The anchor leg runners in the mixed 4x400m at the World Athletics Relays Silesia 21 (© Dan Vernon)
Entry lists for the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 confirm that 893 athletes from 54 countries will descend on Nassau for the global event on 4-5 May.
Entries by event and country
Entries by country and event
A total of 32 teams are entered for the men’s 4x100m and 30 are entered for the women’s 4x100m. There’ll also be 32 teams for the men’s 4x400m, 27 for the women’s 4x400m and 30 in the mixed 4x400m.
Noah Lyles, who anchored the USA to victory at last year’s World Championships, features on his country’s squad in the 4x100m alongside world 200m leader Courtney Lindsey and Olympic silver medallist Kenny Bednarek.
Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs, who featured on Italy’s victorious teams at the Tokyo Olympic Games and at the last World Relays earlier in 2021, is also entered for the 4x100m.
In the women’s 4x100m, four of the six women who featured on USA’s triumphant squad at last year’s World Championships – including world 200m silver medallist Gabby Thomas – have been named for the World Relays.
Jamaica and Great Britain & Northern Ireland – who joined USA on the podium at the last World Championships and Olympic Games – have also fielded strong teams for the women’s 4x100m.
The same is true of the women’s 4x400m, but the Netherlands – who struck gold in Budapest last year and at the World Indoor Championships last month – will have the star power of Femke Bol in their squad.
The men’s 4x400m could be one of the most open races of the entire event. World and Olympic champions USA have a strong team, but Olympic 400m champion Steven Gardiner will represent the host nation’s team. Belgium, featuring world indoor champion Alexander Doom, will be coming off the back of their victory at the World Indoor Championships, while the likes of France, Netherlands, Botswana and Great Britain could also contend for victory.
The mixed 4x400m is also expected to be highly competitive. Gardiner and his fellow Olympic champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo feature on the host nation squad, but world record-holders USA and Olympic champions Poland both have formidable teams, as do the Netherlands, Olympic silver medallists Dominican Republic and world silver medallists Great Britain.
Olympic qualifying places will be 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.
Start lists will be published on Friday 3 May, while team line-ups will be confirmed nearer to the time of each race.
World Athletics
