Jamaica’s men’s 4x100m relay team emphatically punched their ticket to the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo with a season-best 37.80 to win at the London Diamond League on Saturday.
The quartet of Rohan Watson, Oblique Seville, Kadrian Goldson, and Kishane Thompson executed crisp baton exchanges and showcased their raw speed to finish ahead of Great Britain’s A team (38.08) and the Netherlands (38.17). The time propels Jamaica from 18th to 15th in the global rankings—safely within the top 16 needed for World Championships qualification.
Just last year, Jamaica’s 38.45 clocking at the Paris Olympics left them teetering on the edge of elimination. But Saturday’s performance not only secured their qualification, it rocketed them to third on the 2025 world list—trailing only South Africa’s world-leading 37.61 from the World Relays in March and the USA’s 37.66.
Watson got Jamaica off to a solid start with a reaction time of 0.153 before handing to Seville on the backstretch. Goldson blazed the curve, setting up Thompson, who stormed home to seal the victory. Thompson, the current world leader in the 100m at 9.75, anchored with trademark poise and power to bring the baton home.
The victory was a critical statement from Jamaica’s sprint programme, which had come under scrutiny for failing to secure a qualifying time earlier in the season, despite its wealth of sprinting talent. With the 37.80 clocking, they now appear not only ready to contend in Tokyo but also capable of a podium finish.
Great Britain’s A team of Jeremiah Azu, Louie Hinchliffe, Romell Glave, and Zharnel Hughes settled for second in 38.08, a season best, while the Netherlands clocked 38.17 for third. A second British team ran 38.43 in fourth.
Meanwhile, Jamaica’s women’s 4x100m team—featuring Shericka Jackson, Jonielle Smith, Tina Clayton, and Briana Williams—finished second in their race, clocking 42.50 behind Great Britain’s world-leading 41.69. France (43.54) and Ireland (43.73, a national record) followed.
But the day belonged to the Jamaican men, whose performance in London marked their fastest time since the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and reasserted their presence among the world’s elite relay nations. With the World Championships now firmly on the horizon, the focus turns to fine-tuning—because this Jamaican quartet looks like they’re just getting started.