Up until the final discipline on day one at the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24, it seemed as though sprints powerhouse USA and Paris 2024 Games hosts France would secure Olympic qualification in all five disciplines. But it all came crashing down for both teams in the men&rsquo;s 4x400m.
USA was disqualified from the first heat for moving out of the assigned order at one of the changeovers, while France&rsquo;s second-leg runner Thomas Jordier &ndash; who had contested the mixed relay earlier in the day &ndash; suffered an injury in the fourth and final heat. Both teams will get a second chance in the Olympic qualification round two on Sunday, but they would have preferred to have got the job done today.
<div><a href="https://worldathletics.org/videos/playlist/wre-bahamas-24" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6637c562537764b490458732.png" alt="WRE Bahamas 24 highlights" /></a>
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Botswana &ndash; bolstered by a stunning 43.49 split from world 100m silver medallist Letsile Tebogo on leg two &ndash; produced the fastest clocking of the day in the men&rsquo;s 4x400m heats, prevailing by 0.03 in a close battle with South Africa, 2:59.73 to 2:59.76.
Tebogo had put Botswana into the lead, then world record-holder Wayde van Niekerk regained pole position for South Africa on leg three. But Bayapo Ndori produced a 43.95 anchor for Botswana to give them victory in one of the closest finishes of the evening.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/66370befce559ee9034a5369.jpg" alt="Botswana wins their 4x400m heat at the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24" />
Botswana wins their 4x400m heat at the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 (&copy; Francesca Grana)
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World indoor champions Belgium also impressed. Anchored by world indoor 400m champion Alexander Doom, the Belgian quartet won their heat convincingly in 3:00.09 with Nigeria a distant second in 3:01.70.
In the first of the four heats, USA lived up to expectations by crossing the line in first place. But it later emerged that one of the US quartet had intentionally moved out of the set order for one of the changeovers, landing the team with a disqualification.
It meant that Japan, who had initially crossed the line in second place, were declared winners in 3:00.98 from Germany (3:01.25).
The third heat was the slowest but most competitive with five teams still in contention as they approached the final 100 metres of the last leg.
Italy&rsquo;s Davide Re eventually pulled ahead to win in 3:01.68, while Britain&rsquo;s Lewis Davey found space on the inside to move past Qatar and the Netherlands, claiming the runner-up spot in 3:02.10.
The 23 teams who missed out on Olympic qualification today will have another chance on Sunday of ensuring their place in Paris. The top six teams in the Olympic qualification round two will join the eight automatic qualifiers from Saturday.
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<h2>USA dominate in record-breaking mixed 4x400m round</h2>
Just three minutes and 12.16 seconds after the gun had fired for the first event at the World Relays, a championship record had been broken.
The Dutch quartet &ndash; featuring Femke Bol and Lieke Klaver, world champions in the women&rsquo;s 4x400m indoors and out &ndash; took more than two seconds off the championship record that had stood for seven years.
World indoor silver medallist Klaver moved the team from fourth to second with her 49.57 split on leg two. But the Netherlands still trailed The Bahamas, with Olympic champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo running a 49.70 split to give the host nation a lead of 0.78 at the half-way point.
Olympic champion Steven Gardiner then doubled The Bahamas&rsquo; lead on leg three, but the Netherlands still had Bol to come on the anchor leg, while The Bahamas had had to draft in teenager Shania Adderley after Anthonique Strachan had experienced shin pains in warm-up.
Adderley acquitted herself well and held the lead until about half-way through her leg before Bol breezed past. The world 400m hurdles champion ran a 49.54 anchor to finish in 3:12.16.
World 400m champion Marileidy Paulino produced a stunning 48.93 split to take the Dominican Republic from fifth to second and into an Olympic qualifying spot.
Just 11 minutes later, the championship record was smashed again, this time by world champions USA. Matthew Boling, Lynna Irby-Jackson, Ryan Willie and Kendall Ellis teamed up to win in 3:11.52, finishing more than two seconds ahead of Nigeria (3:13.79).
The championship record survived for the remaining two heats, but Ireland was rewarded with a national record of 3:12.50 with their surprise win in heat three.
Rhasidat Adeleke and Sharlene Mawdsley provided the star power, clocking splits of 49.64 and 50.13 on legs two and four respectively. They held off a strong challenge from Belgium, who took second place in 3:13.18 ahead of world silver medallists Great Britain (3:13.52).
In heat four, meanwhile, Olympic champions Poland showed renewed form to win in 3:13.53, helped by a 49.84 anchor leg from world silver medallist Natalia Kaczmarek. Olympic hosts France claimed the runner-up spot and a place at their home Games in 3:14.71.
While the likes of The Bahamas, Great Britain and Jamaica missed out on an automatic Olympic qualifying place today, they&rsquo;ll have a chance of claiming one of the six remaining places on Sunday.
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<h2>Double duty sees Ireland take top qualifying spot in women&rsquo;s 4x400m</h2>
Less than two hours after setting a national record to win their heat and qualify for the Olympics in the mixed 4x400m, Ireland did exactly the same thing in the women&rsquo;s 4x400m &ndash; thanks, again, to the efforts of Rhasidat Adeleke and Sharlene Mawdsley.
Running the same legs that they did in the mixed event, Rhasidat went even quicker with a 49.48 clocking, while Mawdsley produced a 50.98 split to hold off the challenge of Britain&rsquo;s Lina Nielsen. Ireland crossed the line in a national record of 3:24.38 while Great Britain finished second in 3:24.89.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/66370c15ce559ee9034a536c.jpg" alt="Ireland wins their heat in the women's 4x400m at the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24" />
Ireland wins their heat in the women's 4x400m at the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 (&copy; Francesca Grana)
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World silver medallist Natalia Kaczmarek was another athlete on double duty. She anchored the Polish team to victory in the third heat in 3:27.11, while an inspired French team claimed the second Olympic qualifying spot in 3:28.06 ahead of Jamaica (3:29.03).
Olympic champions USA ensured they&rsquo;ll be in Paris to defend their title, taking the fourth and final heat in 3:24.76 to finish more than two seconds ahead of their nearest opponents. Norway&rsquo;s Henriette Jaeger ran a 49.94 split to cross the line in second place in a national record of 3:26.89, finishing 0.3 ahead of the more favoured Belgian quartet.
In the first of four heats, Italy pulled off a surprise victory over Canada. A 50.56 split from Alice Mangione gave the Italians the lead, finishing in 3:26.28 to Canada&rsquo;s 3:27.17. World champions Netherlands &ndash; with a team that did not feature Femke Bol or Lieke Klaver &ndash; placed third in 3:28.10.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24

