Great Britain secure mixed 4x400m bronze at World Athletics Relays
Great Britain and Northern Ireland’s mixed 4x400m squad claimed bronze at the World Athletics Relays in Botswana on Sunday, leading five British teams to qualify for the 2027 World Championships.
Alex Haydock-Wilson, Lina Nielsen, Jake Minshull and Yemi Mary John combined to cross the line in three minutes 8.24 seconds.
The British quartet finished third behind the dominant line-ups of the United States and Jamaica.
This podium finish secures the mixed team a coveted spot at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest this September.
Five squads secure Beijing spots
Beyond the mixed 4x400m success, four additional British line-ups successfully navigated their races to book tickets to Beijing 2027.
The men’s 4x100m, women’s 4x400m, and mixed 4x100m formations progressed directly to the Sunday finals.
Their initial Saturday heat performances guaranteed automatic qualification for the upcoming global showpiece in China.
Meanwhile, the women’s 4x100m collective faced a more challenging route after suffering a disqualification in their opening run.
Repechage redemption and near misses
The female sprint team bounced back impressively to finish second in Sunday’s repechage, claiming one of the final four available World Championship slots.
However, the men’s 4x400m quartet will need to secure their Beijing qualification on time at a future event.
They finished seventh in their opening race before placing third in a highly competitive repechage heat.
Finals day proved frustrating for several of the qualified squads, as both the men’s and mixed sprint relay teams failed to complete their baton handovers.
Building on Olympic success
The women’s 4x400m formation ultimately crossed the line fourth in their respective relay final.
These performances in Botswana follow a highly successful Paris 2024 Olympics, where the nation’s athletes captured medals across all five relay disciplines.
The national setup will now look to translate these relay qualifications into major championship hardware, seeking redemption after failing to reach the podium at the previous World Championships in Tokyo.
British line-ups in Botswana
- Women’s 4x100m: Renee Regis, Aleeya Sibbons, Nia Wedderburn-Goodison, Success Eduan (Imani-Lara Lansiquot in heats)
- Men’s 4x100m: Jeremiah Azu, Zharnel Hughes, Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, Romell Glave
- Women’s 4x400m: Laviai Nielsen, Nicole Yeargin, Poppy Malik, Charlotte Henrich (Emily Newnham in heats)
- Men’s 4x400m: Lewis Davey, Toby Harries, Lee Thompson, Seamus Derbyshire
- Mixed 4x100m: Eliot Jones, Alyson Bell, Jeriel Quainoo, Desiree Henry (Jona Efoloko, Kissiwaa Mensah in heats)
- Mixed 4x400m: Alex Haydock-Wilson, Lina Nielsen, Jake Minshull, Yemi Mary John