Noah Lyles Anchors USA To 4x100m Win, Ghana Narrowly Miss Podium As Curtains Fall On World Athletics Championships 2025 In Tokyo

USA survive tense 4x100m final as Ghana impress with brave run, setting up a thrilling close to the Tokyo championships.

Africa’s sole representatives Ghana delivered a performance to remember in the men’s 4x100m relay final at the 2025 World Athletics Championships.

Running from lane two, the Ghanaian team of Ibrahim Fuseini, Benjamin Azamati, Joseph Paul Amoah, and Abdul-Rasheed Saminu had clocked a blazing 37.79 in the semifinals yesterday to set a new national record and qualify for the medal race.

On Sunday, Ghana pushed even harder, remaining in the medal hunt until the anchor leg. Though they crossed the line fourth, missing the podium by fractions of a second, their run will be remembered as one of the finest African sprint relay performances in history.

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For the USA, the final was anything but smooth. Christian Coleman got them off to a flying start, but Kenny Bednarek struggled to hold momentum on the second leg, leaving Courtney Lindsey with a tough job on the third exchange.

"I respond every time I am called to represent the country," said Joseph Paul Amosh after Ghana’s semifinal triumph. 

"Ibrahim (Fuseini) and Benjamin (Azamati) put us in a good position, and I did my job for Abdul-Rasheed (Saminu) to finish."

Saminu anchored Ghana to victory in their semifinal heat, earning them a spot in the final with the fastest qualifying time of all nations. The performance electrified fans back home, proving that Ghana’s sprint relay program has taken a significant leap forward.

"Lane two is not an easy job, but I trust my teammates and they brought me the baton safely. I just had to finish," said Saminu, who was again rock-solid in the final.

Despite just missing the medals, Ghana’s back-to-back sub-38-second runs cemented their place among the world’s elite, a promising sign for the future as they eye Olympic glory.

The USA’s third exchange was nearly catastrophic when Lindsey had to stretch for the baton under pressure, losing precious ground to Canada. 

It was Noah Lyles who saved the day, storming down the anchor leg to bring the Americans home in 37.10 – the fifth-fastest time in history – and claim gold.

Canada, powered by Andre De Grasse, Jerome Blake, Aaron Brown and Brendon Rodney, took silver in 37.81 after running a nearly flawless race. The Netherlands claimed bronze, edging Ghana with the same time of 37.81 after a dramatic photo finish.

Jamaica, perennial favorites, were the biggest casualties of the weekend after a baton mix-up between Ryiem Forde and Kishane Thompson in the heats cost them a spot in the final.

"We're looking forward to coming with our strongest team," said Rodney after the heats. 

"We want to beat everybody at full strength. We'll look at the tape, and we'll figure out what we need to improve on this for tomorrow."

Australia, France, and Germany completed the field in the final, with all eight teams delivering competitive performances.