USA's Bailey Lear leads the 4x400m at the World Indoor Championships (© Getty Images)
- Natalia Bukowiecka strengthens Polish chances of first gold
- USA aims for a sixth win in nine editions and has formidable depth
- Spain looking to build on recent relay progress with first world indoor medal
Poland has been a consistent force at this event over the past decade, winning women’s 4x400m medals at four of the last five editions, including silver last year in Nanjing. Three members of that team, including the vastly experienced Justyna Swiety-Ersetic, are part of their relay pool this year and the noise will be deafening inside the Kujawsko Pomorska Arena if they can deliver their first gold.
Their chances of doing so will be strengthened significantly by the presence of Natalia Bukowiecka, the Olympic bronze medallist and European champion over 400m, who clocked an impressive 50.97 at the host venue last month before winning the Polish indoor title in 51.44.
Despite USA’s proud tradition in this discipline, it took until 2010 for them to strike gold at the World Indoor Championships for the first time. But since then, the sprint superpower has enjoyed a much better run, winning five of the last eight women’s 4x400m titles, including last year’s edition in Nanjing.
They should again put up a bold bid for gold, with their two 400m representatives Rosey Effiong and Bailey Lear – who went 1-2 at the US Indoor Championships in 51.53 and 51.60 and who were part of their victorious team last year – in their ranks. Paris Peoples, who was third at their national indoor championships in 51.65, will also be available for selection along with Shamier Little, a two-time world medallist in the 400m hurdles who ran the opening leg for the US women’s 4x400m team that won Olympic gold in 2024.
The battle for gold will have an intriguing new element given the final will be split into two sections, with three teams in each race and the three fastest overall times determining the medallists. Teams will run in lanes four to six – a change aimed at reducing the disadvantage previously experienced by those drawn in lanes one and two.
Spain has made considerable progress in the women’s 4x400m in recent years, taking victory at the World Athletics Relays last year in a national record of 3:24.13 and finishing fifth in the world final in Tokyo. Only one athlete who was part of those quartets – Eva Santidrian – will not be travelling to Poland. Spanish indoor 400m champion Paula Sevilla, who won European indoor 400m bronze last year, will hope to lead her nation to their first world indoor medal in this event.
The Netherlands took gold in this event in 2024 but only one of that quartet – Lieke Klaver – is available for selection this time. She opened her indoor season with a swift 51.00 clocking in Ostrava last month and took victory in 51.28 at the Dutch Indoor Championships ahead of Myrte van der Schoot (51.33) and Eveline Saalberg (52.26), who are also part of the relay pool.
The Slovakian team will be led by world 400m hurdles bronze medallist Emma Zapletalova, who set a national indoor record of 50.78 in Metz, France last month. Great Britain and Northern Ireland won bronze in this event in 2024 but will field an entirely different quartet this time, led by national indoor 400m champion Yemi Mary John, who was part of the team that earned Olympic bronze in 2024.
Czechia claimed bronze at the European Indoor Championships last year and their relay pool includes rising star Lurdes Gloria Manuel, the 2024 world U20 400m champion, who has a best of 51.03 this year. Among those joining her are national indoor 400m champion Lada Vondrova, who clocked 51.88 to win that title in early March.
Portugal will complete the line-up and they will be led by national indoor 400m champion Sofia Lavreshina, who set a national indoor record of 52.07 in Madrid last month.
Cathal Dennehy for World Athletics
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