If Day 1 was a mess, Day 2 at the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou 2025 didn’t bring much relief for Jamaica either. After a costly slip-up in the opening round, all eyes were on the mixed 4x400m repechage for redemption, but it just didn’t happen. Kishane Thompson’s team, Jamaica, finished fourth in their heat and missed out on an automatic berth to the Tokyo World Championships this September. Only the top 14 teams from both rounds qualify directly, and Jamaica’s hopes took another hit.

Well, we know in the repechage round, the top 3 teams from each heat are the ones that automatically qualify for the World Championships. So, after a shaky Day 1, Jamaica was hoping for a big comeback on Day 2. But, well, that didn’t exactly happen. Day 2 ended up being all about Spain in the mixed 4x400m relay. The team of David Garcia, Carmen Avilés, Samuel Garcia, and Blanca Hervas was on fire, finishing with a blazing 3:12.55 to take the win and punch their ticket to Tokyo. Oh, and they set a National Record while doing it.

Then, Germany stepped up with a solid 3:13.35 for second place—Manuel Sanders, Johanna Martin, Emil Agyekum, and Jana Lakner all clocking in with a Season Best (SB). Not to be outdone, China grabbed third with a 3:13.39, thanks to Baotang Liang, Jiadie Mo, Qining Zhang, and Yinglan Liu, setting their own National Record. All three teams are now heading to Tokyo, no questions asked.

But what about Jamaica? Well, the squad of Javier Brown, Kelly-Ann Beckford, Delano Kennedy, and Roneisha McGregor ran a Season Best of 3:14.42, but sadly, it wasn’t enough to crack the top 3. They’re just outside the qualification zone now, and unless they get a wildcard or score a solid world ranking, they’ll be watching Tokyo from the sidelines. Day 2 wasn’t the turnaround they hoped for, and with the memories of Day 1 still hanging over them, it’s going to be a tough road ahead.

Kishane Thompson’s Jamaica faces unlikely setbacks at World Relays day 1

Day 1 at the World Relays in Guangzhou 2025 was a rough start for Jamaica. The real drama hit when the men’s 4x100m team, featuring Rohan Watson, Julian Forte, Yohan Blake, and Kishane Thompson, took to the track. This was supposed to be Jamaica’s redemption moment, but instead, disaster struck. A disastrous baton exchange on the second leg saw them get disqualified—yes, you read that right.

Despite a strong start from Rohan Watson, the exchange between Julian Forte and Yohan Blake went south, and just like that, Jamaica was knocked out of the competition. South Africa made the most of Jamaica’s mistake, cruising to victory with a 37.84 finish, while Germany followed up in second with 38.33. Unfortunately, Jamaica’s day didn’t improve in the men’s 4x400m relay either.

With a team featuring Rusheen McDonald and Demar Francis, who had earned silver at the 2024 World Indoor Championships, the team was expected to move through easily. However, the wet track and tough competition from Kenya, who posted a world-leading time of 3:00.87, kept them from advancing.

This was a rare misstep for Jamaica in a discipline they’re usually dominant in, leaving fans frustrated and wondering what went wrong. In the women’s 4x100m heats on May 9, Jamaica rolled out a powerhouse team in Heat 2 with the likes of Tina Clayton, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Tia Clayton, and Shericka Jackson. They were expected to breeze through but ended up finishing second.

It wasn’t a complete disaster, but certainly not the win they’d hoped for. Despite star power in other events, Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce still couldn’t save the day. It was a tough start for a nation known for its relay supremacy.