Guangzhou, China — China’s men’s 4x400m relay team shattered the national record with a time of 3:01.87 at the World Athletics Relays on Saturday, securing a place at the upcoming World Championships.
The young squad, composed of rookies Liang Baotang, Li Yiqing, Zhang Qining, and Fu Haoran, finished second in Heat 1 amidst rainy conditions in Guangzhou, earning a spot in the final and qualification for the Tokyo 2025 World Championships.
“My mind was blank when I was running, just trying to do my best,” said anchor runner Fu Haoran, who overtook Spain’s Bernat Erta in the final leg to clinch second place.
The World Athletics Relays serve as the main qualification event for relay teams aiming for the World Championships later this year. The competition features six events, including men’s, women’s, and mixed 4x100m and 4x400m relays. The top 14 teams in each event (excluding the mixed 4x100m) will earn berths for Tokyo 2025.
In a historic moment for the sport, the mixed 4x100m relay made its global debut, set to be featured in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Canada’s team led the qualifications with a time of 40.90 seconds. The Chinese quartet — Huang Shuping, Kong Lingyao, Chen Jinfeng, and Chen Guanfeng — advanced to the final with a time of 41.30 seconds.
“It’s interesting to mix and mingle boys and girls in the 4x100m. We are really excited and happy for the introduction of the event,” said Chen Guanfeng.
In the men’s 4x100m relay, veteran sprinter Xie Zhenye led Team China to clock 38.30 seconds, narrowly missing second place in their heat by just 0.005 seconds behind Italy. South Africa and Japan shared a world-leading time of 37.84 seconds in the same event.
The women’s 4x100m relay saw unexpected drama as China’s Liang Xiaojing and Ge Manqi struggled with a baton exchange, resulting in a sixth-place finish in their heat.
Elsewhere, the United States set a world-leading mark of 3:11.37 in the mixed 4x400m relay, while Spain’s women’s 4x100m team broke their national record with a time of 42.18 seconds.
