Year? 2024. Venue- Stade de France. Occasion-  the grandest of all, the Olympics. Team Jamaica walked in with high expectations, Kishane Thompson was not yet the man who breathed down the neck of Noah Lyles when they presented the world with one of the most thrilling 100m finals ever, but he was still a track and field sensation. Contrary to what the fans wanted, the Jamaican team failed to qualify for the final men’s 4x100m relay. They finished fourth in their heat with a time of 38.45 seconds, missing out on the top three automatic qualifying spots. Poor baton exchanges, particularly between Jelani Walker and Jehlani Gordon, and from Gordon to Thompson, significantly hampered their performance. Guess what? The baton exchanges have once again haunted Kishane. How? 

NBC Sports Director of Social Media, Travis Miller, reported on Twitter, “🇯🇲Jamaican men out of the 4x100m after dropping the baton on the second exchange. #WorldRelays“. While the team got a good start in Heat 1 of the 4×100 meters of the 2025 Men’s relays, things went south at the second exchange. Rohan Watson started well with a 10.61, followed by Julian Forte who kept up the pace. When it was time for Yohan Blake to pass on the Baton to his teammate, the eyes of Jamaican fans watching at home widened, while those present in the Guangdong Olympic Stadium watched in horror alongside Kishane Thompson as the baton hit the ground.

The Olympian didn’t even have the chance to race. This marked the immediate elimination of Team Jamaica from the 2025 World Relays and also meant that the team failed to qualify for the Men’s 4x100m team finals. Winning a gold at the world relays would have a dream for Kishane Thompson but for no,w he alongside Rohan Watson, Julian Forte, and Yohan Blake walked away disappointed.

But all is not done and dusted for the Jamaican team. They still do have a reason to push their legs extra hard tomorrow, as this would be their final chance to qualify for the World Athletics Championships that is to be held from September 13th to 21st, not so far away from China, in Tokyo, Japan. But as far as the Men’s 4x100m of the World relays is concerned, Kishane Thompson will once again have to go home disappointed with no gold around his neck.

This comes after Team USA fumbled their mixed 4×100 meters in the same competition, as they once again dropped their baton. Safe to say that there has been too much drama in the 2025 World Relays.

What all happened in Heat 2 of the Men’s 4×100 at World Relays 2025?

In the heats of the men’s 4×100m relay at the 2025 World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, South Africa, and Japan stole the spotlight by clocking identical world-leading times of 37.84 seconds. Bayanda Walaza’s smooth handoffs and Sinesipho Dambile’s explosive drive for the RSA quartet, anchored by Akani Simbine, were matched stride‑for‑stride by Abdul Hakim Sani Brown and Naoki Inoue for Japan, who equaled that 37.84 s mark in Heat 3.

The U.S. quartet—Courtney Lindsey, Kenny Bednarek, Kyree King, and Brandon Hicklin clocked 37.86 s—just shy of the world lead—with smooth baton exchanges and a strong finish. Lindsey’s explosive start set the tone, Bednarek maintained the momentum through the backstretch, King navigated the curve efficiently, and Hicklin anchored the team to victory. Bednarek’s sub-9.0-second leg was a key.

The top eight teams (USA, South Africa, Japan, Germany, Great Britain, Canada, Italy, and the Netherlands) not only claimed medals but also secured automatic qualification for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo. For others, tomorrow is a second chance.