JAMAICAN athletes will have a busier-than-expected second day at the World Relays in Guangzhou, China, after a frustrating and disappointing display on Saturday’s opening day of the championships that will qualify relay teams for the World Athletics Championships later this year in Tokyo, Japan.

There was optimism on the eve of the start of the championships but, as if mirroring the dreary conditions which saw intermittent showers, the usually brilliant Jamaicans failed in large parts to deliver.

Just one team, the women’s 4x100m, qualified directly for the World Championships after placing second in their heat; the mixed 4x100m team qualified for the final but Jamaica must hope for better luck in the other four relay events — the men’s 4x100m, both 4x400m, and the mixed 400m relays.

Germany’s Jessica-Bianca Wessolly (left) competes with Jamaica’s Tina Clayton in the women’s 4x100m relay heat of the World Athletics Relays Guangzhou25 in Guangzhou, China’s Guangdong province, on May 10, 2025.

The day, which started brightly, went from the ridiculous — Jodean Williams’ shockingly slow lead-off leg on the women’s 4x400m relay team — to the unbelievable, with the two most experienced men, Julian Forte and Yohan Blake, failing to make the exchange on the second hand-off in the men’s 4x100m relay.

Today the teams must finish in the top two for their second-round races to secure their spots in Tokyo in September, or they will have to wait until the end of the qualifying window to see if they are in the top 16 on times.

Arguably Jamaica’s best team at the championships, the women’s 4x100m team of Tina Clayton, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Tia Clayton and Shericka Jackson on anchor, ran 42.51 seconds for second behind a surprising Spain team that won with a national record 42.18 seconds, as both teams took the automatic qualifying spots in Sunday’s final.

Afterwards Fraser-Pryce put things in perspective, “We come out here to qualify, that was the intention. We do have a mix of experiences on the team; we are used to relays. We just had a good run and we finished healthy,” she said.

FRASER-PRYCE…we came for the championship and we have to stick around and trust each other. We know what to do for tomorrow (Photo: AFP)

“We came for the championship and we have to stick around and trust each other. We know what to do for tomorrow.”

In the first event of the championships, the quartet of Natasha Morrison, Krystal Sloley, Javari Thomas and Rasheed Foster set Jamaican track and field history as they were the first to compete in the mixed 4x100m relay, winning their first-round heat in 41.04 seconds.

Under wet conditions and despite less-than-perfect baton passes, they won their heat and booked a spot in Sunday’s final, just edging the Great Britain team at the finishing line. Jamaica had the second-fastest time of the day after Canada who won the third heat in 40.90 seconds, while the USA had dropped their baton in the first heat and did not make progress.

It was the first time the event was being held and the times will be recognised as “bests” — not records — and will be ratified, according to World Athletics, in January 2026.

On paper the men’s team should have been able to book their spot in the final with a top two finish, but after a good start by Rohan Watson the exchange between Forte and Blake was not made and the Jamaicans failed to complete what was expected to be a major clash against a strong South African team.

The mixed 4x400m relay team of Demar Francis, Niesha Burgher, Delano Kennedy and Kelly-Ann Beckford placed sixth in 3:18.83 seconds in their first-round heat.

Francis ran a strong first leg and handed over in the first three but Burgher slipped back in the field and the team never recovered.

Despite challenging for a top two spot midway their event, the men’s 4x400m relay could only manage fourth place in their first-round heat.

The team of Javier Brown, Zandrion Barnes, Rusheen McDonald and Tarees Rhoden ran 3:03.54 seconds after being in second place midway the race, thanks to a strong run by Barnes who had the best split of 45.09 seconds.

The women’s team were never in contention after a shocking lead-off leg by Jodean Williams who, running with a bandage on her right hamstring, literally jogged 56.85 seconds, slowest of anyone in the race.

Roneisha McGregor, Kelly-Ann Beckford who had run on the mixed 4x400m relay team, and hurdle specialist Ronda Whyte made no impression on the runners ahead of them and will have to wait until Sunday’s second day in hope of an improved performance if they are to qualify for the World Championships.