Two out of three ain't bad for France and USA in 4x400m events

Mixed fortunes for USA and France in 4x400m heats at WRE Bahamas 24

Both US teams made a statement in the first round of the 4x100m at the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 on Saturday (4), dominating their heats to storm into Sunday&rsquo;s finals and &ndash; more importantly &ndash; secure their spots for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
With the top two teams in each of the four heats automatically qualifying for Paris, it was all to race for. Olympic hosts France also ensured they&rsquo;ll have two teams on the start line in Paris, their men&rsquo;s quartet clinching a heat win and their women&rsquo;s team finishing runner-up to USA.
<div><a href="https://worldathletics.org/videos/playlist/wre-bahamas-24" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6637c562537764b490458732.png" alt="WRE Bahamas 24 highlights" /></a>
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In the first round of the men&rsquo;s competition, fans were treated to a clash between Olympic champions Italy and world champions USA. Courtney Lindsey started things off for USA and he handed the baton to Kenny Bednarek. It was Olympic 200m silver medallist against Olympic 100m champion on the second leg, as Bednarek went head-to-head with Marcell Jacobs.&nbsp;
Kyree King took over from Bednarek before Noah Lyles &ndash; the treble world champion &ndash; ran the anchor. As Lyles sprinted away, Filippo Tortu was left to chase him home as USA won in a world-leading 37.49, more than half a second ahead of Italy in 38.14. The 2019 World Relays winners Brazil finished third in 38.79.
Since the last World Athletics Relays in 2021 in Silesia, where Italy won the men&rsquo;s 4x100m, there have been three major global titles on offer. Each was won by a different nation and the third of those victorious teams &ndash; 2022 world champions Canada &ndash; also finished on top in Nassau.&nbsp;
Anchored by Olympic 200m champion Andre De Grasse, Canada comfortably won the third heat, clocking 38.11, but there was a fierce battle for second. Australia had the advantage at the final handover but Jamaica&rsquo;s Sandrey Davison came through to pip Joshua Azzopardi by just four thousandths of a second, with both teams clocking 38.50. It means Australia will be among the teams running in Sunday&rsquo;s &lsquo;Olympic qualifying round 2&rsquo;, where the top two teams in each race will also qualify for Paris.
France didn&rsquo;t seem satisfied to only secure their spot for the home Olympics &ndash; they wanted to do so in style. The team was up against 2017 world champions Great Britain in heat two and Aymeric Priam held off Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, who also brought the baton home during GB's world title win, 38.32 to 38.36.
&ldquo;We have been working on this for two years, so I am glad we achieved the qualification,&rdquo; said Jeff Erius, France's second leg runner. &ldquo;All French teams have qualified so far. It&rsquo;s a great start.&rdquo;
The fourth and final heat came down to a battle between Japan and China. While Japan led into the final leg, China had by far the smoother changeover, but as China&rsquo;s Chen Jiapeng challenged, Japan&rsquo;s Sota Miwa responded to win by 0.15 in 38.10.
Among those joining Brazil and Australia in fighting for Paris places again on Sunday will be Trinidad and Tobago, who finished third in heat two, and South Africa, third in heat four.
<h2>Paris place secured, USA eyes faster time in final</h2>
When it comes to the women&rsquo;s 4x100m, either the United States or Jamaica had won at the three global championships held since the last World Athletics Relays. While world champions USA cruised through the first round in Nassau, Olympic champions Jamaica didn&rsquo;t enjoy such a smooth ride and they will also be among the teams returning on Sunday to have another go at Olympic qualification.
The US quartet of Tamari Davis, Gabby Thomas, Celera Barnes and Melissa Jefferson dominated from start to finish to win the first heat in 42.21.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6636f180e4618185cd8ff528.jpg" alt="USA's 4x100m women celebrate their Olympic qualification" />
USA's 4x100m women celebrate their Olympic qualification (&copy; Francesca Grana)
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Davis got a strong start and she handed the baton to her world title-winning teammate Thomas, the individual Olympic and world 200m medallist, with a narrow lead. Thomas maintained the advantage and the team was unchallenged from there, as Barnes took over and then Jefferson brought them home to secure the first Olympic 4x100m place of the competition.
France were challenged by Nigeria in the closing stages, with a fast-finishing Tima Godbless chasing French anchor Mallory Leconte, but Leconte managed to hold on to claim the second qualification spot - 43.09 to 43.15.
&ldquo;We came together and made it happen in such a short time,&rdquo; said Thomas. &ldquo;Tomorrow, I believe we will do better and can be faster.&rdquo;
There was no hiding Poland&rsquo;s delight following their heat two win. The team started well but China, Italy and Canada soon started to make their presence felt. At the final changeover, those four teams were pretty evenly matched and they ran in a row down the home straight. But Ewa Swoboda, Poland&rsquo;s world indoor 60m silver medallist, proved the most poweful and she overcame her rivals to win in 42.81. Canada secured second in 42.98, 0.05 ahead of China, with 2021 winners Italy finishing fourth.
Germany won the women's 4x100m when The Bahamas last hosted the World Athletics Relays in 2017 and seven years later they got their campaign off to a successful start. Two of the nation&rsquo;s 2022 world bronze medal-winning team members &ndash; Rebekka Haase and Gina Luckenkemper &ndash; were on the team again this time and Haase crossed the finish line to win the third heat in 42.72.
While Australia&rsquo;s men&rsquo;s team missed out on an automatic qualifying spot for Paris by thousandths of a second, the women&rsquo;s team clinched one by the same margin as Ebony Lane, Bree Masters, Ella Connolly and Torrie Lewis clocked an Oceanian record of 42.83 to deny Cote d&rsquo;Ivoire by 0.003. That was despite a strong anchor leg from multiple global medallist Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith, that initially looked as though it may have been enough.
There were huge cheers as athletes took to the start line for the fourth and final heat, with world indoor 60m hurdles champion and world record-holder Devynne Charlton leading off for the host nation.&nbsp;
It was Liberia, through Ebony Morrison, that seemed to get the best start, but Great Britain soon looked in control. Asha Philip handed over to Imani Lansiquot before Bianca Williams took over. From there, it was down to Amy Hunt to get the baton home and she did so in the second-quickest time of the day &ndash; 42.33.&nbsp;
The Netherlands, anchored by Tasa Jiya, secured second in 42.88, finishing ahead of Liberia with a national record of 43.15.
The Bahamas, finishing fourth, will return to the track on Sunday for another shot at a Paris spot, along with teams such as heat one third-place finishers Nigeria, Jamaica and Ecuador, who ran a national record of 43.67 for fifth in their heat.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics

Both US teams made a statement in the first round of the 4x100m at the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24

