The composition of the teams may be slightly different, but a USA-Netherlands showdown in the mixed 4x400m &ndash; less than a year on from their dramatic duel at the World Championships &ndash; could provide one of the highlights of the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24.
On that occasion in Budapest last year, Femke Bol of the Netherlands was locked in battle with USA&rsquo;s Alexis Holmes on the final leg. In the closing metres, Bol lost her footing and crashed to the ground, while Holmes maintained her momentum to carry USA to victory in a world record of 3:08.80.
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Bol and Holmes have both been named in the women&rsquo;s 4x400m, not the mixed event, for Nassau, so fans may still be treated to a rematch of sorts between the pair. But without world indoor champion Bol&rsquo;s foot speed in their armoury, the Netherlands may not be quite as formidable in Nassau.
Just one member of the world record-breaking quartet, Matthew Boling, will feature on USA&rsquo;s team for the World Relays, and he&rsquo;ll be joined by Olympic 4x400m champion Lynna Irby-Jackson.
The Dominican Republic &ndash; winners of the world title in 2022 ahead of the Netherlands and USA &ndash; will be bolstered by the presence of world 400m champion Marileidy Paulino, who has already notched up Diamond League victories in Xiamen and Suzhou this year. Alexander Ogando, who was also part of the triumphant 2022 squad, is also on the team for Nassau.
Since winning the Olympic title in 2021, Poland hasn&rsquo;t quite been able to replicate that form. They placed fourth in the mixed relay at the 2022 World Championships, then eighth at the 2023 edition. World silver medallist Natalia Kaczmarek and 2018 European champion Justyna Swiety-Ersetic add strength to their squad, but both may also be called up for the women&rsquo;s 4x400m so may be running on tired legs for the mixed event.
The biggest cheers, though, will be reserved for The Bahamas, who won the inaugural mixed 4x400m when the World Relays was last held in Nassau. Three members of that quartet &ndash; including Olympic 400m champions Steven Gardiner and Shaunae Miller-Uibo &ndash; feature on the host nation&rsquo;s team for this year&rsquo;s edition, and they will aim to strike gold on home turf again.
Great Britain &amp; Northern Ireland claimed silver behind the USA at last year&rsquo;s World Championships, and they&rsquo;re intent on challenging for another podium place in Nassau after naming some of their best one-lap sprinters for the mixed 4x400m.
Czechia&rsquo;s mixed relay pool includes the same four athletes that claimed bronze in this event in Budapest last year, so they could well be a danger again.
Jamaica earned world silver in this event at the 2019 World Championships, but haven&rsquo;t made a global podium since then. They boast strong depth in both the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s 400m, so undoubtedly have the potential to be in the hunt in Nassau.
France and Belgium, meanwhile, were just shy of the medals in Budapest, so they&rsquo;ll head to Nassau with plenty of motivation, as will defending champions Italy.
Other contenders include Bahrain, Botswana and a Canadian squad that features world 800m champion Marco Arop.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24

The composition of the teams may be slightly different, but a USA-Netherlands showdown in the mixed 4x400m could provide one of the highlights of the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24

WRE Bahamas 24 preview: scene set for mixed 4x400m showdown

The World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 offers USA&rsquo;s 4x400m men the chance to maintain an unbeaten run in Nassau, but there are a number of nations ready to challenge for top spot this weekend (4-5 May).
After the first three editions of the World Athletics Relays &ndash; all held in The Bahamas, with US men&rsquo;s 4x400m teams winning at each &ndash; the 2019 title went to Trinidad and Tobago in Yokohama, before the Netherlands clinched the crown in Silesia in 2021, when USA did not field a team.
Since then, each of the three major outdoor global titles have been won by USA. But with so much at stake &ndash; including Olympic places for 14 teams &ndash; competition is set to be fierce.
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Entered for the US this time is Bryce Deadmon, who formed part of the Olympic gold medal-winning team in Tokyo and the quartet that claimed the world title in Oregon in 2022. Champion Allison ran the anchor leg in Oregon, while Christopher Bailey ran the heats in Budapest, where USA retained the world title, and brought the baton home to secure world indoor silver in Glasgow in March.
Gold in Glasgow was won by Belgium, anchored by Alexander Doom, who became the first man to win the 400m and 4x400m at the same World Indoor Championships. The team &ndash; which also featured Jonathan Sacoor, Dylan Borlee and Christian Iguacel &ndash; pipped USA by 0.06 to retain the title.
That quartet has been named for Nassau, on a squad that inevitably includes two other Borlee brothers, Jonathan and Kevin &ndash; the latter having joined Dylan on the 2019 and 2022 world bronze medal-winning teams.&nbsp;
The Borlee brothers were also part of the squad &ndash; along with Doom and Sacoor &ndash; that finished fourth at the Tokyo Olympics behind USA, Netherlands and Botswana. Three members of that Dutch silver medal-winning team are named for Nassau: Terrence Agard, Ramsey Angela and Liemarvin Bonevacia. They also formed part of the team to claim world indoor bronze in Glasgow, while Angela and Bonevacia helped Netherlands to their World Relays win in 2021.
Trinidad and Tobago&rsquo;s 2017 world 4x400m gold medallist Jereem Richards was on the victorious World Relays squad in 2019 along with Asa Guevara, and they team up again this weekend.
As well as Olympic bronze in Tokyo, Botswana &ndash; second at the World Relays in 2017 and third in 2021 &ndash; made the past two world finals, though the team was disqualified in Budapest. In the squad this time are world 100m and 200m medallist Letsile Tebogo, who ran a world 300m best of 30.69 in February and a 400m PB of 44.29 in March, and world 400m leader Bayapo Ndori, who clocked 44.10 last month.
Other recent major medallists Jamaica, France and Great Britain &ndash; who respectively claimed 2022 world silver, 2023 world silver and 2023 world bronze &ndash; will also want to make a statement as they seek to secure their Olympic spots.&nbsp;
The Jamaican squad includes Rusheen McDonald, the 2013 world and 2016 Olympic relay silver medallist who helped his nation to finish fourth at last year&rsquo;s World Championships. The French team, with a home Olympics in their sights, features three of the four world silver medallists. Two-time world 400m medallist Matthew Hudson-Smith is among those on the British squad.
Entered for the host nation in both the men&rsquo;s and mixed 4x400m is Steven Gardiner, the Olympic and 2019 world 400m champion, and he&rsquo;ll hope to help his team improve on their two runner-up finishes in this event on home soil in 2014 and 2015.
Zambia heads to Nassau as the fastest nation in the world so far this year, having clocked a national record of 2:59.12 to win at the All-African Games in Accra in March. Botswana was second and Nigeria third in Accra, and they could all clash again in Nassau.
Canada&rsquo;s entry list includes world 800m champion Marco Arop and 19-year-old Christopher Morales Williams, who ran 44.49 for the fastest ever indoor 400m in Arkansas in February.
Also among those seeking Olympic qualification will be recent major finalists Japan, who finished second at the last World Relays, plus India, Italy and Poland.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics

