relay team and a great friendship, also with the reserve girls. Hooper (2nd leg): I am like speechless. It is amazing, it is like a dream, we were not expecting it. Now we are going for the final in Tokyo. Bongiourni (3rd leg): we are really friends. We have been training together since 2018, it has been a long journey and now it is paying off.

 

 

Leotlela (2nd leg): Last time we didn't even make the final, so this victory means a lot to us. Our trip from South Africa was diffìcult - it took more than 24 hours, we were tired after arriving late at night and the covid tests, but we recovered well. It's difficult running in these conditions, we are not used to them, so we had to adapt quickly, just get out there, run under 40 seconds and get out of here. This competition is very important for us as preparation for the Olympics. It's a way to test yourself on the big stage. We will focus on our individual events now, but we also have relay camps planned to get ready for Tokyo.

 

Miyamoto (3rd leg): We are very surprised for our achievement. The results changed and we did not expect anything like this to happen. Medal is great. But the most important for us now is the Olympic Games. We are looking forward to Tokyo.

 

Desalu (1st): We are a little disappointed because we had two changes that didn't go that good. But in the end we qualified for the Olympics and the World Championships next year. We are very happy. The Italian team came here with the goal to qualify the 5 teams for Tokyo. That is what we did. And they just won gold in the women's 4x100m and the 4x400m Mixed, and our silver. We are very happy and hope to do very well in Tokyo.

 

Trevisan (2nd leg): I am proud of myself because I do not like running in a cold weather. It is hard when you stand for so long and wait in a cold. But it was awesome. We were quite confident coming to the final because we felt well yesterday. We were thinking about a medal but not specifically gold. It was hard to go faster today because the weather is really cold tonight. It was a challenge. We are looking to training again and to coming home. Re (Last leg): We did not feel as clear favorites because we expected strong teams like Netherlands. But we saw they changed the squad a bit and put different people so it was more possible to beat them today. We will celebrate our victory, we are very happy to win gold medal.

 

Feliz 1st leg): What an incredible and strong race, but we were determined to do well and come first, second or third. Third place was what God decided for us and we are grateful for that. Paulino 3rd leg): Thank you so much and thank you, God, for this opportunity. It is the first time the Dominican Republic wins in World Relays. We are really proud to have represented our country and we believed we could win a medal. Now we are going to work really hard for Tokyo.

 

Dos Santos (1st leg): Every team was well prepared for this race and focused to get the victory so we had to run with our head. We are not used to these weather conditions, in Brazil, we are used to more tropical climate so we were a little apprehensive when arrived but the weather conditions were the same for everyone. This was an important test before the Olympics - especially for me as a 400m hurdles runner. It is an opportunity to train and become faster on the flat track. I flew in from the US where we had the training camp. Despite the long and challenging trip, we just had to adapt to the circumstances.

 

 

Van Gool (1st) We have the big Q and the baton exchanges went very well. The stadium is really beautiful with a fast track. Just a pity that there is no public. Tomorrow we want to go faster and then we will see if we can win. The goals for the summer is to get faster and faster and to make the final in Tokyo. Burnet (2nd) I give this race a 7/10. I don't like to run in this weather. In the final we have to make faster exchanges.

 

Safo-Antwi (1st leg): This is amazing, it feels so good. We knew that we could make it. We just had to put the pieces together. I am a happy man. We have been training well. We were meant to be at the Olympics. At my first leg, I played it safe.

 

Simbine (Anchor leg): I am happy to make it to the final. It was a little bit close. I am happy to help my country. I like to think that I recovered from the travelling, but I feel still tired from it, but we are here to compete. Everybody has been travelling and we are here. Tomorrow we will do our best, we want to come out here and will try to be on the podium, try to win and do our country 

 

Tortu (Last leg): This is our night tonight. In the relay, and also tonight, there is not just you or just me. It was all about us as a team. We used not to run very well together, but tonight, we managed it great. We wanted to qualify for Tokyo and we are very happy for this. We are good team like a family, we do everything together. For this event, we had like a month of practice. I guess it was sufficient time.

 

Kopec (2nd leg): The race was a fairly good one, in these conditions we couldn't run faster. I can't say much about the handovers - we need to analyse them with our coach. We should be able to do better at the European Team Championships. Now it's time for a bit of a break and then it's back to hard work. 

 

It was a difficult race, we had lane 3 which was very tight, I only saw very late where we stood. But the batton change was good and I ran a good curve. We have been training the changes so often, we had to get a result from that. Now our dream has come true and we will be at the Olympics. Schulz (Anchor leg): We have done it, that is it. Everything is done now. My leg was excellent. I got the batton from Deniz Almaz very early, I just had to carry it home for the second place. And not we got the ticket for Tokyo. We are over the moon.

