Three key things to know ahead of this weekend's World Athletics Relays

Three key things to know ahead of this weekend's World Athletics Relays

Abigael Wafula 11:40 - 30.04.2024

The World Athletics Relays will be happening this weekend, Saturday, and Sunday, and this article provides three keys that fans and athletes should note ahead of the event.

Athletes from across the globe will be competing at the World Athletics Relays this weekend with the hope of pocketing the hefty prize money and also qualifying for the Olympic Games, for those yet to qualify.

Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala, triple World champion Noah Lyles, Dutch woman Femke Bol, and Bahamian stars Shaunae Miller-Uibo, and Steven Gardiner will be among the stars to descend on the stadium on Saturday and Sunday.

1) Venue and events

The competition will take place at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium in Nassau and the programme features five relay events. They include the Women’s 4x100m and 4x400m, Men’s 4x100m and 4x400m and the Mixed 4x400m.

As per World Athletics, one team per nation can compete in each event and a maximum of eight athletes can be entered for each team. Among those entered, any four athletes may then be used in the composition of each relay team apart from in the mixed 4x400m, where a maximum of six athletes (three men and three women) may be entered with a single substitution allowed after the first round.

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2) Prize money

The top eight teams in each event will be awarded the prize money. The team to cross the finish line first will be awarded about Ksh 5.4 million (US$40,000) with the teams that finish second and third will pocket Ksh 2.7 million (US$20,000) and Ksh 1.35 million (US$10,000).

The fourth and fifth-place finishers will walk away with Ksh 1.08 million (US$8000) and Ksh 810,000 (US$6000) while the athletes who finish sixth, seventh, and eighth will pocket Ksh 540,000, Ksh 405,000, and Ksh 270,000. If a team breaks a world record, a prize of US$50,000 will be awarded, subject to record ratification.

3) Olympic qualification

The top 14 teams in each event at the World Athletics Relays will automatically qualify for places at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The remaining two places in each discipline will be awarded based on top lists during the qualification period (December 31, 2022 to June 30, 2024).

On Day One, the top two teams in each heat will advance to the final, while also securing their qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. All other teams will compete on day two in the additional round where the top two teams in each heat will also qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

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