The World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 offers USA’s 4x400m men the chance to maintain an unbeaten run in Nassau, but there are a number of nations ready to challenge for top spot

WRE Bahamas 24 preview: global medallists in men's 4x400m rematch

The US women&rsquo;s 4x400m squad will be hoping that a return to Nassau for the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 will be a lucky omen.
For the first three editions of this competition &ndash; all of which were held in the Bahamian capital &ndash; USA won the women&rsquo;s 4x400m. But ever since the event has moved out of the Caribbean, the women&rsquo;s 4x400m title has been won by other nations.
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In 2021 &ndash; a year in which USA and Jamaica opted not to send a team &ndash; Cuba was the surprising victor, finishing just ahead of Poland and Great Britain &amp; Northern Ireland.
Normal order was restored soon after, with USA winning Olympic gold later that year and then winning world gold in 2022. But it&rsquo;s the Netherlands who head to Nassau as the reigning world championships indoors and out, following their victories in Budapest in 2023 and Glasgow in 2024.
Granted, their World Championships victory last year came after the USA was disqualified for a baton exchange that occurred outside the zone. But the Dutch squad triumphed again at this year&rsquo;s World Championships, beating the USA fair and square.
Femke Bol and Lieke Klaver, the world indoor 400m gold and silver medallists respectively, always pack a powerful punch for the Netherlands. Meanwhile, Alexis Holmes &ndash; who anchored the USA to mixed 4x400m victory in Budapest just moments after Bol fell &ndash; is the standout performer on the USA women&rsquo;s 4x400m team.
Jamaica is the only team to have reached the podium in this event at the past three outdoor global championships, so they cannot be overlooked. Great Britain &amp; Northern Ireland, meanwhile, have earned three global bronze medals in the past two years, so will also be keen to challenge again.
World 400m silver medallist Natalia Kaczmarek and 2018 European champion Justyna Swiety-Ersetic feature on Poland&rsquo;s team, but both have also been selected for the mixed event.
Canada has been quietly consistent in recent years, placing fourth at the past three global championships. Although they&rsquo;ve missed out on medals, they consistently outperform their pre-event form on paper.
Belgium has been creeping ever closer to a global championships podium finish, placing seventh at the Tokyo Olympics, sixth at the 2022 World Championships, fifth at the 2023 edition, and fourth at the recent World Indoor Championships.
Other teams to look out for include African Games champions Nigeria, France and India.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

The US women’s 4x400m squad will be hoping that a return to Nassau for the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 will be a lucky omen

