Belgium earned a first medal on day two of the World Athletics Indoor Championships Kujawy Pomorze 26 as they won the first mixed 4x400m relay to be staged in the competition’s history in 3:15.60 – the fastest indoor time recorded.

Silver went to Spain in 3:16.96, with the host nation claiming a first medal of these championships after the disqualification of Jamaica for an illegal baton exchange, a performance that owed huge amounts to an inspired final leg by 33-year-old Justyna Swiety-Ersetic.

All the expected drama and spectacle of this new event was in evidence as a pile-up during the first baton exchanges effectively did for the prospects of the two favourites, the Netherlands and the United States.

Both nations persisted as their respective second-leg runners – Myrte Van Der Schoot and Sara Reifenrath – regained momentum, the latter having lost her shoe, but not her grip on the baton after being knocked to the floor.

A classy opening run of 46.16 from Belgium’s Jonathan Sacoor, who has world outdoor and indoor medals in men’s 4x400m racing, meant second-leg runner Ilana Hanssens had floated clear of the carnage with a sizeable lead.

This was efficiently transferred to 400m hurdler Julien Watrin who contributed a 46.11, and Helena Ponette, who ran 51.15 to bring the baton home in 3:15.60.

The Belgian’s winning time bettered the fastest indoor mark recorded so far, 3:15.63, set by the Netherlands in winning at last year’s European Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn. World Athletics Council decided last year that an inaugural world record in the discipline will be recognised as of 1 March 2025, provided a team achieves a time of 3:12.44 or faster.

"We knew it was going to be a very tough race,” said Sacoor. “All teams were very close on times. We knew a few would try to get an early advantage so I pushed hard on the first leg to place the team well. I personally didn't see what was happening behind me but it was very messy. We had a plan, stuck to it and it went well for us.”

Spain took silver thanks to a final surge from last-leg runner Blanca Hervas, who overtook her Jamaican rival Leah Anderson in the final five metres to clock a split of 51.06 and bring her team home in 3:16.96 following earlier contributions from Markel Fernandez, Paula Sevilla and David Garcia.

The fastest split of the final leg went, however, to Swiety-Ersetic, whose effort of 50.94 to clock a finishing time of 3:17.44 looked initially like a gutsy but forlorn effort to earn Poland’s first medal of the championships – until the Jamaicans were disqualified.

She finished off in fine style a task previously carried out by Kajetan Duszynski, Anna Gryc and Marcin Karolewski.

Swiety-Ersetic, who competed when this competition was lasted hosted by Poland, in Sopot in 2014, now has a total of five world indoor medals, having already collected three silvers and a bronze in the women’s 4x400m.

She commented: “I did not see the situation that resulted in the disqualification but evidently something was up. Before the race, I knew it would be tight and so it was. There was pushing and jostling, as well as falls.

“The battle was close until the end. At the finish, I was really sad. When I was coming off the track, I heard the shouts from the audience with words of support for us and I burst into tears.

“But it all ended well. I am especially happy that we won the first medal for Poland here. It is always hardest to take the first one; I expect others will now follow.”

Karolewski added: “It would have been even better to win the medal directly on the track but apparently there was a foul that merited a DQ. The medal is a dream come true. It is my first major senior championship and it was an incredible experience to run here with Kajetan, Ania and Justyna.”

The Netherlands finished fourth in 3:20.14, with United States fifth in 3:21.35.

Mike Rowbottom for World Athletics

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