Tokyo 2025: Drama in men's 4x100m heats as hot favourites Jamaica and Great Britain fail to advance to the final

The men's 4x100m heats at the Tokyo 2025 World Championships produced unexpected drama, witnessing hot favourites Jamaica and Great Britain failing to advance to the final.

Competing in heat 1, sprint powerhouses USA and Jamaica, as well as Olympic champions Canada, stood tall as the favourites to qualify on paper, but a horrible exchange saw a different turn of events.

Despite using their best relay squad, comprising Ackeem Blake, newly crowned world 100m champion Oblique Seville, Julian Forte, and Kishane Tompson, they failed to make the final after an unsuccessful exchange between Forte and Thompson.

Canada, having the team of Aaron Brown, Jerome Blake, Brendon Rodney, and Andre De Grasse, showed their experience with a convincing win in a Season's Best (SB) of 38.75s, finishing ahead of the American quartet of Christian Coleman, Ronnie Baker, Trayvon Bromell, and T'Mars McCallum in 37.98s.

Germany got the last automatic qualifying spot also in a SB of 38.12s.

Meanwhile, in heat 2, the major casualties were Great Britain and South Africa (under protest).

The British team, like Jamaica, failed to pass the baton to the third and last leg runner. Meanwhile, South Africa's first leg runner, Shaun Maswanganyi, was impeded by Italy's Marcell Jacobs, which affected his progression. As a result, they will run under protest.

Ghana were the surprise winners, storming to a National Record of 37.79s to win the heat and make the final. Netherlands was second in 37.95s, while Japan finished third to the excitement of their home crowd in 38.07s.

With the powerhouses Jamaica and Great Britain out, the final will surely be a firecracker between USA and Canada as the top challengers for the gold medal.