WRE Bahamas 24 preview: Netherlands and USA seek more 4x400m success

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Three global championships have been held since the last edition of the World Relays, and each one has produced a different winner of the men&rsquo;s 4x100m.
All three of those gold-medal-winning nations will clash at the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 in what looks set to be one of the most competitive races of the weekend.
Italy pulled off a surprised triumph at the 2021 World Relays in Silesia. At the time, it seemed as though they benefitted from a depleted field, given that the pandemic meant that relay powerhouses USA and Jamaica did not send a team.
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But at the Olympic Games later that year, with all countries fielding their best squads, Italy proved their relay success was no fluke as they powered to victory in 37.50.
The four men who stood atop the podium on that occasion in Tokyo &ndash; Lorenzo Patta, individual Olympic 100m champion Marcell Jacobs, Eseosa Desalu and Filippo Tortu &ndash; have been named on Italy&rsquo;s team for this year&rsquo;s World Relays.
Like any team lining up in Nassau, their main goal will be to ensure their qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where they&rsquo;ll be aiming to defend their Olympic title.
But a strong US squad also heads to Nassau highly motivated to perform well in the men&rsquo;s 4x100m.
The sprints superpower struck gold in the 4x100m at the World Championships in Budapest last year. World 100m and 200m champion Noah Lyles anchored the US to relay victory ahead of Italy in the Hungarian capital last year, but he is the only member of that victorious quartet who&rsquo;ll be in action this weekend.
The other members of the USA&rsquo;s World Relays squad are certainly no slouch, though. Olympic 200m silver medallist Kenny Bednarek, world 200m leader Courtney Lindsey and NCAA medallist Pjai Austin &ndash; all of whom have identical 100m PBs of 9.89 &ndash; add strength to the US team.
All four men who carried Canada to 4x100m victory at the 2022 World Championships &ndash; including Olympic 200m champion Andre De Grasse &ndash; will also be in action. The Olympic silver medallists will be keen to make amends after missing out on the World Championships final last year.
Jamaica has earned just one medal &ndash; 2023 world bronze &ndash; from the past three global championships, but there&rsquo;s no denying they have the speed and depth to challenge for major titles. Their squad for Nassau includes three sub-10-second sprinters, including world indoor bronze medallist Ackeem Blake, world finalist Ryiem Forde and World University Games champion Kadrian Goldson.
Great Britain &amp; Northern Ireland, who took world bronze in 2022 and finished just 0.04 shy of the podium at last year&rsquo;s World Championships, have also fielded a strong team of numerous sub-10-second performers. World bronze medallist and 2023 world leader Zharnel Hughes will be joined by the likes of Reece Prescod, Eugene Amo-Dadzie, CJ Ujah and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake.
Olympic bronze medallists China head to Nassau as the fastest nation in the world this year. Their quartet of Su Bingtian, Xie Zhenye, Wu Zhiqiang and Chen Jiapeng clocked 38.28 at the East Coast Relays last weekend, and all four of those sprinters will be in action in Nassau.
Many other teams will be hopeful of claiming a place in the final &ndash; or at least a position in the top 14 placed teams that will earn Olympic qualification.
Nigeria won the African Games title last month, while Thailand took a surprise victory at last year&rsquo;s Asian Championships. Japan placed second at the last World Relays in 2021 and finished fifth at the World Championships last year. Brazil, meanwhile, were the surprise winners at the 2019 World Relays.
South Africa, France and the Netherlands all have the potential to earn a place in the 4x100m final too.
The main goal, however, will be to simply get the baton around safely.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

Winners of the past three global men's 4x100m titles will clash at the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24

WRE Bahamas 24 preview: clash of global title-winning teams in men's 4x100m

There&rsquo;s so much to race for at the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 and in the women&rsquo;s 4x100m, athletes from 30 teams will be battling it out for Olympic places, prize money and bragging rights.
For all five of the events in Nassau, the top 14 teams in each will automatically qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Since the last edition of the World Athletics Relays, either the United States or Jamaica have won the three major global titles on offer, and they&rsquo;ll renew their rivalry this weekend (4-5 May).
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Jamaica claimed the Olympic crown ahead of USA in Tokyo, before USA won world gold in Oregon and retained the title in Budapest, both times beating Jamaica.&nbsp;
In Nassau, the US team will feature four of the athletes who helped their nation to top of the podium in Budapest: individual 200m silver medallist Gabby Thomas and Tamari Davis, who both raced in the final, are joined by heat runners Tamara Clark and Melissa Jefferson. Mikiah Brisco, who formed part of a US team that ran a world-leading 41.94 in Gainesville earlier this month, and Celera Barnes add further strength to the squad.
While the Jamaican team also boasts much quality, just two of the team members from those three global finals return. Natasha Morrison and Remona Burchell both ran in the heats in Tokyo, while the consistent Morrison &ndash; also a world relay gold medallist in Beijing and Doha &ndash; led off for Jamaica in Budapest last year.
The squad is not lacking speed, however, and their teammate Alana Reid, the&nbsp;world U20 200m bronze medallist,&nbsp;set a national U20 100m record of 10.92 last year.
But in Nassau it will be far from a two-way fight. Great Britain bagged bronze in Tokyo and Budapest and the squad this time includes returning team members Asha Philip, Imani Lansiquot, Bianca Williams and Annie Tagoe. Lansiquot has already run 11.02 &ndash; just 0.03 off her PB &ndash; this season.
The other medallist from those three major finals is Germany, the 2017 World Relays winner. Two of the four 2022 bronze medal-winning team members are in Nassau: Rebekka Haase and Gina Luckenkemper.
Italy won at the last edition of the World Relays in Silesia in 2021, and two members of that team &ndash; Anna Bongiorni and Irene Siragusa &ndash; return to defend the title.
Other teams who will be pushing for the podium as well as Olympic places will be Poland, featuring world indoor 60m silver medallist Ewa Swoboda, and Cote d'Ivoire, with multiple major medallist Marie-Josee Ta Lou, plus their fellow 2023 world finalists Netherlands and Switzerland.
France, with Gemima Joseph who recently ran a 100m PB of 11.04, will want to secure that spot for the home Olympics.
The Canadian squad stars the new national record-holder Audrey Leduc, who ran 10.96 just over a week ago, while the Australian team includes Torrie Lewis, the 19-year-old who won the 200m at the Diamond League meeting in Xiamen, alongside her fellow area record-setting teammates Bree Masters, Ella Connolly and Ebony Lane.
The host nation&rsquo;s squad features 60m hurdles world champion and world record-holder Devynne Charlton and Charisma Taylor, who finished sixth in the 60m hurdles and the triple jump on the same day at the World Indoor Championships.
Ecuador's 4x100m women made history in Silesia as they achieved their nation&rsquo;s first ever Olympic relay spot by finishing fifth at the World Relays. Three years on, Angela Gabriela Tenorio and Gabriela Anahi Suarez are back, hoping to help their nation now secure a place for Paris.
Like Cote d'Ivoire, teams from Austria, Estonia, Hungary and Liberia are competing at the World Athletics Relays for the first time.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics

