Rai Benjamin Responds as US Withdraws 4x400m Relay Teams From World Athletics Relays

Rai Benjamin has finally commented following the announcement that the US Track and Field Association will not be sending a men’s or women's 4x400m relay team to the World Athletics Relays.

The prestigious event will take place in Africa for the first time, in Gaborone, Botswana, on May 2–3, and fans were eagerly anticipating a showdown between the hosts and the US. However, with the American teams likely absent, that matchup will not take place.

Botswana's sprint star, Letsile Tebogo, who had expressed excitement for the race, shared a cryptic message on his X (formerly Twitter) account following the US withdrawal.

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“First, we took the 4×400 gold right out of their hands in Tokyo last year. Now, they’re unable to show up to the 2026 World Relays in our own backyard? 😹😹,” wrote Letsile Tebogo.

“Once we get into the team, it’s only one personality. The teamwork that we have, the mentality that we have when we are going into the 4x400m, now it’s teamwork. We’re doing all this for the country, for everybody who’s watching and in support of Botswana,” he had shared in a previous post.

Jay Holder, USATF's Chief Content and Communications Officer, explained to LetsRun.com that the decision to withdraw the 4x400m teams was driven by two primary factors: athlete interest and financial considerations.

"It is difficult for us to find top-tier US athletes who want to go," Holder stated. "A lot of our A-team athletes have expressed that they are not interested in competing in this event."

"And then the financial costs of sending B or even C teams to Botswana are really significant. We just feel like there’s potentially a better use of resources," he continued.

"We can set up pretty highly competitive relays at other meets, domestically, and that’s one of the things the USATF Tour helps us do, for much less cost, and we’ll probably get a higher likelihood of athletes who are going to make up those [World Championship and Olympic] teams."

Rai Benjamin, responding to the news, shared a post on his X (Twitter) handle saying: “Let’s all relax.”

Meanwhile, the World Relays are a crucial qualifying event for major championships. The top six mixed relay teams secure a spot at the 2026 World Athletics Ultimate Championships, while the top 12 teams in all events qualify for the 2027 World Championships.

This move marks a significant departure from past policy. Historically, USATF has entered teams in every event at the World Relays, with the exception of the 2021 edition, which the US and other nations skipped due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The decision follows a trend of top American 400m runners opting out of the event. At the 2025 World Relays in China, the US women's 4x400m team, composed of second-string athletes, won silver, while the men's team failed to reach the final.

None of the women who competed in the relay in China went on to race at the World Championships later that year.