Move aside USA and Jamaica, this is Canada’s moment! The country didn’t just show up to the World Athletics Relays. It came to rewrite the script. In a stunning upset that sent shockwaves through sprinting powerhouses, the Canadians surged past both Jamaica and the United States to win the inaugural mixed 4x100m event. It wasn’t just a win; it was a statement. The world now knows that Canada is in full form for the World Championships in Tokyo.

Every track and field athlete right now is chasing the same goal- an opportunity to appear in Tokyo. But those tickets aren’t handed out. They’re earned. When the heat kicked off on May 9, it was clear, Canada meant business. Their men’s 4x100m team clocked an impressive time of 38.11 in the finals, finishing third. And when it came time for the mixed 4x100m final, Canada left no doubt, delivering a masterclass and firing the first warning shot of the season.

Track & Field informant Owen took to X to capture the moment, “Canada 🇨🇦 become the inaugural mixed 4x100m champions at the World Relays, clocking 40.30s!!! ⚡️” That time wasn’t just good. It was historic. Sade McCreath, Marie-Éloïse Leclair, Duan Asemota, and Eliezer Adjibi blazed around the track with seamless chemistry, recording a season-best 40.30 seconds. Jamaica, stacked with talents like Serena Cole and Bryan Levell, came agonizingly close in 40.44, while Great Britain held off the rest to claim third in 40.88. All three medal-winning teams notched season bests, but it was Canada that rose to the top when it mattered most.

It wasn’t just a final, they’d been warning us all weekend. In the heats, most fans were bracing for a U.S. or Jamaican showstopper. But it was Canada who flipped the script early. In Heat 3, their squad of Gabrielle Cole, Jacqueline Madogo, Duan Asemota, and Eliezer Adjibi tore through the field with a 40.90 finish. The fastest time across all heats. Closing second was Australia, clocking 41.15. That difference in the track world? an eternity. The message? Canada wasn’t here to survive and take home a participation prize. They were here to win. Jamaica, never ones to be counted out, brought firepower of their own in Heat 2.

With Krystal Sloley, Javari Thomas, Natasha Morrison, and Rasheed Foster in the mix, they clocked an impressive 41.04. The top time of that heat, and second-best overall. At that moment, it looked like Jamaica had set the bar. But Canada answered with precision and pace, outrunning Jamaica by over a tenth of a second in the heats and doing it again when the stakes were highest in the final. It is about time that the track world finds a new savior! Given all that went down in Guangzhou, sprinting giants like the USA and Jamaica seem to offer bleak hope

Dropped batons and broken dreams: USA and Jamaica falter in stunning upsets

For all their star power and past dominance, Team USA’s campaign in the mixed 4x100m came crashing down brutally. In Heat 1, disaster struck in the baton handover between Jada Mowatt and Kendal Williams. The baton slipped mid-handoff and clattered onto the rain-slicked track. Williams did his best to recover, but by the time he did, the damage was irreversible. The U.S. crossed the line in a disappointing 1:05.77, trailing by over 25 seconds. Yes, you read that right landing them in fourth place and out of the finals altogether. From gold medal favorites to disqualified in a matter of seconds.

It was a stunning fall from grace for a nation with the most gold medals in World Relays history. While the Americans unraveled, the rest of the field stayed composed. Italy won the heat in 41.15 seconds, France followed with 41.28, and Switzerland clocked 41.92 to round out the top three. As Team USA floundered, confusion and disbelief rippled through the stadium. Echoing frustration that’s been simmering since the 2024 Paris Olympics.

This latest failure adds to a growing list of high-profile mishaps. It’s been eight months since Christian Coleman and Kenny Bednarek’s fumbled exchange knocked Team USA out of the men’s 4x100m in Paris. And let’s not forget Tokyo 2020, where the baton also betrayed them. Now in 2025, history has repeated itself. This time in Guangzhou. As if that weren’t enough, Jamaica’s women’s 4x100m team stacked with Tina Clayton, Tia Clayton, Shericka Jackson, and the legendary Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce suffered a shocking upset in Heat 2. Spain stormed ahead with a 42.18, besting Jamaica’s 42.51. A season’s best score and a podium finish, but still, not the best. Jamaica advanced to Tokyo, but the second position and Spain’s victory by quite a margin sent a clear message. The old guard is no longer untouchable.