GUANGZHOU, China – It was a day of mixed fortunes and raw resilience for Team Jamaica on the opening day of the World Athletics Relays at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium.
With tickets to the 2025 World Athletics Championships on the line, Jamaica entered all six events with high hopes—but only two teams punched their tickets on the first attempt, setting the stage for a dramatic day two.
Light in the storm: Mixed 4x100m and Women’s 4x100m shine
The early glimmers of success came from the mixed 4x100m relay team, where Natasha Morrison, Krystal Sloley, Javari Thomas, and Rasheed Foster combined to edge out Great Britain by a whisker. Jamaica clocked 41.04 seconds, barely holding off the British squad at 41.05, in one of the meet’s most electrifying finishes.
Host nation China, despite a valiant home-crowd effort, narrowly missed out with 41.30 seconds, falling outside of automatic qualification.
In the women’s 4x100m, star sprinters Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson, and twin sisters Tia and Tina Clayton made sure Jamaica stayed in the hunt, finishing second in their heat behind a record-breaking Spanish team. Spain blazed through in 42.18 seconds, a new national record, while Jamaica followed in 42.51 seconds, securing their place in the World Championships.
Germany finished third in 42.98 seconds, but due to disqualifications for Poland and China and a DNF from Liberia, the heat’s story was as much about survival as it was speed.
Baton blues and brutal blowouts
The disappointment, however, came just as swiftly. In the men’s 4x100m, Jamaica’s challenge came crashing down during the second exchange, when a dropped baton dashed their hopes in an instant. South Africa ran away with the heat in a world-leading 37.84 seconds, with Germany claiming the second spot in 38.33 —while Jamaica could only watch from behind.
The struggles continued in the women’s 4x400m, where the quartet of Jodean Williams, Roneisha McGregor, Kelly-Ann Beckford, and Ronda Whyte failed to find rhythm or pace. Their time of 3:40.54 minutes was well adrift of South Africa’s commanding 3:28.01 minutes and Germany’s 3:28.63 minutes, both comfortably within the qualification zone.
A similar fate befell the men’s 4x400m squad. Despite an effort that showed flashes of cohesion, their 3:03.54 was not enough to crack the top two, finishing fourth in a heat led by South Africa’s astonishing 3:00.00, the fastest time in the world this year. China claimed the second spot with 3:01.87.
The mixed 4x400m team rounded out Jamaica’s rocky day. Clocking 3:18.83 minutes, they were never in contention, finishing sixth behind Belgium (3:11.83) and Australia (3:12.34) in a race that underlined the brutal pace of global competition.
Redemption awaits on Day Two
Despite the uneven performance, hope remains firmly alive. All four squads that missed direct qualification—have another shot in the second round of qualifiers scheduled for Sunday.
Meanwhile, the two qualified teams—the mixed 4x100m and women’s 4x100m—will look to turn momentum into medals in their respective finals, where Jamaica enters with the second-fastest time in both events.
Schedule highlights for Day Two (All times EST):
- 7:05 a.m. – Mixed 4x100m Final
- 7:13 a.m. – Mixed 4x400m Qualifying Round 2
- 7:34 a.m. – Women’s 4x400m Qualifying Round 2
- 7:56 a.m. – Men’s 4x400m Qualifying Round 2
- 8:16 a.m. – Women’s 4x100m Qualifying Round 2
- 8:32 a.m. – Men’s 4x100m Qualifying Round 2
- 9:03 a.m. – Mixed 4x400m Final
- 9:16 a.m. – Women’s 4x100m Final
- 9:26 a.m. – Men’s 4x100m Final
- 9:36 a.m. – Women’s 4x400m Final
- 9:49 a.m. – Men’s 4x400m Final
As day two dawns, Jamaica finds itself in familiar territory—tested, trailing, but not yet out. For a team steeped in legacy and pride, the opportunity to rise again is exactly the kind of challenge that brings out the best.