 

Kamanga-Dyrbak (2ng leg): We definitely expected a national record. We were actually hoping to make the final here. We practiced a lot this year for this relay. In better conditions we can probably shave another quarter of a second off. We will be competing again at the European Team Championships, so I don't expect the record to survive until the end of the season. Individually, I would like to win the world U20 title this season at 200 metres and qualify for the Olympics in that event. BRAZIL First - BRAZIL, BRA Bardi dos Santos (2nd leg): It was very important for us to come here because it is a huge competition where we can prepare for the Olympics. Our journey here was quite long because of the distances between the two countries. But Tokyo is even further away so it was a good practice. For tomorrow we need to focus on our running, so we are going to relax and recover because we have a great final run - and we need to go over our tactics.

 

Ombissa-Dzangue (1st) It was a good race. We think that all together we did a good job. We passed the batons well. The goal was to get qualified for the final. In the final we are going for a good place. Leduc (2nd) It's quite easy to forget that there are no more spectators. With the environment and the desire to perform well, it makes forget all the rest. Paré (3rd) We struggled a bit the last two years. So we are very happy. We knew that we could make it. We just enjoy the moment. Sharing those moments with the other girls is one of the most beautiful things. The track is really beautiful and fast. With spectators here it would be even better. In Tokyo we want to redo the same race and place as here. Richard Mingas (anchor) It is such a pleasure to be back together. To take our marks. It motivates for the next competitions.

 

Graversgaard (3rd leg): This is a sensation to qualify for the final. My leg was ok. In the last two changes we lost a little bit of speed, but it was still ok. We were hoping to qualify. It is a big dream. We also knew that we had to do a lot of work. The key to success was a lot of training and a lot of preparation. We were in Portugal for two weeks of training camp.

 

 

Adamek (2nd leg): The goal for the final is to improve on our time from today. Sokolska (3rd leg): We were well prepared and gave it our all. The conditions were not optimal, but it was all about getting the Olympic qualification. (after seeing the team was the third fastest in qualifying) What! I just don't even know what to say now. The handovers were safe today, in the final we will really go full speed to show what we are capable of. Skrzyszowska (Anchor leg): It was my first time running the final leg on the national team, so I was stressed, but all that mattered was finishing in the top 2 and we did that!

 

Schippers (2nd leg): Of course, it is nice to be here because for me it was a long time with no competition as I had no indoor season so I was looking forward. It is a bit too cold. I hope for more sun at next competitions. But we made it to Olympics so that is great and we can build on that and go faster and faster. Visser (3rd leg): The most important thing was to qualify to the final and secure the spot for the world championships and Olympics. Now it is done. Tomorrow, we are hoping for even better performance because some exchanges were not perfect so we can work on that. Personally for me, it has been quite good because I had great European indoor championships. So far the year was going well, I was ready.

 

Landazur (Anchor leg): We really had the drive to become an Olympic team and did not have it easy so far. However, we were determined to succeed and like I always say, we Ecuadorians, we are warriors, very strong and came here to be on top of the world despite the challenges. We only practiced together yesterday because we all live in different places. So we agreed to run like what we always do and there was only one option: to kill or to be killed. I think we did a good job and I hope we get through to the final because we are really hungry for success.

 

 

Herrera Abreu (1st) The race was good. We qualified for the final. We are so happy. It was a little cold, but okay. Hooper (2nd) We are so happy to be here and to run. It is awesome. The track is so fast, it's awesome. We love it. The goal for this summer is a final in Tokyo and a national record. Bongiorni (3rd) We are happy to be qualified for Eugene too! Siragusa (anchor) It was so much fun. We work together for so many years. In the final we hope for a better time and changes. the third one was not perfect.

 

 

Kowaluk (2nd leg): It was a decent race, given our current form, we were just out of luck. We gave it our all, as you can see, two of our colleagues are still recovering from the race. Suwara (3rd leg): We are certainly disappointed. There are still Olympic qualifying spots available from the rankings, so we will try to get that. If we make the mixed relay final, there will probably be changes in the lineup in that event tomorrow, but we will see.

 

Makwala (1st leg): My first leg was good, I had the outside lane and I hit it hard. I wanted to motivate the guys with a big lead, you see, I am the oldest. It was so difficult to come here. We took 48h. We wanted to fly from South Africa to the Netherlands but with all the travel restrictions we landed in Qatar and spent 10h at Doha airport and another 9h at Oslo airport until we made it to Poland. We recovered well but we are not fully recovered. In the final, it will be the same team, maybe we will change some positions. We are happy about this qualification, we qualified for the Olympics. No, it was not a surprise for us, we knew. We arrived here to deliver.

