Six thoughts on the World Relays

Six thoughts on the World Relays

1 Where do the World Relays fit in?

The big question about the World Relays is where does it fit in to the big picture of track and field? In principle it should be the most important relay event of the year but in reality that will be at the World Championships in Tokyo in September. The opportunities for or demands on athletes are greater than ever – Diamond Leagues, Continental tour, Grand Slam, European Indoors, World Indoors, the indoor circuit as well as World Relays. It doesn’t help that there was a World Relays last year and another one this year.

2 Structure and purpose

In a championship you have the mixed 4X400 at the beginning of the programme and the men’s and women’s 4X400 on the final day, meaning that athletes can run in both. In a 2 day event with prelim and final that is impossible. It is a strange thing to say but with qualification for the world championship available through the prelims, the prelim was arguably more important than the final. The top priority, I would suggest, for teams was not winning but ensuring that they were qualified for the one that does matter, the World Championship. Funding for track and field in the UK is determined by medals won at the Olympics or World Championship. UK sport, the funding body, couldn’t care less about performances at the World Relays. This all meant the Team GB – and probably others – were not choosing their best athletes but strategically putting the best athletes in races to ensure qualification for Tokyo. Then there’s the question of location. Bahamas was a place that everyone enjoyed going.  China is a long way from just about anywhere, getting a visa is a hassle, and there are political or human rights issues to consider. Having two global championships (World Indoors and World Relays) just a month apart and both in China did seem strange.

3 Meaningless results

With respect to my colleague Deji Ogeyingbo in his piece

South Africa Delivered, Jamaica Faltered, and Spain Stunned Us All 

comparisons between countries are meaningless. In an Olympics or World Championship, all the top athletes are there. Even for centrally funded British athletes, participation in the World Relays was optional. Britain took silver – almost gold – in the women’s 4 by 100 in Paris. When the team lined up in Guangzhou, Dina Asher-Smith, Darryl Neita and Imani Lansiquot were nowhere to be seen. USA has great strength in depth but few of the athletes running relays will be in Tokyo.

4 Innovation

It was interesting to see the 4X100 Mixed relay with the chaos of athletes failing to get a balance between the speed of an arriving woman and a departing man.  I remember in Yokohama 2019 watching for the first time a 110 hurdles shuttle race – which has not caught on. Trying news things in ab environment where the results don’t matter much is one use of the World Relays.

5  SAFP

It was lovely to see Shelly-Ann running.  I have seen her in 5 Olympics – including Beijing – and in the 2019 World Relays and a load of other places.  She always presents herself so well at any event:  She said afterwards: “We are feeling good, we came out, took the chance, got a medal, qualified for the world championship in Tokyo, all in all we are very pleased. We are grateful for getting a bronze medal, and we will leave the fight for another day. China has a very special place in my heart, that was my first Olympic gold medal, coming back to compete has been fabulous”.

5 Young athletes

From a GB perspective the absence of Dina Asher-Smith, Darryl Neita and Matt Hudson-Smith was not a disappointment but an opportunity for two 20 year-olds, both making their senior international debut, Nia Wedderburn-Goodison and Success Eduan.  Wedderburn-Goodison seemed to take it all in her stride commenting afterwards: “I didn’t even know what was going on as we were lane eight so I don’t know what was happening behind me. I was gritting my teeth and said to myself go, go, go! Success Eduan  was equally unfazed: “I don’t care if it is Shericka or Shelly-Ann, respect to them, but I am going to give my all and I’m going to pass them and I’m going to win. And we did that!” In the mixed 4 by 100 Asha Philip (34) passed the baton to  Kissiwaa Mensah who will be 34 in 2040! Perhaps that is what the World Relays is all about.