GABORONE, May 3 (Xinhua) -- China's men's 4x100m relay team secured qualification for the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing on the final day of the 2026 World Athletics Relays here on Sunday.
China's quartet of Shi Junhao, Zeng Keli, Wang Shengjie and He Jinxian clocked a season's best 37.85 seconds to win their second-round qualifying heat and book a place at next year's world championships.
The result completed a successful weekend for China's sprint relay team after the women's 4x100m team had already booked its Beijing berth on Saturday.
From lane eight, the Chinese runners made a strong start and executed smooth baton exchanges throughout the race to cross the line first. Ghana, from the same heat, along with Jamaica and Belgium from the other heat, also advanced.
Lead-off runner Shi said the team had achieved the goal of breaking 38 seconds, adding: "We were a little tight yesterday, but today we ran much more freely."
China failed to add further qualification spots in the remaining events.
Later in the women's 4x100m final, China's Liang Xiaojing, Liu Guoyi, Zhu Junying and Chen Yujie finished fifth in 42.61 seconds. Jamaica took gold in 42.00, ahead of Canada and Spain.
Jamaica also starred in the mixed 4x100m final, where a team led by the Clayton sisters stormed to victory in a world record 39.62 seconds. Canada and the United States completed the top three, while Germany, Spain and Nigeria also secured places at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest this September.
The United States won the mixed 4x400m title in a championship record of three minutes and 7.47 seconds. Jamaica claimed silver in a national record 3:08.24, while Britain finished third.
In the men's 4x100m final, the United States clocked a world-leading 37.43 seconds to take gold. Defending champions South Africa claimed silver in an African record 37.49, while Germany finished third in 37.76.
Norway produced one of the surprises of the day by winning the women's 4x400m crown in a world-leading of three minutes and 20.96 seconds, ahead of Spain and Canada.
The biggest cheers of the day came in the closing men's 4x400m final, where Botswana, led by Paris Olympic men's 200m champion Letsile Tebogo, surged to victory in a championship record 2:54.47. South Africa finished second in a national record 2:55.07, while Australia took third in 2:55.20, setting a new Oceania record.
This year's edition marked the first time the World Athletics Relays had been staged on African soil, and the first top-tier World Athletics event hosted in Gaborone, known as the "City of Diamonds." ■
