Omanghana
Team Jamaica delivered a historic performance at the World Athletics Relays Gaborone 2026, breaking the mixed 4x100m world record twice within 24 hours and becoming the first team ever to run the event in under 40 seconds.
The Jamaican quartet stunned the athletics world in Botswana after initially setting a new world record during the heats on Saturday, May 2, before returning a day later to lower the mark even further in a dominant gold medal-winning performance.
The record-breaking sequence began when Team Canada clocked 40.07 seconds in Heat 1 to establish the first official world record in the newly recognized event. However, Jamaica quickly eclipsed that mark later in Heat 3 by producing a sensational 39.99-second run, becoming the first mixed 4x100m relay team in history to break the 40-second barrier.
Less than 24 hours later, Jamaica returned to the track for the final and shattered its own world record once again, storming to victory in an even faster time of 39.62 seconds. The performance cemented the Caribbean nation’s dominance in sprint relays and marked one of the standout moments of the World Athletics Relays competition in Gaborone.
The Jamaican team maintained the same lineup throughout both record-breaking races, with Ackeem Blake running the lead-off leg, followed by Tina Clayton on the second leg, Kadrian Goldson on the third leg, and Tia Clayton anchoring the team to victory.
Jamaica’s commanding performance earned the team the gold medal, a $40,000 prize purse, and automatic qualification for the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing.
Canada secured the silver medal with a time of 40.23 seconds, while the United States national athletics team claimed bronze in a season’s best time of 40.33 seconds. Germany finished fourth in 40.52 seconds, followed by Spain in fifth with 41.05 seconds, while Nigeria placed sixth in 42.03 seconds.
The mixed 4x100m relay, still a relatively new addition to international athletics, drew widespread attention throughout the weekend as teams repeatedly pushed the limits of the event. Jamaica’s double world-record achievement is already being hailed as one of the most memorable relay performances in recent track and field history.
Source: Omanghana
