Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
The World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26, held at Hayward Field from August 5–9, will feature six relay events for the world’s top teenage sprinters, including the debut of the mixed 4x100m relay.
In the men's 4x100m relay, Jamaica will aim to retain its title won in Lima in 2022. Their squad features Gary Card, the current world U20 100m leader with a Jamaican U20 record of 9.93 seconds this year, alongside Nathaniel Martin, Sanjay Seymore, Justin Stewart, Nyrone Wade, and Dontae Watson. Card and Wade were part of the winning relay team at the 2024 championships. The host nation, USA, is also a strong contender with athletes such as Tate Taylor, Kyler Brown, and Dillon Mitchell. Great Britain, which finished just 0.02 seconds behind Jamaica in 2022, and Australia are also seen as medal contenders.
On the women's side, Jamaica has dominated the 4x100m relay, winning the last three editions. They set a world U20 record of 42.59 seconds in Cali in 2022 and retained the title in Lima with a 0.67-second winning margin. Shanoya Douglas, part of the previous winning team, returns for this edition and currently leads the world U20 rankings in the 100m and 200m this year. The USA and Switzerland are also expected to be competitive, with Switzerland having secured silver in Lima and posted one of the fastest times among the entered teams.
The mixed 4x100m relay will feature for the first time at the World U20 Championships. Jamaica is expected to field a strong team, drawing from its depth in both men’s and women’s sprints. Italy arrives as the highest-ranked team based on their season-best time of 41.75 seconds, achieved in Rome, with key athletes Leonardo Pratali and European youth champion Kelly Doualla. Great Britain is also a contender in this new event.