Canada wins gold, bronze to end World Relays and clinches another spot at athletics worlds
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Canada's mixed team of 100-metre sprinters will not join its men's and women's counterparts at the World Athletics Championships in September but was the lone foursome to claim victory on the final day at the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, China.
Sade McCreath, Marie-Eloise Leclair, Duan Asemota and Eliezer Adjibi prevailed in a season-best 40.30 seconds over Jamaica on Sunday at Guangdong Olympic Stadium. However, they won't be competing at the Sept. 13-21 athletics worlds in Tokyo as the event will not be contested there.
After going 40.90 in the event's debut on Saturday in China to book a spot in the final, they shaved over a half-second off that performance on Sunday to hold off the Jamaicans (40.44) and Great Britain (40.88). It was the best effort of 2025 for all three squads.
WATCH | Canada achieves season-best time in mixed 4x100m final:
Canada's 4x100-metre mixed relay team strikes World Athletics gold
3 hours ago
Duration 5:20
Canada's 4x100 team, the reigning Olympic champions, lost precious time when the exchange between starter Aaron Brown and Jerome Blake wasn't clean.
Undeterred, Blake, Brendon Rodney and anchor Andre De Grasse persevered and reached the medal podium, earning bronze behind South Africa and the United States.
The Canadian foursome that won Olympic gold last summer in Paris with a 37.50 clocking went 38.11 on Sunday. They ran 37.89 a year ago to capture world relay silver in Nassau, Bahamas.
WATCH | Canadians reach men's 100m relay podium with bronze:
Canadian 4x100-metre men finish 3rd at World Athletics Relay final
53 minutes ago
Duration 5:45
Canada was second in its heat on Saturday to qualify for Sunday's final but more importantly secure a spot at the world championships.
The automatic qualification was in doubt until De Grasse lifted his team in the anchor leg. The Markham, Ont., native held off Australia and the Netherlands to cross the line in 38.15 behind Japan (37.84).
Canada's 4x400 mixed team of Austin Cole, Lauren Gale, Nathan George and Zoe Sherar will compete at worlds after taking nearly 10 seconds off their season best from Saturday and stopping the clock in three minutes 12.95 seconds in the second round of qualifying on Sunday.
WATCH | Canada books spot at world championships in mixed 4x400m:
Canada secures 4x400-metre spot at Worlds with 3rd place mixed heat finish at World Athletics Relay
2 hours ago
Duration 7:20
They needed a top-three finish to advance and placed third, holding off India by almost two seconds (3:14.81) in the second of two heats.
Cole, Gale, George and Sherar were the last of six teams in the third and final heat on Saturday in 3:22.37.
The Canadian women's 4x100 team of Jacqueline Madogo, Audrey Leduc, McCreath and Leclair was fifth in Sunday's final in a national record 42.46.
Canada was in fourth in its Saturday heat when Leduc took the baton and powered past the Italian and Dutch runners to secure a second-place finish (43.11) and clinch a berth at worlds.
WATCH | Canadian women set national record in 4x100m:
Canadian 4x100-metre women set new national record, finish 5th at World Athletics Relay
1 hour ago
Duration 4:21
42.46 is the new women's 4x100-metre relay Canadian record time set by Sade McCreath, Jacqueline Madogo, Marie-Éloïse Leclair and Audrey Leduc Sunday at the World Athletics Relay Championships in Guangzhou, China.
Canada's World Athletics Relays roster
Athlete Event(s) Hometown
Aaron Brown Men's 4x100m, Mixed 4x100m Toronto
Andre De Grasse Men's 4x100m, Mixed 4x100m Markham, Ont.
Brendon Rodney Men's 4x100m, Mixed 4x100m Etobicoke, Ont.
Duan Asemota Men's 4x100m, Mixed 4x100m Ajax, Ont.
Eliezer Adjibi Men's 4x100m, Mixed 4x100m Ottawa
Jerome Blake Men's 4x100m, Mixed 4x100m Kelowna, B.C.
Malachi Murray Men's 4x100m, Mixed 4x100m Edmonton
Norris Spike Men's 4x100m, Mixed 4x100m Brampton, Ont.
Audrey Leduc Women's 4x100m, Mixed 4x100m Laval, Que.
Catherine Leger Women's 4x100m, Mixed 4x100m Montreal
Donna Ntambue Women's 4x100m, Mixed 4x100m Montreal
Gabrielle Cole Women's 4x100m, Mixed 4x100m Ajax, Ont.
Jacqueline Madogo Women's 4x100m, Mixed 4x100m Guelph, Ont.
Marie-Éloïse Leclair Women's 4x100m, Mixed 4x100m Candiac, Que.
Sade McCreath Women's 4x100m, Mixed 4x100m Ajax, Ont.
Austin Cole Mixed 4x400m Sherwood Park, Alta.
Christopher Morales Williams Mixed 4x400m Maple, Ont.
Nathan George Mixed 4x400m Vancouver
Alyssa Marsh Women's 4x400m, Mixed 4x400m Whitby, Ont.
Dianna Proctor Women's 4x400m, Mixed 4x400m Edmonton
Jasneet Nijjar Women's 4x400m, Mixed 4x400m Surrey, B.C.
Kyra Constantine Women's 4x400m, Mixed 4x400m Brampton, Ont.
Lauren Gale Women's 4x400m, Mixed 4x400m Ottawa
Madeline Price Women's 4x400m, Mixed 4x400m Toronto
Micha Powell Women's 4x400m, Mixed 4x400m Montreal
Zoe Sherar Women's 4x400m, Mixed 4x400m Toronto
Ramone English* Men's 4x100m Edmonton
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