The Canadian men’s and women’s 4×100-metre relay teams qualified for the 2025 world championships with performances on Saturday at the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, China.
The men’s team of Andre De Grasse, Aaron Brown, Brendon Rodney, and Jerome Blake finished second in their heat to qualify for Sunday’s final, but more importantly for them, the world championships in Tokyo.
De Grasse told CBC Sports ahead of Saturday’s race that the goal this weekend was to book their spot at worlds.
“The main objective for us [is to] make sure that we qualify … so that we are at the world championships when it matters,” De Grasse said.
Canada’s women’s 4x100m team, featuring Sade McCreath, Marie-Eloise Leclair, Catherine Leger and Audrey Leduc finish second in their heat to move to the semifinals at the 2025 World Athletic Relays, and world championships.
That automatic qualification was in doubt for the reigning Olympic champions 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 seconds and secure second place behind Japan (37.84).
It was a similar story for the Canadian women’s 4x100m team. Thanks to a blazing-fast anchor leg, Sade McCreath, Marie-Éloise Leclair, Catherine Léger, and Audrey Leduc secured their spot in Tokyo.
WATCH | Canadian women’s 4x100m team clinches spot at worlds:
Canada’s mixed 4x100m team of Gabrielle Cole, Jacquelline Madogo, Duan Asemoto and Eliezer Adjibi win their heat, set the fastest time and qualified for the finals Sunday in the 2025 World Athletics Relay Championships in Guangzhou China.
Canada was in fourth place when Leduc took the baton but she powered past the Italian and Dutch runners to secure a second-place finish (43.11) and clinch automatic qualification for the world championships and Sunday’s final.
The Canadian mixed 4x100m team also advanced to their final by posting the top time across all of Saturday’s heats.
The team of Gabrielle Cole, Jacqueline Madogo, Duan Asemota and Eliezer Adjibi finished in 40.90 to book their spot in the final. The mixed 4x100m is not being contested at this year’s world championships.
WATCH | Canada’s mixed 4x100m relay team qualifies for the World Relays finals:
CBC Sports spoke to Canadian sprinter Andre De Grasse ahead of the world athletic relays in China, about what the team is hoping to accomplish, and how they’re trying to be the best relay team in Canadian history.
Not every Canadian team was able to clinch a place at worlds and will need a result in Sunday’s repechage heats.
The mixed 4x400m team of Austin Cole, Alyssa Marsh, Nathan George, and Dianna Proctor will also need to compete in a second-chance race after finishing last in their heat (3:22.37).
They’ll need finish top two in their heat on Sunday to earn a spot in Tokyo.
Coverage will stream live on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem beginning at 6:25 a.m. ET.
Schedule of events
Sunday
- Mixed 4x100m final – 7:05 a.m. ET
- Mixed 4x400m repechage – 7:13 a.m. ET
- Women’s 4x400m repechage – 7:34 a.m. ET
- Men’s 4x400m repechage – 7:56 a.m. ET
- Women’s 4x100m repechage – 8:16 a.m. ET
- Men’s 4x100m repechage – 8:32 a.m. ET
- Mixed 4x400m final – 9:03 a.m. ET
- Women’s 4x100m final – 9:16 a.m. ET
- Men’s 4x100m final – 9:26 a.m. ET
- Women’s 4x400m final – 9:36 a.m. ET
- Men’s 4x400m final – 9:49 a.m. ET
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 |
*Reserve
