The U.S. won four of the five events at the World Athletics Relays, success it hopes will carry over to the Paris Olympics.
The Americans won the men’s and women’s 4x100m, women’s 4x400m and mixed-gender 4x400m in the Bahamas on Sunday.
The U.S. also had the second-fastest time on Sunday in the men’s 4x400m, but that was in a repechage heat and not the championship final. The U.S. was disqualified from its first-round heat on Saturday.
WORLD RELAYS: Full Results
"WHO GON' STOP US?!"
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Noah Lyles cruises on the anchor leg to deliver Team USA's third final victory at #WorldRelays. pic.twitter.com/YWpipCz61g
The Americans have won the most total medals and most gold medals at every World Relays to which they have sent a team — five times dating to the first edition in 2014.
Noah Lyles, who swept 100m, 200m and 4x100m titles at last August’s world championships, anchored the men’s 4x100m to victory in 37.40 seconds on Sunday. Courtney Lindsey, Kenny Bednarek and Kyree King ran the first three legs.
Come August, the U.S. men’s 4x100m hopes to win the Olympic title for the first time since the 2000 Sydney Games. Its biggest competition will likely come from Canada, which placed second on Sunday in 37.89, plus Tokyo Olympic champion Italy and traditional power Jamaica.
Gabby Thomas, who was part of the U.S. women’s 4x100m team that won the world title last August, was also part of the quartet that won World Relays on Sunday.
Tamari Davis, Thomas, Celera Barnes and Melissa Jefferson clocked 41.85, prevailing over a field that did not include rival Jamaica.
Jamaica did not send its best sprinters to World Relays and didn’t qualify for the final without Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shericka Jackson.
But Jamaica is expected to field its best at the Olympics. The U.S. and Jamaica combined to win every women’s 4x100m gold and silver medal over the last three Olympics.
Twenty minutes after the women’s 4x100m, Thomas returned as part of the women’s 4x400m that routed runner-up Poland by 3.01 seconds in 3:21.70. She was joined by Quanera Hayes, Bailey Lear and Alexis Holmes. In Paris, the U.S. can capture an eighth consecutive Olympic title in the event.
In the men’s 4x400m, the U.S. won its repechage heat Sunday in 2:59.95. That would have placed second in the later championships final, which was won by Botswana in 2:59.11.
The U.S. also won the mixed 4x400m in 3:10.73 with Matthew Boling, Lynna Irby-Jackson, Willington Wright and Kendall Ellis after claiming the world title in that event last August in a world record 3:08.80.
The mixed 4x400m made its Olympic debut in Tokyo, where the Americans earned bronze.
The Americans who make up the Paris Olympic relay pools will be determined by individual 100m and 400m results at the Olympic Trials from June 21-30 in Eugene, Oregon.
The track and field season continues with a Diamond League meet in Doha on Friday at noon ET, live on Peacock.
Melissa Jefferson pulls away down the stretch to win the women's 4x100m final for the United States. 🇺🇸 #WorldRelays pic.twitter.com/0NZqIVLiqz
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) May 6, 2024
