What To Watch This Weekend: World Athletics Relays

By Alex Predhome

On Saturday and Sunday, track fans will have an unique opportunity to watch a team-based meet: World Relays. This meet in Guangzhou, China, will determine the majority of the relay fields for the World Outdoor Championships in Tokyo this summer. 

In a sport where the focus is almost always on individuals and qualifying marks, this meet will be about national glory and handoff strategy, with all the drama and chaos that comes with it. The events that will be contested are the men’s and women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relays, the mixed 4x400m, and—making its debut—the mixed 4x100m relay. This new event will not be contested in Tokyo. 

The most straightforward path to World Championship qualification is to place in the top 14 at this meet, which results in automatic advancement. (The 16-team fields for Tokyo will be rounded out with the two top ranked but previously unqualified teams from the WA toplists.) This makes World Relays a great opportunity for relitigating rivalries, rooting for underdog teams to advance, and witnessing breakout performances. 

While the stakes are clear, the nature of relays means there will be chaos and uncertainty. Fans know that it’s not as simple as putting four of your country’s fastest together and expecting it to necessarily go well. This meet will also be a lab test of where the medal contenders are at with handoff and order strategy. With that in mind, one team to keep an eye on will be the U.S. men in the 4x100m, who are on the hunt for redemption after handoff messiness and heartbreak of the Paris Olympics. Factor in the debut of the first mixed 4x100 relay event, and these dynamics will be magnified. It could mean entertaining strategies or heartbreak or triumph or possible absurdity. 

With so much on the line, expect to see many of the best in the world at this meet. On the men’s side, two-time Olympic silver medalist Kenny Bednarek headlines Team USA in the 4x100m. The USA team will be competing against Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo, who leads Botswana, and Olympians Kishane Thompson and Ackeem Blake, who lead Jamaica. On the women’s side, expect a loaded United States to come in as the favorite in the women’s 4x400m relay with a team that includes Olympic medalists Kendall Ellis, Lynna Irby-Jackson, and Courtney Okolo. The U.S. will also be right in the mix in the women’s 4x100m as they’re bringing in Olympic gold medalist TeeTee Terry to headline that roster. Jamaica, however, won’t go out without a fight, thanks to the steady presence of Olympic gold medalists Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson for the mixed and women’s 4x100m relays, respectively. 

The main appeal of this meet, in my opinion, is really to get a feel for relay strategy, which is an underrated but no less interesting part of the sport. Plus, it’s fun to get into the team-based spirit in a sport that’s heavily individualized. The main downside, is just that fans in the Western Hemisphere will have to get up a little on the earlier side on a weekend. But not too early, at least. 

Handy links: Schedule & Live Results | Entries List (Bottom of page)

How to watch: Saturday and Sunday’s races will be streamed on Peacock. They will also be broadcast on CNBC. 

Here is this weekend’s broadcast schedule:

• Saturday, May 10th (7:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. ET) - Broadcast on CNBC, Streaming on Peacock

• Sunday, May 11th (7:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. ET) - Broadcast on CNBC, Streaming on Peacock

One Good Song For Your Weekend

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