 

Bonevacia (2nd) I feel really good. I was a little nervous before the race because you need to make it to the final. I felt a lot of pressure. I liked the heat because it was really competitive. It makes you growing if in the heat you run fast you will run even faster in the final. And in the final everything can happen. Angela (3rd) The goal for tomorrow is to be in the best shape. We showed to the others that we are in such a good shape. We want to show the others that we can continue like this. We are standing here knowing that we are the reigning European Champions. We know what and how we have to do it. Today we made history. It is the first time since 1980 that there will be a 4x400m relay at the Olympics. Such a race gives confidence and motivation towards the Olympics.

 

First - JAPAN, JPN

Ito (1st leg): We qualified for the Olympics, so it is great. I'm very grateful to my family and my coach. Higuchi (3rd leg): I'm a 200 metre runner, not a 400 specialist, so I'm very tired now, but happy.

 

Maslak (2nd leg): I think we showed a good performance but just it was probably not enough to get further. We did a good job and we were well prepared. We came here with the target to get to the final. Desensky (1st leg): We believed we can make it to the final. So we believe at least for the tenth place to get to the world championship. Picking up the experiences from major championships. Sorm (Last leg): I think it was not a shame to run this race. We were not far. I wanted to give it all and the cold weather was not a problem. We were well prepared even for the cold and rainy conditions. Maybe even better than the other teams.

 

Lesiewicz (1st leg): The second time running on the national team was easier than the first. It is easier to run outdoors and I had a chance to train with the girls.

Gacka (3rd leg): I'm very happy I was given the chance to run here. I was stressed before my debut on the national team, but it wasn't paralysing; it motivated me. It would be great to have fans in the stands, but at junior level, I haven't really had a chance to run in full stadiums, so it wasn't a big change.

Holub-Kowalik (Anchor leg): It's my fifth World Relays, so you can say I'm very experienced at this level and my task here was to offer support for the rest of the team. I was nervous, too, because I'm not in my optimal form yet, but everything worked out fine. We ran a very good time, but we can still improve on it. I'm hoping the result will not be worse than in the previous editions of World Relays - no worse than fifth place.

 

Bolingo (1st) It was tough and long, but nice. I was really looking forward to be running back with the girls. Since 2019 I haven't run a relay anymore. I am super happy especially with the qualification for the World Championships in Orgeon next year.

Laus (anchor) It was a good repetition before Tokyo. We haven't run a relay since Doha in 2019. Moreover it is a good revenge after the non-selection for the European Indoors in Torun this winter. We were quite disappointed not to have been selected, especially because some of the girls ran personal bests this indoor season. But now it's good. We just missed out on one championships and now we are back! We had good splits even if it was freezing cold.

Couckuyt(3rd) It is the magic of the Cheetahs [team name], of running together. Now we are ready to make a big bang in the final.

 

Schwab (2nd leg): It was big fun being on the track with the girls. I am extremely proud for the whole team, not only the four of us, there are so many people standing behind us, backing and supporting us. It is great to make this dream come true, this dream of the Olympic Games. Really proud that we achieved this together.

 

Pipi (1st leg): I wanted to make the team in a good position. That was my main focus. We wanted to win it. That was the goal. We did a really good job. There were nice couple of days with the nice weather so we did not mind the cool conditions tonight. It is actually not raining so we got really lucky. Almost like at home. It has been some time since we were running so we were quite lucky to come here and compete. Turner (Last leg): We have had a long time because there have not been any championships recently. So we are so grateful to be here. So excited to perform on the world stage again. We will do our business tomorrow. You can see the times were very similar today so it is going to be a good fight. We will give our best.

 

De Witte (3rd leg): We don't have the best team yet, the way we did indoors, but of course we wanted to make the final. We see this as good preparation for the Olympics, because we want to make the final there. We also have the mixed relay here, but I don't know who is going to be on that team tomorrow, the coach will decide that. The stadium is beautiful, but it feels weird when it's empty. When it is full in the future, it will be amazing.

 

Hechevarria (1st leg): The competition was good and think I can speak for everyone in the team, we tried to get the Olympic qualifying time and I think we did it. Tomorrow, we are going to give it all we can in the final. We are ready for it. The cold here did not really bother us because we were so focused on getting our race done, so it was not an issue. We will return now to Cuba.

Bardi dos Santos (2nd leg): It was very important for us to come here because it is a huge competition where we can prepare for the Olympics. Our journey here was quite long because of the distances between the two countries. But Tokyo is even further away so it was a good practice. For tomorrow we need to focus on our running, so we are going to relax and recover because we have a great final run - and we need to go over our tactics.