WIC Kujawy Pomorze 26 facts and figures: mixed 4x400m

Last two sets of Olympic medallists

2020 - 1. Poland (POL) 3:09.87, 2. Dominican Republic (DOM) 3:10.21, 3. United States (USA) 3:10.22
2024 - 1. Netherlands (NED) 3:07.43, 2. United States (USA) 3:07.74, 3. Great Britain (GBR) 3:08.01

Last three sets of World Championships medallists

2022 - 1. Dominican Republic (DOM) 3:09.82, 2. Netherlands (NED) 3:09.90, 3. United States (USA) 3:10.16 
2023 - 1. United States (USA) 3:08.80, 2. Great Britain (GBR) 3:11.06, 3. Czechia (CZE) 3:11.98
2025 - 1. United States (USA) 3:08.80, 2. Netherlands (NED) 3:09.96, 3. Belgium (BEL) 3:10.61

Participating nations

Belgium (BEL)
Jamaica (JAM)
Netherlands (NED)
Poland (POL)
Spain (ESP)
United States (USA)

Historic facts

• This is the first time the mixed 4x400m has been contested at a World Athletics Indoor Championships. The event was added to the outdoor programme in Doha in 2019
• The fastest time which has ever been recorded indoors is 3:15.63 by the Netherlands at the 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn (1. NED 3:15.63, 2. BEL 3:16.19, 3. GBR 3:16.49)
• Hosts Poland won the first ever Olympic title in the mixed 4x400m at the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The United States won the first ever mixed 4x400m world title in 2019 

Potential storylines and notes

• The target time for a world indoor record is 3:12.44
• Three of the four members of Poland’s gold medal-winning team from Tokyo 2020 have been selected for Kujawy Pomorze (Natalia Bukowiecka, Justyna Swiety-Ersetic, Katejan Duszynski) although it seems improbable that Bukowiecka will compete in the mixed 4x400m 
• With a 24/4/88 DOB, Marika Popowicz-Drapala (POL) is the oldest athlete entered for the World Indoor Championships. She holds the V35 world indoor 400m record with 51.87
• 2024 world indoor 400m champion Alexander Doom (BEL) is only running in the relays in Kujawy Pomorze. "It was a winter of ups and downs. I managed to run a reasonably good winter season, which didn't happen last year. I did struggle with a small tear in my adductor again four weeks ago, but we can run again and hopefully also make a contribution to the relay teams."
• Helena Ponette (BEL) is running in the individual 400m but describes the mixed 4x400m as the priority: "The mixed relay is the priority. I see the individual race as good preparation. I feel like I improve every time in championships, which means my second, third, or fourth race is my fastest race. We are here with a strong team. We have demonstrated on several occasions that we can reach a high level in the mixed relay, and that is what we are aiming for now."
• The nickname for the Belgium mixed relay team is the ‘Belgian Waffles.’