Spain made history at the World Athletics Relays Guangzhou 25 by winning the women’s 4x400m final in a national record time of 3:24.13. The Spanish quartet, composed of Paula Sevilla, Eva Santiorian, Daniela Fra, and Blanca Hervas, delivered a flawless performance to dethrone the heavily favored United States, who finished second in 3:24.72.
The race was a nail-biter from start to finish, with the USA initially leading through strong legs by Karimah Davis (50.03 split) and Maya Singletary (52.09). However, Spain’s anchor Blanca Hervas produced a sensational final lap, overtaking American Bailey Lear (50.39 split) in the closing meters to secure the gold.
South Africa completed the podium in spectacular fashion, smashing their national record by four seconds to claim bronze in 3:24.84. The team, featuring Shirley Nekhubui, Miranda Coetzee, Precious Molepo, and Zenéy van der Walt, delivered a career-defining performance, edging out Norway (3:25.35) and Italy (3:26.40) in a fiercely contested battle for third.
The race also highlighted standout individual performances, including Norway’s Henriette Jeger, who clocked the fastest split of the field (49.71), and France’s Alexe Deau, who anchored her team with a blistering 50.00. Meanwhile, the USA’s silver medal reinforced their consistency in the event, though they fell just short of defending their championship record (3:19.39).
With this victory, Spain now sits second on the 2025 world top list, trailing only the USA’s earlier season-best of 3:23.24.
All finalists have secured qualification for the twentieth World Athletics Championships, set for 13–21 September 2025 in Tokyo.