There’s so much to race for at the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 and in the women’s 4x100m, athletes from 30 teams will be battling it out for Olympic places, prize money and bragging rights

WRE Bahamas 24 preview: rivalries renewed in women's 4x100m

Multiple global gold medallists &ndash; including Noah Lyles, Femke Bol and Bahamian stars Shaunae Miller-Uibo, Steven Gardiner and Devynne Charlton &ndash; will be among the athletes in action at the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 on 4-5 May.
The competition holds extra significance, as it is the main qualifying event for relay events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Competition takes place at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium in Nassau.
The programme features five relay events:
Women&rsquo;s 4x100m and 4x400m Men&rsquo;s 4x100m and 4x400m Mixed 4x400m
One team per nation can compete in each event and a maximum of eight athletes can be entered for each team. Among those entered, any four athletes may then be used in the composition of each relay team apart from in the mixed 4x400m, where a maximum of six athletes (three men and three women) may be entered with a single substitution allowed after the first round.
<h2>Prize money</h2>
The top eight teams in each event will be awarded the following prize money:
Team 1st US$40,000 2nd US$20,000 3rd US$10,000 4th US$8000 5th US$6000 6th US$4000 7th US$3000 8th US$2000
If a team breaks a world record, a prize of US$50,000 will be awarded, subject to record ratification.
<h2>Olympic qualification</h2>
The top 14 teams in each event at the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 will automatically qualify for places at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The remaining two places in each discipline will be awarded based on top lists during the qualification period (31 December 2022 to 30 June 2024).
Olympic places are up for grabs on both days of action in The Bahamas. On the first day, the top two teams in each heat will advance to the final on day two, while also securing their qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
In the finals on day two, teams will compete for prize money and obtain Olympic lane seeding positions.
All other teams will compete on day two in the additional round where the top two teams in each heat will also qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Entry lists for the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 were published last week and are available <a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-relays/bahamas24/news/press-releases/entry-lists-world-athletics-relays-bahamas-24" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
The Facts and Figures document for the event, edited by Mark Butler, has also been published and is available <a href="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/document/662fcf028537ec8e9856255b.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

Multiple global gold medallists – including Noah Lyles, Femke Bol and Bahamian stars Shaunae Miller-Uibo, Steven Gardiner and Devynne Charlton – will be among the athletes in action at the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 on 4-5 May

Key info for World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24

Building on its experience in measuring air quality in stadiums, the Health &amp; Science Department at World Athletics has taken a new step in protecting the health of athletes.&nbsp;
Following the installation of a <a href="https://kunakair.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kunak</a> air quality sensor at the Parc des Sports Charles Ehrmann stadium in Nice, a <a href="https://www.lifyair.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lify-Air</a> pollen measurement sensor has also been added, meaning athletes who use the stadium now have access to essential hyperlocal information to help them manage their respiratory health.&nbsp;
Exposure to airborne pollen is a health concern during outdoor sporting events and it poses a risk to large numbers of athletes who may suffer an allergic response. Asthma and related allergy symptoms are commonly reported by athletes after competing in endurance events. Almost half the runners questioned (47%) reported upper respiratory symptoms post marathon, illustrating the extent of respiratory issues during and after running events (Robson-Ansley et al. 2012).&nbsp;
A study conducted during the Comrades Marathon between 2014 and 2019 shows that respiratory disease (asthma, allergenic rhinitis) was the most frequent reported chronic disease (2.4%) (Brill et al. 2023).&nbsp;
Air pollution, greenhouse gases and global warming are the main causes of the increase in pollen allergy. Air pollution increases the allergen content of pollen and damages its surface, releasing more allergens (Gisler 2021) and likely exacerbating respiratory diseases experienced during the peak of the pollen season (Orellano et al. 2017). Consequently, the prevalence of respiratory allergic diseases among athletes can be viewed in the context of increased exposure to outdoor atmospheric pollutants (particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5) and allergens (Helenius et al. 1997). All of these factors cause changes in the flowering of plants and in the structure of pollen grains, resulting in a higher incidence of symptoms.
For allergic athletes, pollen and air quality information is the cornerstone of pollen allergy management. Pollen allergy bulletins and forecasts are the best way to limit their exposure to allergens, and to adapt their treatments to this level of exposure.&nbsp;
In order to address these requirements, they must understand the timing, quantity, and specific type of pollen they are exposed to or might be exposed to. It's very likely that airborne pollens are not evenly distributed over the territory due to differences in topography and vegetation, and that each athletics stadium therefore has its own specificity.&nbsp;
With this project, the Health &amp; Science Department hopes that hyperlocal data recording will help to educate athletes about environmental risks and enable them to minimise their level of exposure and maintain optimum performance levels.
Air quality data monitoring in the Nice stadium is available <a href="https://kunakcloud.com/widgets/wa/wa2.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
To consult pollen levels data, please visit: <a href="https://live-pollen.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">live-pollen.com</a>.

