Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
A study at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 examined factors influencing 4x100m relay performance, emphasizing that baton exchange execution is crucial for success beyond individual sprinting abilities. The research showed that time lost during baton exchanges varied significantly among teams and impacted final race outcomes.
Lead researcher Takeo Matsubayashi of the Japan Institute of Sports Sciences, in cooperation with the World Athletics Health and Science department, used seven manually operated high-speed cameras around the track to capture continuous athlete movements. This footage enabled three-dimensional reconstruction of athlete positions to analyze performance metrics during exchanges.
Analysts evaluated the time spent in the takeover zone, minimum baton velocity during exchange, passing positions, and overall exchange duration, comparing these with each team's finishing time. They found that rankings based on the average 100m season best times did not align with actual race results, showing that baton exchange quality strongly influenced performance.
Matsubayashi explained that maintaining baton velocity during exchanges depends on a smooth handover, the incoming runner keeping speed, and the outgoing runner accelerating effectively before receiving the baton. These findings offer practical advice for coaches and athletes to optimize training and race strategies.
Japanese short sprints head coach Sakie Nobuoka noted that the study objectively confirms the long-held coaching belief that baton exchange quality significantly affects relay outcomes by maintaining speed through the exchange, rather than just passing the baton safely and smoothly.