USA leads the way with 4x100m heat wins at WRE Bahamas 24

In the latest episode of the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/videos/playlist/latest-videos/66365ae30955693f618b9a92" data-cke-saved-href="https://worldathletics.org/videos/playlist/latest-videos/66365ae30955693f618b9a92">World Athletics Inside Track Podcast</a>, released today (4 May), Sanya Richards-Ross, Richard Kilty and Kelly Sotherton are in The Bahamas for the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24, and they preview an exciting weekend of competition together with World Athletics President Sebastian Coe and CEO Jon Ridgeon.
Coe and Ridgeon paired up with Richards-Ross and Sotherton respectively to give their predictions for the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s 4x100m and 4x400m as well as the mixed relay. Ridgeon and Sotherton had a bold prediction for the men&rsquo;s 4x400m, giving a podium place to India, who they&rsquo;ve identified as a rising powerhouse in athletics.
But the highlight of the chat for Richards-Ross and Sotherton was the announcement by Ridgeon of an intention to test the viability of a mixed 4x100m event.
&ldquo;The whole mixed relay thing is actually a really interesting concept, and, in many ways, we think that mixed athletics could be the future,&rdquo; said Ridgeon. &ldquo;For example, we are this year looking into testing a concept of a mixed 4x100m relay. We&rsquo;re not saying it&rsquo;s going to work; we&rsquo;re not saying that it will be an event, but it is one of the things that we are going to be testing. We are starting with an open mind and we&rsquo;re starting with all various variations.&rdquo;
Richards-Ross and Sotherton lit up with the suggestion, and volunteered themselves to be part of the testing phase. Richards-Ross then offered suggestions on the formation of teams: &ldquo;What if there is a draw to determine who runs which leg right before the start of the event. How interesting would that be to spice it up even more.&rdquo;
Kilty, who is part of Great Britain&rsquo;s men&rsquo;s 4x100m squad in Nassau, joined Sotherton and Richards-Ross in making predictions, while they also provided clarification on the qualification process for relay teams to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
This is the first in a series of World Athletics Inside Track Podcast episodes from Nassau, all available via the usual podcast platforms &ndash; including on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/inside-track-the-official-podcast-of-world-athletics/id1733061742" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/inside-track-the-official-podcast-of-world-athletics/id1733061742">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6OGo4XNfgZ3GSiXes6OO8u?si=c976714bf56b4d18" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6OGo4XNfgZ3GSiXes6OO8u?si=c976714bf56b4d18">Spotify</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;the <a href="https://podcast.sport-social.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://podcast.sport-social.co.uk/">Sport Social Podcast Network</a> &ndash; while fans can also watch the show on the <a href="https://worldathletics.org/videos" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-cke-saved-href="https://worldathletics.org/videos">World Athletics website</a>.
With an evolving presenter line-up, the podcast will return later in the year, as an all-star cast will provide a preview to the events at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Find it all on <a href="https://worldathletics.org/inside-track" data-cke-saved-href="https://worldathletics.org/inside-track">Inside Track</a>.

In the latest episode of the World Athletics Inside Track Podcast, released today (4 May), Sanya Richards-Ross, Richard Kilty and Kelly Sotherton are in The Bahamas for the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24

World Athletics Inside Track Podcast back in The Bahamas

To mark the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24, Devynne Charlton has donated to the Museum of World Athletics (MOWA) her Bahamian team singlet and name bib from the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow. There she lowered her 60m hurdles world record to 7.65 when securing her first global title.
The 28-year-old Charlton, who stunned many when she sped to her first world record (7.67) in New York on 11 February, got away superbly in the 60m hurdles final in Glasgow. She was never seriously threatened, finishing clear of France&rsquo;s defending champion Cyrena Samba-Mayela. Charlton had taken the silver behind the French athlete in Belgrade two years before.
Charlton, who is competing in the 4x100m this weekend (4-5 May), handed over her Glasgow top to World Athletics President Sebastian Coe at the official press conference staged infield at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium in Nassau.
"Charlton&rsquo;s near faultless final in Glasgow was one of two world records during a standout evening session," said Coe. "On behalf of the Museum of World Athletics, I gratefully thank Charlton for her generous donation, which perfectly embodies her exceptional indoor season.
"In an Olympic year, it is worth reflecting that Charlton&rsquo;s singlet joins an artefact of a sprint hurdling legend in the MOWA. Our museum&rsquo;s collection holds the embroidered &lsquo;Nederland&rsquo; badge which Fanny Blankers-Koen wore when winning the Olympic 80m hurdles gold, one of four victories achieved by &lsquo;The Flying Dutchwoman&rsquo; at the London 1948 Olympic Games."
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/65e4ec4e030c958309dcaed0.jpg" alt="Devynne Charlton wins the 60m hurdles at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24" />
Devynne Charlton wins the 60m hurdles at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24 (&copy; Getty Images)
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Charlton commented: "I am very happy to present my world indoor championship winning singlet and bib to the Museum of World Athletics. I will be excited to see them displayed online in 3D and exhibited around the world. I hope they help inspire future athletes and fans about the excitement of athletics.
"It is a great honour to have my achievements recognised in the museum alongside those of many all-time greats, whose careers I dream to emulate as I fulfil my track ambitions."
<h2>World indoor champions Devers and Pearson</h2>
Charlton&rsquo;s World Athletics Indoor Championships winning kit will also sit with the shoes and clothing of two other world indoor 60m hurdles champions in the Heritage Collection of the MOWA.
Olympic champions Gail Devers of USA and Sally Pearson of Australia, respectively world indoor 60m hurdles champions in Birmingham 2003 and Istanbul 2012, donated their singlets, bib numbers and running spikes to the MOWA from their 2004 (60m gold, 60m hurdles silver) and 2014 (60m hurdles silver) world indoor campaigns.
Charlton&rsquo;s early career was beset by a serious back injury. Now back to full fitness, the Purdue University alumnus has in recent years begun to fulfil her immense promise. Silver at the 2022 World Indoor Championships was followed outdoors at 100m hurdles with Commonwealth Games silver and last summer a fourth place at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.&nbsp;
Charlton&rsquo;s indoor form this season would signal an improvement to her Tokyo Olympic Games sixth place is likely this year in Paris.
World Athletics Heritage