Building on its experience in measuring air quality in stadiums, the Health & Science Department at World Athletics has taken a new step in protecting the health of athletes

Athlete respiratory health in the spotlight thanks to new sensor in Nice

USA&rsquo;s Taliyah Brooks retained her Multistars heptathlon title by equalling her PB of 6330, while Belgium&rsquo;s Jente Hauttekeete secured his first decathlon victory at a World Athletics Combined Events Tour Gold meeting, winning with 8020 in Brescia on Sunday (28).
Brooks began the defence of her heptathlon title with the day&rsquo;s fastest 100m hurdles, clocking 13.14 into a headwind (-2.3m/s). But there was disappointment for China&rsquo;s Asian Games champion Zheng Ninali, as she was disqualified.
The high jump was up next and Brooks cleared 1.77m &ndash; the second-best performance of the day behind Bianca Salming&rsquo;s 1.83m &ndash; before throwing 13.11m in the shot. Austria&rsquo;s 2018 world indoor pentathlon silver medallist Ivona Dadic, returning from injury, launched the implement 14.55m to top that event.
Brooks ended day one with a leading 200m time of 23.92, putting her 220 points ahead of Norway&rsquo;s Ida Eikeng.
The second day started well for Brooks as she extended her lead by topping the long jump with 6.52m. It was also a strong discipline for Sweden&rsquo;s Lovisa Karlsson (6.47m) and Switzerland&rsquo;s Katelyn Adel (6.41m), both of whom set PBs to move into second and third overall respectively.
Eikeng excelled in the javelin, launching her spear out to 51.62m to move up to third overall. Ireland&rsquo;s Kate O&rsquo;Connor, twice a runner-up at Multistars, moved into second place overall thanks to her 49.28m effort.
Brooks was further down the field with 38.53m, but she still ended the event with a lead of almost 200 points with just the 800m to go.
Adel, who had put together the series of her life this weekend, continued her momentum into the 800m, smashing her PB to win it in 2:12.66. Salming followed in 2:13.49 and Brooks &ndash; buoyed by the knowledge she had the title in the bag &ndash; was close behind in 2:13.81, a PB.
It meant that the US heptathlete successfully defended her title by equalling the 6330 PB she set when winning at Multistars last year.
O&rsquo;Connor, who clocked 2:15.14 in the final event, achieved her third Multistars runner-up finish with 6104 and Adel placed third with 6082 &ndash; a PB by more than 300 points. Karlsson just missed the podium, but was also rewarded with her first 6000-point tally, scoring 6051.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m excited to come here, get a decent score and walk away healthy,&rdquo; said Brooks. &ldquo;I got the exact same score as last time. Last year I was really happy with my 800m, and this year is the same &ndash; I set a PB by two seconds. It&rsquo;s something I&rsquo;ve been working really hard on.&rdquo;
<h2>Hauttekeete times challenge to perfection</h2>
Jente Hauttekeete may not have topped the leader board in any of the individual disciplines, but the 22-year-old&rsquo;s overall consistency in the decathlon led to him taking the title with 8020, the second-best score of his career.
Switzerland&rsquo;s Nino Portmann took an early lead, winning the first 100m heat in 10.91. Belgium&rsquo;s Robin Bodart won his heat in 10.93 for the day&rsquo;s second-fastest time and Teo Bastien led heat three in 11.04 to put him fifth overall after one event, just ahead of Hattekeete (11.06).
Bastien, the 2021 European U20 bronze medallist, soared into the lead after the next event, going close to his long jump PB with a leap of 7.82m. Hauttekeete, the world U20 heptathlon record-holder, was sixth at that stage after leaping 7.37m.
A 14.12m throw moved Hauttekeete up to fourth following the shot put, with Bastien holding on to the lead thanks to an outdoor PB of 13.84m. Czechia&rsquo;s 2016 European silver medallist Adam Helcelet made his presence felt at this stage, launching the shot 15.31m to place him fifth overall, with Yuma Maruyama and Jose Fernando Ferreira Santana completing the top five.
Hauttekeete and Santiago Ford both soared clear at 2.01m in the high jump, which moved them to second and third respectively behind Bastien (1.95m). His lead was 45 points at that stage but Hauttekeete ran 49.16 to Bastien&rsquo;s 50.10 in the 400m &ndash; the final event of the day &ndash; to take the gap to just a single point at the half way stage.
Ferreira Santana dominated the 110m hurdles at the start of day two and was the only man to finish inside 14 seconds, clocking 13.88. Hauttekeete took a brief lead thanks to his 14.44 clocking, while Bastien managed 14.51, but the French all-rounder responded in the next event, throwing a discus PB of 43.49m to regain the lead.
Hauttekeete threw 40.13m, and Chile&rsquo;s Santiago Ford moved up the leaderboard into third after sending his disc flying out to 47.84m, the best of the day. Murayama, meanwhile, set his third PB of the competition with 46.21m.
Belgium&rsquo;s Thomas van der Plaetsen, the 2016 European champion, was a non-starter for the next discipline. But his compatriot Bodart ensured a Belgian still topped that event, vaulting 5.15m. Bastien was next best, extending his lead thanks to a 5.05m clearance, while Hauttekeete remained in contention with 4.85m.
The discipline ended with disappointment for Murayama, though, as he landed awkwardly on his final attempt at 4.65m and was forced to exit the competition.
Hauttekeete threw a PB of 56.04m in the javelin, but he was bumped down to third place after Ferreira Santana launched his spear out to 67.47m. Bastien increased the gap between him and Hauttekeete, throwing 56.98m.
Bastien had a 138-point lead over Hauttekeete going into the 1500m. Although the Belgian was a far superior 1500m runner, he still needed to finish 25 seconds ahead of Bastien to secure the victory.
Switzerland&rsquo;s Andrin Huber was a comfortable winner of the 1500m, clocking 4:23.99, then Estonia&rsquo;s Risto Lillemets crossed the line a few seconds later, closely followed by Hauttekeete (4:30.80). Bastien, meanwhile, finished outside five minutes (5:02.75).
It meant that Hauttekeete took the victory with 8020 from Lillemets (7971). Bastien held on for third place with 7963, just 26 points ahead of Ferreira Santana.
&ldquo;I just kept going and fought until the end and now I&rsquo;m here in first position,&rdquo; said Hauttekeete. &ldquo;I knew I needed to finish 25 seconds ahead of Bastien and I knew that would be tough. But it&rsquo;s never over until the end.&rdquo;
<a href="https://multistars.it/Multistars_2024/index_2024.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Results</a>

