The world's top sprinters gathered in Guangzhou, where the highlights and schedule of the 2025 World Athletics Relay are here

07/05/2025 09:28:00 baseball

The 2025 World Athletics Relay in Guangzhou will be held in China for the first time from May 10 to 11. Paris 2024 Olympic champions Lesile Terborg, Kishhorn Thompson, Sherica Jackson, Toby Amusan and many other top athletes will be in action. Here's what you need to know about the event

This weekend (10-11 May), the world's top sprinters gather in Guangzhou, China, to compete in the 2025 World Athletics Relay in Guangzhou. This is the first time that China has hosted the World Athletics Relay, which has been held in the Bahamas, Japan and Poland in previous editions.

Olympic champions Lesile Terborg, Shirley-Ann Fraser-Price, Sherica Jackson and Wade van Niekerk will lead the race along with 730 athletes from 43 countries and territories for qualification at the 2025 World Athletics Championships and next year's World Relay in Paris.

This year's tournament has a strong lineup and star-studded lineup. Paris 2024 gold medallists in the men's 4×100m relay will feature Canada, led by André de Grass.

Defending champions Team USA will also be in action, with Kenny Bednarek and World Championships medallist Elion Knighton in the line-up. In addition, the mixed 4×100m relay will make its world debut in Guangzhou.

2025 Guangzhou World Athletics Relay: Competition Format

According to World Athletics regulations, the top 14 teams in the men's and women's 4×100m relay and 4×400m relay events will qualify for the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

On the first day of competition (10 May), the top two teams from each of the four groups will advance directly to the finals the following day and qualify for this year's World Championships.

The remaining teams that did not qualify will compete in the second round on Matchday, also known as the "Repechage", a format first introduced since last year's World Relay Championships in the Bahamas. The top two teams from the three groups in each competition will earn the remaining quota places for the World Championships.

2025 World Athletics Relay in Guangzhou: Athletes to watch

Paris 2024 Olympic 4×100m relay champion André de Grasse of Canada will lead the race as he seeks to win his country's first world relay title.

Last year, Canada finished runners-up in the event, and now Canada's all-time most decorated Olympian (with seven medals) will return to China with teammates Aaron Brown, Jerome Black and Brendon Rodney.

For South Africa, three of the team's historic silver medallists in the men's 4×100m relay will continue to compete: Akani Simbini and rising stars Bayanda Valraza and Bradley Nkoana.

Simbini and Geft Lyotlera were members of the South African gold medal team at the 2021 World Relay Championships, but the gold medal was cancelled after teammate Tando Delodelo tested positive.

Great Britain will rely on 60m indoor world champion Jeremiah Azu and Olympian Neseniel Mitchell-Black.

Italy are counting on Tokyo 2020 Olympic champions Lorenzo Pata and Filippo Toltu, who will join European relay champion Roberto Rigalli.

For Jamaica, Olympic silver medallist Kishane Thompson returns to the squad alongside Olympians Akim Blake and John Blake.

Jamaican sprint legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Price will compete in the non-Olympic event of the mixed 4×100m relay, while Shericka Jackson will lead the race for the women's 4×100m relay for the World Championships.

Australia's rising sprinters Lockland Kennedy and Torrey Lewis will continue their impressive results in the men's and women's sprint relays.

Nigeria fielded world women's 100m hurdles record holder Toby Amusan and three-time U20 World Junior Championships medallist Feror Oiffi to compete in the women's 4×100m relay. The men's short relay line-up is led by U20 World Junior Championships men's 200m champion Udodi Onuzulik.

African men's 100m record holder Ferdinand Omaniyara will lead the Kenyan men's team, while 800m world champion Marie Mora will also be hoping to make a mark in the relay.

2024 Olympic champion in the men's 100m, Raisile Teberg, helped Botswana win silver in the men's 4×100m relay in Paris.

The 2024 World Athlete of the Year will be joined by two other members of the silver medal squad – Bayapo Ndori and Bousan Koren Kebinazipi. As the defending champion in the men's 4×400m relay, Botswana will host the World Relay Championships in 2026, the first time the event has been held in Africa.

South Africa, who are also members of the 4×400m men's podium, will field Olympic star Ruud van Niekerk and are expected to follow the same line-up that won silver in the Bahamas last year.