“It smells like Paris!”: the United States, led by their star sprinter Noah Lyles, won, in 37 sec 40/100th, the 4×100 m of the world relays, qualifiers for the 2024 Olympics, Sunday in Nassau (Bahamas) .
Courtney Lindsey, Kenneth Bednarek, Kyree King and Noah Lyles, in that order, beat Canada (37.89), carried by Olympic 200m champion Andre de Grasse. France, 3rd in 38.44, took advantage of the disqualification of the Italian relay of Marcell Jacobs, the 100m gold medalist from the Tokyo Games in 2021. “Child’s play… It smells like Paris!”, exclaimed Lyles, 26, triple world champion last year and who even dreams of quadruple at the Stade de France this summer. The women’s 4x100m relay was also won by the United States (Tamari Davis, Celera Barnes, Melissa Jefferson and Gabby Thomas), who won in 41 sec 85/100, ahead of the French Orlann Olière, Gémina Joseph, Hélène Parisot and Mallory Leconte (42.75). Great Britain took third place (42.80).
Gabby Thomas, bronze medalist in the 200m in Tokyo, even achieved a double in less than half an hour as she took part in the victory of the American 4x400m relay, in 3 min 21 sec 70/100th, ahead of Poland and Canada – France finishing 8th. “It’s been great preparation… It’s a testament to our spirit on these global relays, we came to do the job”commented Thomas.
In total, the United States won four of the five races, only letting slip the men’s 4x400m, won in 2 min 59 sec 11/100ths by Botswana, thanks to the performance of its star Letsile Tebogo. Absent from this final, the American relay, reigning Olympic champion, still managed to get its ticket to the Paris Games by winning its repechage race, unlike the French, silver medalists at the 2023 Worlds. The Blues failed in the series then in the repechage but still have hope of being present at home this summer.
Two places per event remain to be won after the world relays in Nassau, based on the results between December 31, 2022 and June 30, 2024.