Brooks takes heptathlon with 6330, Hauttekeete wins decathlon with 8020

Brooks and Hauttekeete victorious at Multistars

Seven championship records were improved at the Asian U20 Championships in Dubai, which concluded after four days of action on Saturday (27).
Chinese sprinters erased two long-standing championship records en route to their 100m victories. Seventeen-year-old Zeng Keli stormed to a 10.15 (1.7m/s) clocking in the men&rsquo;s semifinal, breaking the championship record of 10.26 that had stood to Li Tao since 1986. He also took 0.03 off the Chinese U20 record.
Zeng&rsquo;s late reaction from the blocks in the final cost him a bit of time, but the Asian U18 200m silver medallist was still able to overtake two athletes from Hong Kong, China, Chan Yat Lok and Kwok Chun Ting, at the halfway mark to take the title in 10.19 (0.4m/s). Chan (10.41) and Kwok (10.46) took the other two spots on the podium.
In the women's race, 15-year-old Chen Yujie struck gold in 11.32, taking 0.10 off the championship record set 30 years ago by Sri Lanka&rsquo;s Damayanthi Dharsha, and setting a Chinese U18 best in the process. Like Zeng, Chen also had a late start but managed to beat Vietnam's Tran Thi (11.40) to the line, while Misaki Morimoto of Japan was a distant third in 11.79.
Wumaier Ailixier was another athlete to take down a Chinese age-group record en route to a championship record in Dubai. He won the 400m in a national U20 record of 45.53 &ndash; also elevating him to fourth on the senior Chinese all-time list &ndash; to break the championship record by 0.26. China's Li Yiqing (46.61) and India&rsquo;s Aman Choudhary (47.53) filled the next two places on the podium.
Japan&rsquo;s Orita Sota timed his finish well to win the men&rsquo;s 5000m in 14:08.71. He ran alongside compatriot Iida Kaito for most of the way, tucked behind Indian duo Vinod Singh and Gaurav Bhosale before unleashing his kick finish on the final lap. Singh (14:09.44) and Kaito (14:09.63) took silver and bronze with all three medallists bettering the previous championship record.
<h2>Abakar runs world U20 lead in sprint hurdles</h2>
One year after taking the silver medal, Qatar&rsquo;s Oumar Abakar claimed gold in the men&rsquo;s 110m hurdles. After a conservative start, he drew level China's Chen Yuanjiang after 60 metres and it was only coming off the final hurdle that Abakar was able to edge ahead into the lead.
The 19-year-old won in 13.24 (1.2m/s) with Chen finishing just 0.02 behind for the silver medal. Both athletes bettered the previous championship record (13.33) and the world U20 lead (13.27).
Pole vaulter Seifeldin Mohamed Abdelsalam was another Qatari athlete who excelled on the penultimate day of competition. He successfully defended his title with 5.51m, adding a centimetre to his own championship record. Japan's Yoshida Rikuya claimed silver with 5.25m and India&rsquo;s Dev Kumar Meena earned bronze with 5.10m.&nbsp;
Another championship record fell to Chinese athletes on Friday evening as their quartet claimed the mixed 4x400m title.
India and defending champions Sri Lanka were considered the pre-event favourites, but China came through to triumph in 3:22.46 from India (3:24.86), both teams finishing inside the previous record of 3:25.41.
China regained the top position in the medals table with 15 gold, 9 silver, and 3 bronze medals. Japan was second (8-5-8), just ahead of India (7-11-11).
Hong Kong will host the next edition of the Asian U20 Championships in 2026.
Ram. Murali Krishnan for World Athletics

