Back in May, Jamaica set the pace in the mixed 4x100m relay, with Ackeem Blake, Tina Clayton, Kadrian Goldson and Tia Clayton setting a world record of 39.62 seconds at the World Athletics Relays in Gaborone. With that mark standing as the fastest time ever recorded in the event, the pressure was on for the next team to challenge Jamaica’s record. At the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship, Team USA stepped up and claimed the mixed 4x100m title, but despite securing the win, the Americans still fell just short of the world record.
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On September 11, Team USA’s Ronnie Baker, Anavia Battle, Courtney Lindsey and Kayla White stormed to victory in the mixed 4x100m relay, clocking a national-record 39.64 seconds. However, the biggest goal remained just out of reach. Team USA’s 39.64 was only 0.02 seconds slower than Jamaica’s 39.62, meaning the world record survived despite the Americans producing the second-fastest time in the history of the event.
Jamaica did not make the Americans’ task easy. The world-record holders pushed Team USA throughout the race and finished second in 39.72 seconds, while Great Britain and Northern Ireland secured third place in 40.26 seconds.
The result also marked a major improvement for Team USA compared with their performance in May. At the World Athletics Relays, the Americans finished third in the mixed 4x100m final in 40.33 seconds, behind Jamaica’s world-record run and Canada’s 40.23. Germany finished fourth in 40.52, followed by Spain in 41.05 and Nigeria in 42.03, while Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Netherlands failed to finish.
Four months later, the Americans returned with a new quartet and improved their time by 0.69 seconds to claim the Ultimate Championship title. Along with the national record and the championship victory, the winning relay team also earned $80,000 in prize money. Interestingly, the mixed 4x100m is now heading toward an even bigger stage.
The event is set to make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, giving Team USA, Jamaica, and the other leading nations another opportunity to chase the world record. But the relay action at the Ultimate Championship is not over yet, with another major battle coming up in Budapest.
USA and Jamaica set for another fierce mixed 4x400m battle in Budapest
The mixed 4x400m final is scheduled for Sunday, September 13, and once again, the USA and Jamaica will be among the teams fighting for the title. Team USA enters as the world leader after clocking 3:07.47 to win the World Athletics Relays in Gaborone in May. The winning American quartet of Bryce Deadmon, Paris Peoples, Jenoah McKiver and Bailey Lear came within 0.06 seconds of the world record, underlining the strength of the U.S. team in the event.
Jamaica will be looking to turn the tables after finishing second to the Americans in Gaborone. Deandre Watkin, Shana-Kaye Anderson, Antonio Watson and Rushell Clayton combined for 3:08.24, setting a Jamaican national record in the process. However, the USA and Jamaica will not be the only teams chasing the title. Great Britain and Northern Ireland arrive with a 3:09.84 from the World Relays, while Norway brings a 3:09.62 national record after winning European gold.
The Netherlands could pose another major threat. The Olympic champions ran 3:07.43 in Paris, finishing just 0.02 seconds outside the world record held by the United States. That gives the mixed 4x400m final an intriguing field.