De Grasse, Leduc power Canadian 4x100m relay teams to spots at world championships
The Canadian men’s and women’s 4×100-metre relay teams had a successful outing at the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, China, securing their spots at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. The men’s team, consisting of Andre De Grasse, Aaron Brown, Brendon Rodney, and Jerome Blake, finished second in their heat to qualify for Sunday’s final and secure automatic qualification for the world championships.
De Grasse, a key member of the team and a reigning Olympic champion, emphasized the importance of qualifying for the world championships, stating that it was their main objective for the weekend. The team’s spot in Tokyo was in doubt until De Grasse delivered a stellar performance in the anchor leg, holding off competitors from Australia and the Netherlands to finish in second place with a time of 38.15 seconds.
The Canadian women’s 4x100m team, comprising of Sade McCreath, Marie-Éloise Leclair, Catherine Léger, and Audrey Leduc, also secured their place at the world championships with a strong performance. Leduc’s impressive anchor leg propelled the team to a second-place finish in their heat, crossing the line in 43.11 seconds and clinching automatic qualification for both the world championships and Sunday’s final.
Additionally, the Canadian women’s 4x400m team, featuring Jasneet Nijjar, Zoe Sherar, Lauren Gale, and Madeline Price, finished fourth in their heat but their time was fast enough to qualify for the final and the world championships. The Canadian mixed 4x100m team, comprised of Gabrielle Cole, Jacqueline Madogo, Duan Asemota, and Eliezer Adjibi, also advanced to the final with a top time across all of Saturday’s heats.
However, not all Canadian teams were able to secure their spots at the world championships and will need to compete in repechage heats on Sunday. The mixed 4x400m team of Austin Cole, Alyssa Marsh, Nathan George, and Dianna Proctor finished last in their heat and will need to finish in the top two in their repechage heat to earn a spot in Tokyo.
The action continues on Sunday with the mixed 4x100m final, mixed 4x400m repechage, women’s 4x400m repechage, men’s 4x400m repechage, women’s 4x100m repechage, men’s 4x100m repechage, mixed 4x400m final, women’s 4x100m final, and men’s 4x100m final. The Canadian athletes are geared up and ready to showcase their talent on the world stage, with hopes of bringing home medals for their country.
