WCH Tokyo 25 relay fields take shape at World Athletics Relays Guangzhou 25

Image: Getty Images for World Athletics

A further 30 teams have qualified for relay events at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 following the final day of action at the World Athletics Relays Guangzhou 25 on Sunday (11).

Six teams in each of the women’s and men’s 4x100m and 4x400m plus the mixed 4x400m booked their places for Tokyo on day two. The first 40 qualified teams were confirmed on Saturday and the final 30 on Sunday, following a second World Championships qualifying round for teams that missed out on day one.

Teams that qualified on Saturday also progressed to their respective World Relays finals in Guangzhou, when they raced for prize money and preferential World Championships lane seeding positions.

Four federations – Belgium, France, Great Britain & Northern Ireland and USA – each qualified a full five teams for Tokyo, while another five – Canada, China, Germany, Italy and Poland – qualified four each.

USA set a championship record of 3:09.54 to win the mixed 4x400m, while Spain’s athletes stormed to another national record to win the women’s 4x400m in 3:24.13. South Africa won the men’s 4x400m in a world lead of 2:57.50, while the 4x100m crowns were claimed by Great Britain & NI for the women in 42.21 and South Africa for the men in a world lead of 37.61.

The mixed 4x100m also made its global debut in Guangzhou and Canada claimed the inaugural World Relays crown, winning the final in 40.30.

While most of the relay tickets for Tokyo have now been secured, teams that missed out in Guangzhou do still have a chance to qualify. A further two World Championships places in each of the five disciplines will be awarded based on top lists during the qualification period (25 February 2024 to 24 August 2025).

The full 70 teams qualified for WCH Tokyo 25 in Guangzhou:

Women’s 4x100m

Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, France, Germany, Great Britain & NI, Italy, Jamaica, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, United States

Men’s 4x100m

Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, Ghana, Great Britain & NI, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Poland, South Africa, United States

Women’s 4x400m

Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain & NI, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, United States

Men’s 4x400m

Australia, Belgium, Botswana, Brazil, China, France, Great Britain & NI, Jamaica, Kenya, Netherlands, Portugal, Qatar, South Africa, United States

Mixed 4x400m

Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, Great Britain & NI, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Poland, South Africa, Spain, United States

World Athletics