Jamaica etched its name into the record books at the World Athletics Relays 2026, becoming the first nation to ever break the 40-second barrier in the mixed 4×100 metres relay.

The quartet of Ackeem Blake, Tina Clayton, Kadrian Goldson, and Tia Clayton clocked a stunning 39.99 seconds during the third heat of the event. This historic run took place in Gaborone, marking the first time the World Athletics Relays has been hosted on the African continent.

The afternoon saw the world record fall twice in rapid succession. In the first heat, Canada set a new benchmark of 40.07 seconds, surpassing the previous world best of 40.30 seconds. However, Canada’s record lasted only minutes before the Jamaican team delivered their history-making performance.

A New Tactical Order

The event featured a new mandatory running order of man-woman-man-woman.

• Ackeem Blake opened the relay for Jamaica.
• He handed the baton to Tina Clayton for the second leg.
• Kadrian Goldson took the third leg.
• Tia Clayton performed a blistering anchor run to carry the team home in under 40 seconds.

“It is an honour to represent our country and we wear our colours with pride,” said Tina Clayton following the race. “When you get the opportunity to put on the green, yellow and black, it is a real privilege.”

Beyond the records, the heats served as a crucial qualifying stage. Jamaica and Canada, along with other top finishers such as Germany, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Great Britain, Spain, and the USA, have all secured automatic qualification for the World Athletics Championships Beijing 2027.

The teams will return to the track on Sunday for the final, where they will compete for spots in the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship to be held in Budapest this September. Despite losing the record to Jamaica, Canadian anchor runner Audrey Leduc expressed confidence that her team could go even faster in the final.