After a challenging showing at the recent World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, China, Team Jamaica now faces an uphill battle to secure places at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. With three of the country’s five relay teams missing out on automatic qualification, attention turns to the global rankings as the clock ticks towards the August 25 deadline.
Jamaica’s men’s 4x100m, women’s 4x400m, and mixed 4x400m relay squads failed to clinch top-14 finishes at the World Relays, which would have guaranteed them automatic spots at the World Championships in September. Now, their fate lies in the remaining two places available through the World Athletics global ranking system. Chase Athletics breaks down the qualification criteria.
How Does Qualification Work?
For this year’s championships, 16 national teams will compete in each relay event. The top 14 teams in each event at the World Relays earned direct berths. The final two spots will be filled by the next-best teams according to World Athletics’ global rankings within the qualification window. This means Jamaica’s remaining hope rests on improving their positions before the August 25 cut-off.
Where Do the Teams Stand?
Currently, the men’s 4x100m team sits 11th among the non-qualified teams. To stand a chance, they need to better Brazil’s mark of 38.40 seconds, which holds one of the two ranking spots.
In the women’s 4x400m, the target is 3:25.31, the time currently held by the Czech Republic in the rankings. Meanwhile, Jamaica’s mixed 4x400m team is tentatively in second place among the non-qualified teams with a season-best 3:14.42 — but their position remains vulnerable as other countries continue to chase faster times.
What Comes Next?
The Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) now faces a crucial task: securing opportunities at World Athletics-certified track meets before August 25. World Athletics must officially recognize the meet for a performance to count in the rankings. The race must feature at least two national teams from different countries.
This rules out intra-squad races, meaning strategic planning is essential for Jamaica to compete against international opposition at eligible events.
A Race Against Time
With just over three months left in the qualification window, Jamaica’s relay teams will need to assemble their best possible line-ups and target meets that offer favourable conditions and strong competition. It’s a high-stakes sprint to secure those final Tokyo-bound tickets.
The next few months will determine whether the black, green, and gold will feature in the relay events at the Tokyo World Championships come September.