To mark the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24, Devynne Charlton has donated to the Museum of World Athletics her Bahamian team singlet and name bib from the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow

Charlton donates world record singlet and bib to Museum of World Athletics

At the pre-event press conference for the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24, 10 of the world&rsquo;s best sprinters spoke of their ambitions to secure Olympic relay qualification this weekend when they compete at the Thomas A Robinson Stadium in Nassau.
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/noah-lyles-14536762" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Noah Lyles</a> &ndash; the world 100m, 200m and 4x100m champion &ndash; will be aiming to secure USA&rsquo;s place at the Paris 2024 Olympics in the men&rsquo;s 4x100m. He&rsquo;ll also be using this weekend&rsquo;s event as a stepping stone towards a potential tilt at winning four medals at the Games, where he intends to compete in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m and 4x400m.
He won&rsquo;t, however, be contesting the longer event in Nassau.
&ldquo;I won&rsquo;t be running the 4x400m here &ndash; when I did it at the World Indoors, let&rsquo;s just say it caused a lot of controversy,&rdquo; said Lyles, who ran third leg for the USA in the 4x400m at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, where he claimed silver. &ldquo;This year I will be training specifically for the 100m and 200m, but also to be in good shape for the 400m so that I can be part of the 4x400m at the Paris Olympics. I&rsquo;m in the best shape of my life, and I know I&rsquo;ve been saying that for two years, but it&rsquo;s very true.&rdquo;
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/italy/lamont-marcell-jacobs-14453864" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marcell Jacobs</a>, the defending Olympic 100m and 4x100m champion and defending World Relays 4x100m winner, will be doing all he can to prevent Lyles reaching the top of the podium in Nassau and Paris.
&ldquo;There has been a lot of change in my life since Budapest,&rdquo; said the Italian. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve moved to the US and changed coaches. I&rsquo;m really happy &ndash; the work we&rsquo;ve been doing in training is really good. Now I&rsquo;m here with my teammates; we&rsquo;re the defending World Relays champions and the Olympic champions and hopefully we&rsquo;ll win again here.&rdquo;
Seven years on from forming part of the victorious Bahamian mixed 4x400m team in Nassau, two-time Olympic 400m champion <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/bahamas/shaunae-miller-uibo-14368116" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shaunae Miller-Uibo</a> will race on home soil again as she continues her comeback following the birth of her son Maicel in April last year.
&ldquo;Training has been going really well. We&rsquo;re back at it full time now and just getting things ready for the Olympic Games,&rdquo; she said.
Reflecting on the 2017 World Relays, she added: &ldquo;That&rsquo;s a memory that really stuck with us. Being able to compete at home, and on top of that to bring home the gold in the first mixed relay, it was awesome. We heard the crowd going crazy and we ran with it from there. We&rsquo;re definitely going to come out here and put on a show for the crowd.&rdquo;
World 200m finalist <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/bahamas/anthonique-strachan-14368117" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anthonique Strachan</a> also formed part of that winning mixed relay squad seven years ago and after being convinced by her teammates Miller-Uibo and Steven Gardiner, she&rsquo;s stepping up again.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m just helping out the quarter-milers this weekend,&rdquo; she laughed. &ldquo;They need an extra little fast leg, I&rsquo;m going to try to be that. I&rsquo;m not a quarter-miler, that&rsquo;s not my event. Shaunae had to beg me &ndash; Shaunae and Stevie, they sort of cornered me!&rdquo;
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/bahamas/steven-gardiner-14578505" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steven Gardiner</a>, the Olympic 400m champion, has great faith in Strachan and his other teammates.