Seven championship records broken in Dubai

Chinese sprinters excel at Asian U20 Championships

Selemon Barega, Beatrice Chepkoech and Akani Simbine were among the athletes to make their mark at the Yangtze Delta Athletics Diamond Gala, the second Wanda Diamond League meeting of the season, in Suzhou on Saturday (27).
One week on from the opening Diamond League meeting in Xiamen, there were also back-to-back wins for Mondo Duplantis, who attempted another world record in the pole vault, plus Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, Daniel Roberts, Marileidy Paulino and Valarie Allman.
The men&rsquo;s 5000m was the penultimate race of the evening and it saw the meeting record fall as Ethiopia&rsquo;s Olympic 10,000m champion Barega got his season started with a win. The 24-year-old, who closed his indoor campaign by gaining world 3000m bronze in Glasgow, held off the challenge posed by his 17-year-old compatriot Biniam Mehary, racing just his second ever 5000m.
After battling down the back straight, Barega led off the final bend and was able to respond to Mehary&rsquo;s strong finish to win, 12:55.68 to 12:56.37. Kenya&rsquo;s world cross country bronze medallist Benson Kiplangat was third in a PB of 12:58.78.
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In the women&rsquo;s 3000m steeplechase, Kenya&rsquo;s world record-holder Chepkoech was dominant. Despite not feeling well, she followed her win in Xiamen with victory in 9:07.36 ahead of Uganda&rsquo;s Olympic champion Peruth Chemutai. In her first steeplechase race since the 2022 World Championships following the birth of her daughter in April 2023, Germany&rsquo;s two-time world bronze medallist Gesa Felicitas Krause was third in 9:16.24.
Over in the sprints, Britain's Olympic and world relay medallist Daryll Neita got a strong start in the women&rsquo;s 200m and she turned it into a powerful finish to win on her individual season debut. Clocking 22.62 (0.2m/s), she held off Anavia Battle (22.99) and her US compatriot Sha'Carri Richardson, the world 100m champion, who ran 23.11.
The focus in the men&rsquo;s 100m might have been on the head-to-head between USA&rsquo;s Fred Kerley and Christian Coleman, but South Africa&rsquo;s Simbine beat them both. He won in 10.01 (-0.1m/s), 0.03 ahead of Coleman, with Kerley third in 10.11.
World 400m champion Paulino made it two wins from two races, following her victory in Xiamen with success in Suzhou in 50.89. USA&rsquo;s Talitha Diggs was second in 51.77 and Sada Williams third in 52.00.
The same was the case for Camacho-Quinn and Roberts in the hurdles.
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Olympic champion Camacho-Quinn finished level with Tobi Amusan in the 100m hurdles but with Amusan running under protest following a false start, Camacho-Quinn secured the win in 12.63, just 0.01 ahead of world indoor 60m hurdles champion and world record-holder Charlton. In the 110m hurdles, world bronze medallist Roberts dipped for the win in 13.12 to deny Japan&rsquo;s Shunsuke Izumiya (13.23).
Slimane Moula secured top spot in the men&rsquo;s 800m, holding off Wyclife Kinyamal - 1:43.38 to 1:43.12.
Duplantis put on a show again in the men&rsquo;s pole vault. After adding a centimetre to his own world record in Xiamen by clearing 6.24m, he got close to doing the same in Suzhou.
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Sweden&rsquo;s Olympic and world champion had the competition won when he cleared 5.92m on his first attempt after also managing 5.62m and 5.82m first time. He had the bar raised to six metres and again soared clear to break the meeting record before it was moved up another 25cm.
While he failed his three tries at that height, his last attempt didn&rsquo;t look far off.
&ldquo;To jump six metres today and complete a very successful tour, I have a lot of good takeaways,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I felt a little bit flat today, but still really good. Conditions have to be perfect for me to jump a world record and I wasn't quite feeling it off the runway tonight. Now I go back home and train for a few weeks until my next competition in Ostrava.&rdquo;
World indoor champion Hamish Kerr rebounded after his third place in Xiamen to win the high jump in Suzhou, clearing 2.31m on his second attempt. Olympic and three-time world gold medallist Mutaz Barshim had skipped straight to 2.33m after two failed attempts at 2.31m but when that didn&rsquo;t work out, Kerr was confirmed the winner.
Two-time world champion Chase Jackson surpassed 20 metres for the first time this season to win the shot put. Launching the implement 20.03m in the second round, she went from third in Xiamen to first in Suzhou, finishing ahead of world indoor champion Sarah Mitton, Song Jiayuan and Xiamen winner Gong Lijiao.
A close men&rsquo;s long jump contest was won by Marquis Dendy as he leapt 8.05m to win by a single centimetre over 2022 world champion Wang Jianan. In the women&rsquo;s event, Marthe Koala jumped 6.68m in the first round and that ended up being the best of the competition by nine centimetres. Quanesha Burks claimed the runner-up spot.
World champion Haruka Kitaguchi saved her best for last in the women&rsquo;s javelin, throwing 62.97m to launch herself into first place and beat world bronze medallist Mackenzie Little with 62.12m.
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USA&rsquo;s Olympic champion Allman followed her victory in Xiamen with another win, topping the non-Diamond League women&rsquo;s discus with a 69.86m throw. Feng Bin was second with 67.11m and recent North American record-breaker Yaime Perez third with 65.59m from her only valid throw of the competition.
Ethiopia&rsquo;s 18-year-old Mekedes Alemeshete won the non-Diamond League women&rsquo;s 5000m in 14:36.70 ahead of her compatriot Ayal Dagnachew (14:36.86), the 2021 world U20 800m champion. The 2022 world 10,000m champion and world record-holder Letesenbet Gidey, in her first race since finishing second in the New York Marathon in November, was third in 14:37.13.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics

