by Alfonz Juck
2021 WORLD RELAYS , photo by WA
The British athletics system is based around club teams as opposed to the U.S. system, which is based around school teams. Stuart Weir wrote this piece about the British system.
WORLD RELAYS NEWS
Short Previews
Men’s events
4x100m relay – Brazil won two years ago and could be the favorites again with the USA, Jamaica, and Great Britain among those missing and Japan sending a weakened team. South Africa is sending a strong team including Akani Simbine while the Italian team features both European indoor 60m champion Marcell Lamont Jacobs and Filippo Tortu.
4x200m relay – Only five teams have entered including Ecuador’s sub-20 second performer Alex Quinonez. Denmark could spring a surprise with Kojo Musah and Tazana Kamanga-Dyrbak in their ranks and Germany also has a solid team.
4x400m relay – This could be a largely European-dominated event with the Netherlands, Belgium, and Spain sending near full-strength teams. Also, watch out for Colombia whose team includes individual world 400m silver medallist Anthony Zambrano.
Women’s events
4x100m relay – This is another wide-open race with many top teams missing, including the United States, Jamaica, Germany, and Great Britain. The Netherlands is fielding a strong team including Dafne Schippers along with Brazil and Nigeria whose team is due to include Blessing Okagbare and Tobi Amusan.
4x200m relay – Just five teams have entered: Denmark, Ecuador, Ireland, Kenya and Poland. Poland’s team includes Ewa Swoboda who is also competing in the 4x100m.
4x400m relay – After winning indoors in Torun, can the Netherlands, with Femke Bol and Lieke Klaver, repeat outdoors? Reigning champions Poland are weakened by the absence of Justyna Swiety-Ersetic and Iga Baumgart-Witan. Belgium, Cuba, Great Britain, Italy and Nigeria could also challenge for a top three finish.
Universal events
Mixed 4x400m – Kenya, the 2019 bronze medallists, are the only returning medallists from Yokohama. Belgium and the Netherlands also have strong teams on paper along with the Czech Republic.
Mixed 2x2x400m – Kenya and Poland have by far the strongest teams on paper. The Kenyans could field world 800m bronze medallist Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich and the Poles have European indoor 800m champion Patryk Dobek and Olympic 800m finalist Joanna Jozwik in their ranks.
Shuttle hurdles – Barring disaster, this will be a race between Germany and Poland whose team includes Damian Czykier and Artur Noga.
CHORZOW (POL): Sarah Atcho has pulled out of the Swiss team due to injury. “Due to some hamstring issues I do not want to take any risk. I have to take it slow in order to get back in the game as soon as possible and get ready for Tokyo 2020,” she wrote on her Instagram page.
CHORZOW (POL): British veteran Martyn Rooney is a late withdrawal from the British team for the World Relays due to a hamstring injury. “I’ve had a hamstring issue for a few weeks now that hasn’t cleared, so I made the tough call to miss this year’s event,” he said on Instagram.
CHORZOW (POL): Patrycja Wyciszkiewicz has pulled out of Poland’s team for the World Relays due to a minor leg injury. This means the Poles will be without three of the four runners who helped Poland to silver at the World Championships in Doha with Justyna Swiety-Ersetic and Iga Baumgart-Witan also absent.