&ldquo;Many people here were involved in putting together our mixed relay team,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Anthonique did an amazing job in 2017, so why not have her on the team again? I know what she&rsquo;s capable of doing &ndash; she&rsquo;s a fighter, so I know she&rsquo;ll bring the stick around. She just talks, but she will do it.&rdquo;
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/bahamas/alonzo-russell-14414605" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alonzo Russell</a>, Olympic bronze medallist in the men&rsquo;s 4x400m in 2016, will be making his mixed relay debut this weekend and cannot wait to join three of the victorious athletes from 2017.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s my first time on a mixed relay,&rdquo; said Russell, who last competed at the World Relays back in 2015, also in Nassau. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m excited to put in a strong performance in front of a home crowd and get the team to Paris.&rdquo;
World indoor 60m hurdles champion <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/bahamas/devynne-charlton-14414505" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Devynne Charlton</a> is no stranger to a relay, but this will be her first time competing at the global event.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m a hurdler that can sprint. It&rsquo;s a little different, it takes me back to high school and college because I was doing double duties there. I&rsquo;m excited to be in a team environment again.&rdquo;
It also gives her the opportunity to race back on home soil, where she received a celebratory homecoming after her success in Glasgow in March.
&ldquo;It was a big deal when I came home, the reception was amazing,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I almost wasn&rsquo;t able to walk the streets because people were stopping to get a picture with me. It was overwhelming but amazing to see the pride that Bahamian people felt for something that I did.&rdquo;
Another global gold medallist in action is <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/netherlands/lieke-klaver-14560483" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lieke Klaver</a>, who formed part of the triumphant Dutch women&rsquo;s 4x400m teams at the World Championships in Budapest and World Indoor Championships in Glasgow.
&ldquo;The main goal is to qualify all five teams for the Olympics. That&rsquo;s what we came for,&rdquo; she said.
Sharing insight into her mindset when on the track with her teammates, she added: &ldquo;I always try to keep my heartbeat as low as possible, not to get too much of the environment inside of me. I focus on the girls &ndash; I know it&rsquo;s just four of us and that makes me so calm. I like to be on the first leg because then I can pass on the baton and let the girls do the rest and not look! But the second leg, I love it. There&rsquo;s so much speed.&rdquo;
After running a recent 11.02 100m, just 0.03 off her PB, Olympic and world relay medallist <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/great-britain-ni/imani-lansiquot-14506362" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Imani Lansiquot</a> also has Paris qualification ambitions for her Great Britain 4x100m team.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been training really hard. All eyes are on Paris and I feel like I&rsquo;m in fantastic shape,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;This is my first World Relays. It fit perfectly with my preparations for the year and I feel like I&rsquo;m going to do a really good job for my team.&rdquo;
Few athletes will be feeling the pressure this weekend as much as <a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/france/t%c3%a9o-andant-14709654" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Teo Andant</a> and his French teammates.
The men&rsquo;s 4x400m quartet provided France with their only medal at last year&rsquo;s World Championships, so expectations are high as they approach an Olympic Games on home soil.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve done a round-the-world trip &ndash; I&rsquo;ve been to New Zealand, Australia and South Africa &ndash; just to be ready for the Olympics,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re all very ready and we&rsquo;re very determined. It&rsquo;s the year of our lives for us French athletes &ndash; a home Olympics comes around just once in 100 years, so we&rsquo;ve got to get this one right.&rdquo;

