Triple world champion Noah Lyles opted out of the 4x400m relay at the World Relays, arguably the GOAT in the women’s track and field scenario. Sha’Carri Richardson was notably absent from the USA roster for the World Relays. What more could have gone wrong for Team USA in the World Relays 2025? Oh yes, a last-moment pullout from the rising track and field star Erriyon Knighton. But that should be the last of it? Well, that was the last of it; only pre-to-the-world relays because dark clouds loomed over them in the race as well. What happened, and how did they react?

Things did not go very well for Team USA in the world relays either. The team, in their very first heat of the relays, dropped their baton. “Team USA dropped the baton in the mixed 4x100m heats” is what X is trending with, and sure, they did. The team failed to complete the woman-to-man handoff in their mixed 4x100m heat at the world relays as the baton hit the track when Jada Mowatt passed it on to Kendal Williams.

Mowatt, in the post-race interview, marked her appearance, and upon being asked what happened, she said, “I have no idea. Somebody, somewhere has got a voodoo doll.” The consequence of this has been the elimination of Team USA from the mixed relays finals. Also, notably, this was the first time that a mixed relay had taken place in the World Relays.

Kennedy Blackmon, Jada Mowat, Kendal Williams, and Pjai Austin marked their presence in this race. Though this was not the first time a Baton has slipped out of the hands of a USA track and field athlete in a competition of high value. To say that Team USA has a legacy of baton would not be wrong either.

Baton Fall and USA: A never-ending love story

Let’s take our flight way back to 2008. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, both the U.S. men’s and women’s 4x100m relay teams were disqualified after dropping the baton during their respective heats. This mishap meant both teams failed to qualify for the finals, leaving them unable to compete for medals.

Similar mistakes were seen in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where the men’s 4x100m team failed to qualify after a poor baton exchange between Fred Kerley and Ronnie Baker in the heats. The team finished 6th, missing the final and another opportunity for a medal. But this could only be an Olympic curse, right? No. Outside the Olympic Games, Team USA has experienced baton problems at the World Championships.

In 2009 (Berlin), the U.S. men’s relay team was disqualified for a baton exchange that took place outside the designated passing zone. This error prevented the team from advancing past the heats. In the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, Darvis Patton collided with a British sprinter during the final, causing the baton to be dropped, and the U.S. did not finish the race.

The 2015 World Championships in Beijing saw another mishap, as the U.S. men’s team was disqualified after a faulty baton handoff between Tyson Gay and Mike Rodgers, even though they initially finished second. As a result, the team lost the silver medal. In the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, a mistimed handoff between Justin Gatlin and his teammate cost the U.S. gold despite finishing second behind Jamaica.

At the 2017 IAAF World Relays in Nassau, Tianna Bartoletta’s fall during the handoff resulted in a disqualification for the women’s 4x100m team. In 2019, during the World Championships in Doha, the U.S. women’s team narrowly avoided disaster when anchor Kiara Parker nearly collided with the British team, but they managed to secure the bronze.