World Champs Womenâ€s 4×4 — USA Splashes To No. 5 All-Time Clocking

The USAâ€s first three legs had moved the baton into the clear off the front by the time 400 champ Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone revved up to anchor. (KIRBY LEE/IMAGE OF SPORT)

FOUR OF THE SEVEN women who comprised the relay pool that engineered an Olympic championship and American Record in 2024 were again available for duty.

Depending on the running order, the tactic of amassing a “safe†lead on the Femke Bol-anchored Netherlands team no longer seemed relevant, but USA relay teams†skill at creating adversity can never be overlooked.

Jamaica led heat 1 from the gun and was never threatened, winning in 3:22.77 after a 49.64 anchor by 2024 NCAA recordwoman Nickisha Pryce. The real surprise was Norway, which had never before qualified for a World or Olympic relay final, but came through this time in 3:23.84 as 400 finalist Henriette Jæger ran 49.84. Polandâ€s Natalia Bukowiecka produced the raceâ€s fastest split, 49.42, to move her team from 8th to a qualifying 3rd.

The USA took heat 2 in 3:22.53 with remarkably even splits by Alexis Holmes (50.90), Rosey Effiong (50.39), Quanera Hayes (50.59) and Britton Wilson (50.65).

Belgium and Netherlands got their fastest laps from their second runners — Imke Vervaet (49.88) and Lieke Klaver (49.72) — to follow the Americans into the final. Great Britain, Ireland and Canada, Nos. 3, 6 and 7 on the T&FN formchart, were eliminated.

The final began during the weekâ€s worst weather, as a steady rain turned the trackâ€s inner 6 lanes into a slick and puddle-strewn hazard. The Americans started 4 fresh runners — a luxury not available to most other teams.

Leg 1: Dejanea Oakley (Jamaica) started fastest, but Bella Whittaker, indoor Collegiate Record-setter for Arkansas last winter, was a clear leader by 300 meters and handed off first after a strong 50.12 split. Oakley was the only one relatively close at 50.50; Belgium (51.25) and Norway (51.26) led the rest.

Leg 2: Lynna Irby-Jackson, already a gold medalist in the mixed relay, ran a hard curve and never let up (“I wasnâ€t sure how fast I was runningâ€), extending the lead to 8 meters and blowing the race open with a 48.71 lap. Jamaicaâ€s Stacy Ann Williams (49.59) held on to 2nd, while Klaver (49.08) and Vervaet (49.57) kept their teams in medal contention.

Leg 3: Aaliyah Butler, the NCAA 400 champ for Georgia back in June, added 2 meters to the lead with a smooth 49.96 leg. The Dutch were now a clear 3rd, 1.5 seconds ahead of Belgium.

Leg 4: Oblivious to the appalling conditions, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone produced one of historyâ€s fastest splits, 47.82, to bring the baton across the finish in 3:16.61, the No. 5 performance all-time and a championship record. Pryce, obviously aware of who was behind her, splashed a 48.50 lap to surprisingly gain ground on Bolâ€s 49.10.

Bukowiecka (49.27), Jæger (49.53) and Helena Ponette (Belgium, 49.71) also dipped under 50 seconds.

“My last lap felt like a victory lap for us,†said SML. “I just wanted to finish strong because you never know who is behind, chasing you.â€

Bol, with a full medal collection from this meet, said, “We worked hard to be able to do this. Iâ€m happy with that.â€

WOMENâ€S 4 x 400 RESULTS

FINAL (September 21)

1. United States 3:16.61 (WL, AL) (5W)

(Bella Whittaker 50.12, Lynna Irby-Jackson 48.71, Aaliyah Butler 49.96, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone 47.82);

2. Jamaica 3:19.25

(Dejanea Oakley 50.50, Stacey-Ann Williams 49.59, Andrenette Knight 50.66, Nickisha Pryce 48.50);

3. Netherlands 3:20.18

(Eveline Saalberg 51.56, Lieke Klaver 49.08, Lisanne de Witte 50.44, Femke Bol 49.10);

4. Belgium 3:22.15

(Naomi Van Den Broeck 51.25, Imke Vervaet 49.57, Camille Laus 51.62, Helena Ponette 49.71);

5. Poland 3:22.91

(Anna Maria Gryc 51.73, Alicja Wrona-Kutrzepa 50.94, Justyna ÅšwiÄty-Ersetic 50.97, Natalia Bukowiecka 49.27);

6. Norway 3:23.71 NR

(Josefine Tomine Eriksen 51.26, Amalie Hammild Iuel 51.57, Lakeri Ertzgaard 51.35, Henriette Jæger 49.53);

7. France 3:24.08

(Alexe Deau 51.31, Fanny Peltier 51.46, Louise Maraval 51.40, Amandine Brossier 49.91);

8. Italy 3:25.00

(Anna Polinari 51.82, Virginia Troiani 51.03, Eloisa Coiro 50.89, Alice Mangione 51.26).

