Africa has emerged as a strong force in global athletics after a standout opening day at the World Athletics Relays Gaborone 2026, where the first 48 relay teams booked their places for the World Athletics Championships Beijing 2027.
Competing on home soil in Gaborone, African nations delivered impressive performances across multiple relay events, with teams from South Africa, Botswana, Nigeria, Kenya and Zimbabwe all securing qualification spots and advancing to Sunday’s finals.
The qualification format saw the top two teams in each heat, along with the next two fastest overall in each event, progress directly to both the finals and the 2027 World Championships.
The remaining teams will get a second chance on Sunday (May 3), where the final qualification places will be decided.
African teams made their presence felt particularly in the men’s sprint and long relay events.
South Africa and Botswana both advanced in the men’s 4x100m and 4x400m races, while Zimbabwe joined them in the 4x400m final. Nigeria powered through in the mixed 4x100m, and Kenya secured a spot in the mixed 4x400m final, underlining the continent’s growing depth in relay competition.
The finals on Sunday will not only determine medal standings and prize money but also influence lane seeding for Beijing 2027, giving teams an added incentive to perform at their peak.
Globally, the event produced electrifying performances. Canada initially broke the world record in the mixed 4x100m, only for Jamaica to surpass it moments later with a time of 39.99 seconds. Canada also led the men’s 4x100m qualifiers with 37.57 seconds, while Jamaica dominated the women’s 4x100m heats.
Great Britain & Northern Ireland recorded the fastest times in both the mixed 4x400m and women’s 4x400m events, while Australia set a new Oceanian record to top the men’s 4x400m qualifiers.
The Gaborone meet also serves as a key pathway to the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 2026, with the top six teams in the mixed relay finals earning automatic qualification.
With African teams strongly represented across multiple finals, the continent has positioned itself as a major contender ahead of both Budapest 2026 and Beijing 2027.
Sunday’s finals are expected to deliver high-intensity action as teams compete not only for podium finishes but also for global recognition on the road to the next World Championships.
Featured image source: World Athletics