Ten of the world’s best sprinters spoke of their ambitions to secure Olympic relay qualification this weekend

Olympic qualification the main goal for global stars in Nassau

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe looked forward to a relays event "for the ages&rdquo; as he spoke to the world&rsquo;s media on the eve of the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 taking place this weekend (4-5 May).
As the main qualifying event for relay events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, multiple world and Olympic champions are among the top-class athletes who are in the Bahamian capital ready to race for Paris places, World Relays titles and prize money.
Speaking ahead of <a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-relays/bahamas24/news/news/olympic-qualification-main-goal-world-relays-bahamas-24" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a press conference with athletes including global gold medallists Noah Lyles, Shaunae Miller-Uibo, Marcell Jacobs and Devynne Charlton</a>, Coe hailed the &ldquo;star-studded cast&rdquo;.
&ldquo;The Bahamas was our first host in 2014. We&rsquo;ve had six editions and four of them have been staged here. I&rsquo;m guessing you can probably see why. It&rsquo;s not just about the location, it&rsquo;s about the friendliness of people on the islands and it&rsquo;s about the deep respect that you have for track and field, particularly relays,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got nearly 900 athletes here from 52 different countries, and of course there is added piquancy. This is an Olympic year and we have injected some jeopardy. That jeopardy is simple: there will be teams getting selected here for Paris. Where many of those teams finish in the next day or so will also determine the advantage or otherwise of lane draws in Paris. So, there&rsquo;s a lot to play for.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re delighted to be here. I think we are going to see something that is probably, in terms of a relay event, something for the ages.&rdquo;
Mario Bowleg, the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture for The Bahamas, was delighted to have the best relay runners on the planet back in his country.
&ldquo;We welcome the world to our beautiful shores,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It was a privilege and an honour to host the first three editions of this event. We&rsquo;re on the brink of hosting the fourth edition, we&rsquo;re about to put on some things never seen before. I want to thank Seb Coe and World Athletics, as well as Mike Sands, NACAC and the LOC for ensuring that these events are a success.&rdquo;
Sanya Richards-Ross competed at the 2014 and 2015 editions of the World Relays in The Bahamas, notching up two victories in the 4x400m plus a world record in the distance medley relay.
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s nothing quite like this competition in this stadium,&rdquo; said the 2012 Olympic 400m champion. &ldquo;What makes the sport so rich and so fun is when we come together with our teammates to compete in a relay. The World Relays provides the opportunity for athletes to come out here, step on the track and represent their country and just have so much fun.&rdquo;

