Relays Deliver Thrilling Finish to Championships in Tokyo
The rain poured in sheets over the Japan National Stadium, but it could not wash away the emotions that marked the final evening of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Four relays brought the curtain down on nine days of racing, and each offered its own mix of history, heartbreak and celebration.
The women’s 4x100m was always going to be remembered as much for who ran it as for who won it. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, the American who has owned this championship with her sprinting brilliance, secured her third gold medal of the week after taking the 100m and 200m titles. She blasted through the opening leg before handing off to Twanisha Terry, with Kayla White and Sha’Carri Richardson completing the job in 41.75. The win added another gold to the U.S. tally, but the spotlight also shone brightly on Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.
At 38, Fraser-Pryce ran her final championship race, leading Jamaica off with a sharp 11.32 split. She and her teammates Tia and Tina Clayton, along with Jonielle Smith on anchor, pushed the United States to the line in 41.79, taking silver by the narrowest of margins. For Fraser-Pryce, it was a 17th world medal, the end of a career that has stretched across nearly two decades. Her start was quicker than the newly crowned double champion, reminding everyone that her ability has barely dimmed even as she bows out.
Germany’s quartet surged through to bronze in 41.87, while the image of Jefferson-Wooden celebrating alongside Richardson underscored the generational shift that is now fully underway in sprinting.
The men’s 4x100m produced a familiar name and a familiar celebration. Noah Lyles, whose week had been unsettled at times, anchored the United States to gold in a world-leading 37.29. He collected his second gold and third medal of the championships, adding to his 200m title and 100m bronze. Christian Coleman, Kenny Bednarek and Courtney Lindsey delivered him the baton in front, and though Canada’s Andre de Grasse offered a brief threat in the final stretch, Lyles had enough to draw clear.
For Canada, silver in 37.40 offered pride, while the Netherlands’ national record of 37.81 earned them bronze. Heavy rain threatened chaos, but all but one team completed the baton exchanges. For the Americans, the victory extended their dominance and swelled their medal count to 26, including 16 golds.
The men’s 4x400m became the race of the night. Botswana, powered by 21-year-old Collen Kebinatshipi, stormed through the final straight to claim gold in 2:57.76. It was the country’s first world title in the event, and it arrived after an inspired series of legs. Letsile Tebogo, who had endured a mixed championship after a false start in the 100m, delivered a blazing second leg of 44.05 to pull his team back into contention. Bayapo Ndori held firm on the third leg, leaving Kebinatshipi to chase down Rai Benjamin of the United States and Zakithi Nene of South Africa in the final 50 meters.
Benjamin had seemed set to secure gold for the United States, carrying a small lead off the final bend, but Kebinatshipi glided between him and Nene with the same composure that had carried him to the individual 400m title earlier in the week. The margin was tiny, with the United States and South Africa sharing the same time of 2:57.83, but the photo finish gave silver to the USA. South Africa, helped by a powerful leg from Wayde van Niekerk, left with bronze.
The celebrations from Botswana were unrestrained. Tebogo, so often the face of the nation’s sprinting rise, was the first to lead the high-stepping dance through puddles on the back straight. Kebinatshipi, the youngest men’s champion of these championships, had confirmed his new status as one of track’s brightest names.
The final race of the meet belonged to the United States women in the 4x400m. The quartet of Isabella Whittaker, Lynna Irby-Jackson, Aaliyah Butler and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone produced a performance of total control, finishing in a championship record of 3:16.61. Each leg was the fastest of the field, with McLaughlin-Levrone closing in 47.82, effectively a victory lap disguised as a record-breaking anchor.
Jamaica claimed silver in 3:19.25, and the Netherlands took bronze in 3:20.18. The time from the Americans was the fifth fastest ever, and it restored their place atop the event after a disqualification in Budapest two years ago.
As the final athletes filed from the track, the sense was clear. The night had belonged to more than one team, and more than one generation. Fraser-Pryce left her final mark, Lyles added to his growing legacy, and Botswana discovered its champion. The rain fell without pause, but it only added sheen to an evening where athletics closed its show in Tokyo with a series of races that will be remembered for their power, their drama and their humanity.
GO US