NASSAU, Bahamas, (May 4) – World champion United States breezed into the championship race of the women’s 4x100m relay at the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 competition on Saturday, clocking 42.21 seconds to set a world-leading time and punch their ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The quartet of Tamari Davis, Gabby Thomas, Celera Barnes, and Melissa Jefferson dominated their Olympic Qualifying Round 1 heat at the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium, improving on the previous world-leading time of 41.94 seconds, set by a USA team in Gainesville, Florida, last month.
“We came together and made it happen in such a short time,” said the Olympic 200m bronze medalist Gabby Thomas. “Tomorrow, I believe we will do better and can be faster.”
Read more: How to watch the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 live?
Anchor leg runner Jefferson was also pleased with the team’s performance, even without the service of world 100m champion Sha’Carri Richardson.
“All of us came out here to do their part,” she said. “Gabby had to do her part, Tamari had to do her part and Celera had to do her part. My part was to not mess up what they all worked hard to do.”
Great Britain & NI, the winner of the fourth heat, posted the second-fastest time overall on Saturday, clocking in at 42.33 seconds, while Germany (42.72) and Poland (42.81) were the other heat winners.
One notable absentee from the championships on Sunday is reigning Olympic women’s 4x100m champion Jamaica, which failed to make the top two in its heat after clocking in at 43.33 for fifth place in the Olympic Qualifying Round 1. The Caribbean powerhouse was without several of its top sprinters, including Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson.
Jamaica will line up alongside Trinidad and Tobago and Cuba in the second heat of the Olympic Qualifying Round 2 on Sunday, hoping to finish in the top two and secure a Paris 2024 spot in the event.
Full results of the women’s 4x100m relay