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe looked forward to a relays event "for the ages”

Star-studded cast ready to put on pre-Paris show at WRE Bahamas 24

Caio Bonfim is set to defend his title at the third leg of the World Athletics Race Walking Tour Gold series &ndash; the Korzeniowski Warsaw Race Walking Cup &ndash; on Sunday (5) but the Brazilian faces an intriguing challenge from Toshikazu Yamanishi.
The two-time world champion from Japan was at the peak of his game following Olympic bronze, a second world title in 2022 and the World Race Walking Team Championships individual victory in Muscat. Then came 2023, and a somewhat rockier road.
A telling result almost exactly a year ago to the day was third place at the Rio Maior Gold Tour race when Yamanishi, who has a 1:17:15 personal best, had no answer to a last 5km as Bonfim and Ecuador&rsquo;s Brian Pintado disappeared into the distance. Yamanishi finished in 1:20:58, more than a minute behind second-place Bonfim.
His 24th position at the World Championships in Budapest was nearly a minute slower still. And that rarest of things, a disqualification, was his unwelcome 28th birthday present at the Japanese Race Walking Championships in Kobe in February.
However, Yamanishi is looking not just to this race, or the Olympics in Paris, but to the next World Championships &ndash; again on home soil in 2025.
&ldquo;I have a strong desire to win in Tokyo because I couldn&rsquo;t win in Budapest,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It will be held in Japan so I am looking forward to having many people watching our race as I prepare for the Games.&rdquo;
Bonfim is in top form after recording a 1:17:44 PB in Taicang at the first Gold Tour race of the year. He was third in Podebrady last month in 1:18:50, and looked on course to share gold with Viviane Lyra in the inaugural mixed marathon relay at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships in Antalya last month until a late penalty demoted them to fifth.
If not this illustrious pair around the 1.2km loop in Teatralny Square and Piłsudskiego Square, who else?
Zhang Jun won the Taicang race in 1:17:26, his third sub-78-minute clocking at the distance and a PB. Wang Zhaozhao recorded an impressive 1:17:48 in Taicang also, but faded to 57th in Antalya. The Chinese pair won&rsquo;t be short of friendly company: seven of their teammates will toe the line in Warsaw.
Australia&rsquo;s Declan Tingay clocked a PB of 1:18:30 in Budapest, and in Antalya was key to ensuring a second Australian team will toe the line in the Olympic mixed marathon relay.
Team-mate Rhydian Cowley, partnering Jemima Montag, finished some way ahead of Tingay in Antalya. Cowley&rsquo;s preparation for Paris looks very much on song with a 1:18:33 clocking in Taicang; not to mention 38:13.51 on the track over 10,000m at the Australian Championships in April, a result bettered by Tingay in 38:07.88 for the win.
The sentimental cheers of the morning are headed the way of Dawid Tomala. The hometown hero and Olympic 50km gold medallist was a non-finisher in Dudince in March, but he recovered to partner Katarzyna Zdzieblo to an Olympic mixed relay place in Antalya. The 34-year-old&rsquo;s 20km PB of 1:20:30 dates back to 2013.
Kimberly Garcia, winner over 20km in Warsaw last year, had initially opted to contest the 10km this weekend, but the double 2022 world champion has since pulled out of that, concentrating instead on recovery from her World Race Walking Team Championships win in Antalya.
All eyes will be on Montag and a clutch of talented Chinese race walkers, all of whom finished inside 1:28 in Taicang. The contingent includes four-time world champion Liu Hong, 2012 Olympic champion Qieyang Shijie, plus Ji Haiying and Shi Yuxia, who finished sixth and seventh respectively in Antalya.
Now a mother anticipating a 37th birthday next week, Liu&rsquo;s appetite for global success still burns strong. The 2016 Olympic champion has won races all over the world, and she recently clocked 1:26:47 in Taicang &ndash; her fastest time in three years &ndash; to underline her current form.
Montag made a breakthrough statement in 2023 with silver at the World Championships in 1:27:16. The 26-year-old medical student followed that up by setting an Oceanian record of 1:27:09 in February, and then finished sixth alongside Cowley in Antalya&rsquo;s mixed marathon relay. She too knows all about performing on foreign shores.
Poland&rsquo;s double 2022 world silver medallist Katarzyna Zdziebło will get huge support on the course, and there&rsquo;s a welcome return to competition for Antigoni Ntrismpioti. The 40-year-old from Greece has raced just once this year, clocking 44:39.83 on the track for 10,000m in Canberra, but the 2022 double European champion has pedigree in spades.
She will need to be with Chinese vests and Montag alongside ready to set a fast pace.
Paul Warburton for World Athletics

