Canadian track fans can officially start getting excited for the 2025 World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, China, next month.
In case you haven’t heard, Canada has a good track record in relays.
The team racing next month featured all four members of the 2024 Olympic Champion 4×100 metre relay team that won silver at this event a year ago, then shocked the world and captured Canadians’ attention in Paris, as well as the women’s 4×400 metre team who won bronze at last year’s World Relays to punch their own ticket to Paris 2024
Meet the Team
Athletics Canada has named 26 athletes to the 2025 World Athletics Relays Championships team: Aaron Brown, Andre De Grasse, Brendon Rodney, Duan Asemota, Eliezer Adjibi, Jerome Blake, Malachi Murray, Norris Spike, Audrey Leduc, Catherine Leger, Donna Ntambue, Gabrielle Cole, Jacqueline Madogo, Marie-Éloïse Leclair, Sade McCreath, Austin Cole, Christopher Morales Williams, Nathan George, Alyssa Marsh, Dianna Proctor, Jasneet Nijjar, Kyra Constantine, Lauren Gale, Madeline Price, Micha Powell, and Zoe Sherar.
“We’ve got a really good group. A lot of the less experienced athletes coming in certainly have a good group around them to help them progress and learn from the ones that have done it time and time again,” said team head coach Glenroy Gilbert. “We can’t get ahead of ourselves. Even though last year we had a great showing, we’re looking for the exact same thing here.”
Team Canada will compete in five events, namely the Men’s 4×100 metre relay, Women’s 4×100 metre relay, Mixed 4×100 metre relay, Women’s 4×400 metre relay, and Mixed 4×400 metre relay.
“What is different going into my second World Relay Championships is the experience I have gained in the past year. The Olympic Games gave me more experience on the international scene and helped me learn how to better face the best in the world. I will arrive at the World Relays with so much more confidence,” said Audery Leduc from the women’s 4×100 metre team. “I believe that the team also gained a lot of confidence from those Games. Competing in an Olympic final teaches you a lot about what to improve, what you might want to either replicate or avoid in the future. It helped us grow as a team and allowed us to see that we are capable of against the best in the world.”
Road to Tokyo
The 2025 World Athletics Relays Championships are a major milepost on the road the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
The top 14 teams in each of the men’s and women’s 4x100m and 4x400m, plus the mixed 4x400m relay, will secure their place in Tokyo 25 in September.
The remaining two places in each event will be awarded based on top lists during the qualification period, which ends August 24, 2025.
World Athletics Championships places are up for grabs on both days of action in Guangzhou. On the first day, the top two teams in each of the four heats will advance to the final on day two, while also securing their qualification for the Worlds.
In the finals on day two, teams will compete for prize money and obtain preferential World Championships lane seeding positions.
All other teams will compete on day two in the additional round where the top two teams in each of the three heats will also qualify for the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25.
“In order to qualify the team for the world championships, we have to trust each other and execute when we’re on the track. We know exactly what we have to do, now we just have to do it: start on the mark, make good exchanges, run fast,” Leduc said. “The beauty of the relay is that anything can happen, so the important thing is that each member of the team gives 100% and performs as best they can.”
Bahamas24: From Paradise to Podium
Team Canada scored two medals at last year’s World Relays, doubling our country’s total in the history of the event.
The men’s 4×100 metre squad of Aaron Brown, Jerome Blake, Brendon Rodney and Andre De Grasse nabbed silver and booking their trip to the Paris Olympics in the process.
The women’s 4×400 metre team of Zoe Sherar, Aiyanna Stiverne, Alyssa Marsh and Kyra Constantine won bronze, punching their own tickets to Paris.
The 4x400m mixed relay team set a new National Record and don’t forget three teams qualifying for Paris 2024.
The women’s 4x100m relay team of Sade McCreath, Marie-Éloïse Leclair, Audrey Leduc and Crystal Emmanuel-Ahye booked Canada’s first entry in that event at the Olympics when they qualified for the final of last year’s World Relays event.
“I would say that the secret ingredient is the chemistry within the team. You can see it with the men’s team, they have been working together for a long time and they have such a good relationship. The proof is that they won gold at the Paris Games,” Leduc said. “I think that’s what can make a difference at the World Relays – having confidence in your teammates at the most important moments.”
The team of Michael Roth, Lauren Gale, Callum Robinson and Maddy Price set a new Canadian mixed 4×400 metre record in the Bahamas (3:14.66).
Follow Team Canada at Guangzhou25
Stream all the action from the World Athletics Relays live on CBC.ca and on TV on CBC Sports, as Canada looks to book their spots on the Olympic start line with strong results in Bahamas.
Keep up with the Canadian team on our social media channels: Instagram, Facebook and X.
Media contact:
Caroline Sharp
National Teams Communications Specialist
Caroline.Sharp@athletics.ca
(613) 323-5605
(214) 601-8024