(lanes: 2. France; 3. Italy; 4. Poland; 5. United States; 6. Jamaica; 7. Norway; 8. Belgium; 9. Netherlands)

(reaction times: 0.144 Italy, 0.146 Jamaica, 0.160 Belgium, 0.163 United States, 0.169 Norway, 0.183 France, 0.198 Poland, 0.217 Netherlands)

Times & Places At Handoffs

Leg 1

1. USA 50.12; 2. Jamaica 50.50; 3. Belgium 51.25; 4. Norway 51.26; 5. France 51.31; 6. Netherlands 51.56; 7. Poland 51.73; 8. Italy 51.82.

Leg 2

1. USA 1:38.83; 2. Jamaica 1:40.09; 3. Netherlands 1:40.64; 4. Belgium 1:40.82; 5. Poland 1:42.67; 6. France 1:42.77; 7. Norway 1:42.83; 8. Italy 1:42.85.

Leg 3

1. USA 2:28.79; 2. Jamaica 2:30.75; 3. Netherlands 2:31.08; 4. Belgium 2:32.44; 5. Poland 2:33.64; 6. Italy 2:33.74; 7. France 2:34.17; 8. Norway 2:34.18.

HEATS (September 20)

I–1. Jamaica 3:22.77 (WL) (Oakley 50.54, Williams 50.17, Roneisha McGregor 52.42, Pryce 49.64);

2. Norway 3:23.84 NR (Eriksen 51.31, Ieul 51.29, Ertzgaard 51.40, Jæger 49.84); 3. Poland 3:24.39 (Gryc 51.27, Wrona-Kutrzepa 51.63, Aleksandra Formella 52.07, Bukowiecka 49.42); 4. Italy 3:24.71 (Polinari 51.45, Troiani 51.05, Alessandra Bonora 51.33, Mangione 50.88); 5. Spain 3:24.76 (Eva Santidrian 51.81, Carmen Avilés 51.48, Ana Prieto 51.44, Blanca Hervas 50.03); 6. Germany 3:25.33 (Skadi Schier 51.75, Johanna Martin 50.93, Jana Lakner 51,51, Elisa Lechleitner 51.14); 7. Australia 3:25.43 (Mia Gross 51.60, Ellie Beer 50.94, Jemma Pollard 51.34, Carla Bull 51.55); 8. Great Britain 3:25.84 (Victoria Ohuruogu 51.78, Poppy Malik 51.96, Nicole Yeargin 51.11, Yemi Mary John 50.99).

II–1. United States 3:22.53 (WL, AL)

(Alexis Holmes 50.90, Rosey Effiong 50.39, Quanera Hayes 50.59, Britton Wilson 50.65);

2. Belgium 3:23.96 (Van Den Broeck 51.52, Vervaet 49.48, Laus 51.62, Ponette 49.71); 3. Netherlands 3:24.03 (Saalberg 51.72, Klaver 50.84, Myrte Van Der Schoot 52.03, de Witte 50.88); 4. France 3:24.33 (Deau 50.80, Peltier 51.59, Isabelle Black 52.022, Brossier 49.92); 5. Canada 3:26.33 (Zoe Sherar 51.67, Lauren Gale 50.69, Alyssa Marsh 52.88, Dianna Proctor 51.09); 6. Switzerland 3:27.46 (Lena Wernli 53.22, Iris Caligiuri 50.95, Annina Fahr 51.54, Catia Gubelmann 51.75); 7. South Africa 3:28.14 (Shirley Nekhubui 51.58, Marlie Viljoen 51.23, Hannah Van Niekerk 53.23, Zeney Van Der Walt 52.10); 8. Ireland 3:29.27 (Sophie Becker 51.57, Cliodhna Manning 53.32, Rachel McCann 54.04, Sharlene Mawdsley 50.34).

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