Toshikazu Yamanishi takes on Caio Bonfim, Liu Hong clashes with Jemima Montag

Global gold medallists Liu and Yamanishi among the contenders in Warsaw

World champion Sha&rsquo;Carri Richardson and world indoor 60m champion Christian Coleman will contest the 100m at the Prefontaine Classic while global medallists Erriyon Knighton, Letsile Tebogo and Kenny Bednarek will clash in the men&rsquo;s 200m at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Eugene on Saturday 25 May.
Richardson sped to victory over 100m at last year&rsquo;s World Championships in Budapest, setting a PB of 10.65 to equal the championship record, and followed it by anchoring the USA to gold in the 4x100m.
The US sprinter will take on world indoor 60m champion Julien Alfred of St Lucia and African record-holder Marie-Josee Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast.
Coleman, who claimed the Diamond Trophy over 100m last year by equalling the world lead of 9.83, will be joined in the men&rsquo;s event by African record-holder Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya and world indoor 60m bronze medallist Ackeem Blake of Jamaica.
The men&rsquo;s 200m in Eugene will also be highly competitive as Knighton, Tebogo and Bednarek take to the line.
Knighton &ndash; who has a lifetime best of 19.49 &ndash; took silver in that discipline at last year&rsquo;s World Championships, earning his second global medal before even turning 20.
Botswana&rsquo;s Tebogo is similarly prodigious. He won back-to-back world U20 titles over 100m in 2021 and 2022, then claimed world 100m silver and 200m bronze in Budapest last year, just weeks after turning 20. His PB of 19.50 is just 0.01 shy of Knighton&rsquo;s.
Bednarek claimed Olympic silver in 2021 and followed it with world silver in 2022. Along with Tebogo, Bednarek is one of a small number of men who have broken 10 seconds for 100m, 20 seconds for 200m and 45 seconds for 400m.

World champion Sha’Carri Richardson and world indoor 60m champion Christian Coleman will contest the 100m

Sprint headliners confirmed for Eugene

Seven athletes will represent the Olympic Refugee Team in athletics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The squad includes distance runner Tachlowini Gabriyesos, who placed 16th in the marathon at the last Olympic Games in Tokyo &ndash; the highest ever finish by a refugee athlete at a global championships.
Other endurance athletes on the team include 800m specialists Perina Lokure Nakang and Musa Suliman, 5000m runner Jamal Abdelmaji Eisa Mohammed and middle-distance runner Farida Abaroge, who made her Athlete Refugee Team debut at the recent World Cross Country Championships in Belgrade.
Dorian Keletela, who in 2021 became the first sprinter to represent a refugee team at a global championships, will contest the 100m. And Mohammad Amin Alsalami, who last year became the first field event athlete to represent a refugee team at a global championships, has been named in the long jump.
&ldquo;These athletes are an enrichment to our Olympic Community, and to our societies,&rdquo; said IOC President Thomas Bach. "With their participation in the Olympic Games, they will demonstrate the human potential of resilience and excellence. This will send a message of hope to the more than 100 million displaced people around the world.&rdquo;
<h3>Olympic Refugee Team for Paris</h3>
WOMEN 800m: Perina Lokure Nakang 1500m: Farida Abaroge
MEN 100m: Dorian Keletela 800m: Musa Suliman 5000m: Jamal Abdelmaji Eisa Mohammed Marathon: Tachlowini Gabriyesos Long jump: Mohammad Amin Alsalami

The XXXIII Olympic Games

Seven athletes will represent the Olympic Refugee Team in athletics at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Olympic Refugee Team selected for Paris 2024 Games

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

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

USA and Botswana make history in 4x400m finals at WRE Bahamas 24

Olympic relay fields formed at WRE Bahamas 24

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First 40 relay teams qualified for Paris 2024