Australia’s relay squads ignited the 2025 World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou with historic performances, as the Mixed 4x400m Relay team shattered the Oceania record to secure a coveted spot at September’s World Athletics Championships while the nation’s inaugural Mixed 4x100m Relay team made a sensational debut, advancing to the event’s first-ever final.
As the primary qualification pathway to this year’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, the World Athletics Relays sees teams race for one of 14 coveted spots per event. The top two teams in each heat tonight earned automatic qualification and progression to Sunday’s finals, while all remaining teams return for repechage rounds on tomorrow, with the top two from each heat also qualifying for Tokyo.
Australia’s Mixed 4x400m team of Cooper Sherman (VIC, Neville Down), Ellie Beer (QLD, Brett Robinson), Reece Holder (QLD, Christopher Dale) and Alanah Yukich (WA, Rose Monday) delivered the night’s standout performance for the country, setting a new Oceania record of 3:12.34 and becoming the first Mixed team in Australian history to qualify for a major championships.
Shaving nearly five-seconds off the previous record set in 2021, the team surpassed all expectations with all four sprinters perfectly executing each leg, as Yukich anchored the team home finishing second behind Belgium, and narrowly ahead of the Kenyan to secure the last automatic spot for the heat.
“We had such a strong team for this and went in trusting one another. We excuted it to perfection and I was just so proud to anchor for this team. It’ll be really exciting to see what we can do in Tokyo,” Yukich said.
Olympic semi-finalist Holder said it was an emotional moment to step onto the track and achieve history with the team after a domestic season checkered with injury.
“It was good to be back running the 400m and running with this team is phenomenal. This result has really shown how far everyone has come,” he said.
“It’s huge for the [Australian Athletics relay] program, it’s the best team we’ve had in the men and women’s field for sure, and we’ve just got to string some more races together and then it’s on in Tokyo.”
The prestigious meet also marked a historic moment with the debut of the Mixed 4x100m relay on the world stage. Australia embraced the moment as Olivia Dodds (WA, Lyn Foreman), Carla Bull (QLD, Brett Robinson), Connor Bond (NSW, Mick Zisti)and Josiah John (WA, Asad Hosseini) combined in spectacular fashion to clock 41.15 seconds, crossing the line second in Heat 3 to book their place for tomorrow’s final.
As a new event on the international program, the Mixed 4x100m will not feature at the Tokyo World Athletics Championships, however the result instantly places the team among the world’s best in the newest format of team sprinting.
Continuing on the 4x100m action, Australia’s Women’s 4x100m team of Georgia Harris (QLD, Paul Pearce), Bree Masters (QLD, Ryan Hoffman), Kristie Edwards (NSW, Andrew Murphy) and Thewbelle Philp ((QLD, Leanne Hines-Smith) showed grit and adaptability finishing third in their heat with a time of 43.15, narrowly missing automatic qualification by 0.02-seconds.
A late call up to the team with relay stalwarts Torrie Lewis and Ella Connolly unavailable due to injury and illness, 17-year-old Philp anchored the team with composure beyond her years. Having attended national relay camps throughout the season, her readiness proved pivotal in Australia’s continued push towards Tokyo.
“It was such an amazing experience out there. I actually felt calm, and I was taking all of the mental pictures out there. It really sunk in when I was walking out that I was able to run on the world stage,” Philp said.
“Being called into the women’s team last minute was a bit overwhelming for me with nerves, but we raced out there and did our best, and we ran really well and we’ll do it again tomorrow.”
In the Men’s 4x100m, the quartet of Lachlan Kennedy (QLD, Andrew Iselin), Joshua Azzopardi (NSW, Rob Marks), Christopher Ius (NSW, Andrew Murphy), and debutant Prince Jackson (QLD, Stacey Taurima) crossed the line in 38.33 to place fourth in their heat, missing automatic qualification for Tokyo by 0.03-seconds.
The Women’s 4x400m team battled heavy rain in China as Jemma Pollard (NSW, Tim Eschbach), Carla Bull, Amelia Rowe (WA, Brian Pozzi), and Laura McShane (TAS, Wayne Mason) crossed the finish line in 3:31.78 to place fifth in their heat, while in the Men’s 4x400m, Augustine Nketia Junior (ACT, Gus Nketia), Thomas Reynolds (VIC, Matt Oakley), Luke Van Ratingen (NSW, Ben Liddy), and Terrell Thorne (QLD, Christopher Dale)combined for a time of 3:06.32 to place sixth in their heat.
The World Athletics Relays continue tomorrow, with Round 2 and Finals from 9pm AEST. Australian viewers can watch live and free via World Athletics’ Inside Track platform.
By Sascha Ryner, Australian Athletics
Posted: 11/5/2025