Athletes made their mark at the Yangtze Delta Athletics Diamond Gala, the second Wanda Diamond League meeting of the season

Statements and surprises in Suzhou

World 800m silver medallist <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/emmanuel-wanyonyi-14974928" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emmanuel Wanyonyi</a> stepped up to the mile in style, breaking the world road mile record with 3:54.56* at the adizero Road to Records event in Herzogenaurach, Germany, on Saturday (27).
Deciding to make his mile debut rather than race his specialist distance, the Kenyan 19-year-old improved the previous world record of 3:56.13 set by USA&rsquo;s Hobbs Kessler at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23 in October, despite celebrating on his way to the tape.
Kessler was second on this occasion, chasing Wanyonyi over the finish line in 3:56.18, while South Africa&rsquo;s Ryan Mphahlele was third in 3:56.45.
The pacemaker went off fast and Wanyonyi was at the front of a group that caught and then passed him, with 90 seconds on the clock. Kessler moved through the field and drew level with Wanyonyi through 1200m, but Wanyonyi responded to the challenge and when Kessler tried to pass him again, he glanced at his rival and kicked.&nbsp;
Surging away, Wanyonyi started his celebrations early and pointed at the finish line, before crossing it in world record time.
&ldquo;I feel so happy for today. It&rsquo;s not easy, but I tried to push myself,&rdquo; said Wanyonyi, the 2021 world U20 800m champion who claimed the Diamond League title last year and received the men&rsquo;s World Athletics Rising Star award for 2023. &ldquo;My coach told me it was possible to break the world record.&rdquo;
On a busy day of racing in Herzogenaurach, the men&rsquo;s mile followed a rare road 800m which was won in 1:44:30 by Canada&rsquo;s Marco Arop, who beat Wanyonyi to the world title in Budapest last year. Kenya&rsquo;s Nelly Chepchirchir topped the women&rsquo;s mile in 4:30.93.&nbsp;
Kenya's Agnes Ngetich almost added the women-only world record to the world 10km record of 28:46 she set in a mixed race in Valencia in January. This time the 23-year-old clocked 30:03 for a performance just two seconds off the women-only world record set by the late Agnes Tirop at this event in 2021. On Saturday, athletes wore limited-edition kit in honour of Tirop.&nbsp;
In a Kenyan top three, Margaret Chelimo was second in 30:39 and Jesca Chelangat was third in 30:46.
In the women&rsquo;s 5km, Ethiopia&rsquo;s world U20 5000m champion Medina Eisa clocked a winning 14:38 &ndash; the fastest ever women&rsquo;s road 5km by an U20 athlete. She was followed by her fellow 19-year-old compatriot Melknat Wudu, who finished just two seconds back. Fotyen Tesfay completed the Ethiopian top three in 14:41.
Also racing on the 1.3km loop course on Saturday were Ethiopia&rsquo;s two-time world indoor 3000m champion Yomif Kejelcha and Kenya&rsquo;s world 5km bronze medallist Nicholas Kipkorir.
Kejelcha won the men&rsquo;s 5km in 13:00, five seconds ahead of his compatriot Addisu Yihune, while Kipkorir took the 10km title in 27:05, pipping world half marathon champion Sabastian Sawe by a second.
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7210599" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Results</a>
*Subject to the usual ratification procedure

World 800m silver medallist Emmanuel Wanyonyi stepped up to the mile in style, breaking the world road mile record with 3:54.56* at the adizero Road to Records event in Herzogenaurach

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