Australia has staked its claim as a global relay threat with a historic campaign at the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, China capped off with Mixed 4x400m silver and a wave of World Athletics Championships qualifying performances in the Men’s 4x100m, Women’s 4x400m and Men’s 4x400m.
With all-important qualifying positions for the 2025 World Athletics Championships on the table on the second and final day of competition, Australia’s sprinters delivered in the heat of battle to qualify four of the five teams eligible for the September championships to be held in Tokyo, Japan.
Two-time Olympian Ellie Beer (QLD, Brett Robinson) led the charge with two crucial runs on the night, first assisting the Women’s 4x400m to World Athletics Championships qualification before returning to form part of the silver medal winning Mixed 4x400m quartet.
Standing on the podium alongside training partner Carla Bull (QLD, Brett Robinson), Terrell Thorne (QLD, Chris Dale) and Luke Van Ratingen (NSW, Ben Liddy) after clocking an Oceania record of 3:12.20 to finish behind only the United States (3:09.54), Beer backed up her run less than 90 minutes earlier which saw her combine with Mia Gross (VIC, John Nicolosi), Jemma Pollard (NSW, Tim Eschebach) and Alanah Yukich (WA, Rose Monday) in the Women’s 4x400m – who took second place in Qualifying Round 2 with a time of 3:27.31.
“I couldn’t be any more stoked! We were so ecstatic to make the final and coming away with a silver medal, we are just so happy! We got all of our 400m crews to the World Championships which is so exciting,” Beer said.
“I love relays, that was one thing that I really missed in Paris. I came in as a 16-year-old and I’m one of the oldest this time around, we are really lucky to have such a good atmosphere around our sport. I remember being looked after when I was coming through and I want to be that person for the younger girls now.”
The Men’s 4x100m quartet held their nerve under pressure to also punch their ticket to the World Athletics Championships in Qualifying Round 2, clocking a time of 38.31 to claim second place with a team of Lachlan Kennedy (QLD, Andrew Iselin), Joshua Azzopardi (NSW, Rob Marks), Chirstopher Ius (NSW, Andrew Murphy) and Prince Jackson (QLD, Stacey Taurima).
A close call on the final change saw the Australians clawed back by the field, with Jackson keeping his composure to land the team a ticket to Tokyo where they approach with high hopes.
“We wanted to get the job done yesterday but we had to do it again tonight, and we did that. We will be ready come the World Championships in September and that’s the main thing,” Azzopardi said.
“We are really stepping up our standards this year coming off the national record of 37.8 in Sydney. We feel like we can really push for those medals and that will be the goal.”
The Men’s 4x400m lineup of Cooper Sherman (VIC, Neville Down), Reece Holder (QLD, Chris Dale), Aidan Murphy (SA, Andrew Murphy) and Tom Reynolds (VIC, Matt Oakley) joined the qualification party with a scorching run of 2:59.73 to clinch second place in Qualifying Round 2 – finishing just 0.03-seconds outside of the national record set at the 1984 Olympic Games.
Holder made his return to racing in emphatic fashion, serving up some of the fastest 400m splits across the weekend headed by his 43.44-second segment on Day One of competition.
“It’s been an unreal weekend, all the boys and girls have been firing. Everyone is keen to run fast and as long as you have a good crew that are determined to run, anything is possible. It’s good for Australia,” Holder said.
Earlier in the night, Australia’s Mixed 4x100m quartet Olivia Dodds (WA, Lyn Foreman), Carla Bull (QLD), Connor Bond (NSW, Mick Zisti), Josiah John (WA, Asad Hosseini) set the tone with a fourth-place finish in a time of 41.22, flexing the nation’s sprinting depth with an average age of just 20-years-old.
The team of emerging sprinters were involved in athletics history as the event was contested on the world stage for the very first time.
Australia’s 4x100m women will regroup after a heartbreaking end to their World Athletics Relays campaign, bowing out in Qualifying Round 2 after being disqualified on the final change. The team of Georgia Harris (QLD, Paul Pearce), Bree Masters (QLD, Ryan Hoffman), Kristie Edwards (NSW, Andrew Murphy) and Thewbelle Philp (QLD, Leanne Hines-Smith) posted a slick time of 43.15 on the opening day of competition, but will now have to chase one of the two remaining qualifying positions for the 2025 World Athletics Championships via world rankings.
The World Athletics Relays were held in Guangzhou, China from May 10-11.
By Lachlan Moorhouse, Australian Athletics
Posted 12/05/2025
