Unpredictable New Mixed 400m Relay Set to Intrigue Tokyo

The unpredictability of how teams choose to run their athletes promises to keep fans guessing throughout the event. (Getty Images)
The unpredictability of how teams choose to run their athletes promises to keep fans guessing throughout the event. (Getty Images)
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Unpredictable New Mixed 400m Relay Set to Intrigue Tokyo

The unpredictability of how teams choose to run their athletes promises to keep fans guessing throughout the event. (Getty Images)
The unpredictability of how teams choose to run their athletes promises to keep fans guessing throughout the event. (Getty Images)

Tokyo’s athletics program will see the inaugural 400 meter mixed relay event kick off on Friday, where teams of two men and two women will compete for Olympic gold against each other offering fans unpredictable and intriguing match-ups.

The United States will be the favorites for Saturday’s final, assuming there are no baton blunders in Friday’s heats, having claimed the 2019 World Championships in Doha. Jamaica are also expected to feature prominently.

But there is a level of unpredictability to the race, since there are no gender rules governing the order in which athletes race.

In the Doha world title race, for instance, Poland went for men in the first two legs and women in the last two while the rest of the teams ran the first and fourth legs with men.

The move gave Poland a sizeable lead after the second leg, but they saw that cut back in the third before losing it completely in the fourth as the American Michael Cherry took a lead he never relinquished, helping his team set a world record time of 3.09.34 minutes. Jamaica came second and Poland eventually finished fifth.

The unpredictability of how teams choose to run their athletes promises to keep fans guessing throughout the event, though the man-woman-woman-man running order is favored by most teams.

Germany boast this year’s world-leading time after they posted a 3:13.57 minute performance in June at home, according to World Athletics data, followed by Ukraine and Nigeria.

Kevin Borlee, Belgium’s 2011 World Championship 400 meter bronze medalist, told Olympics.com that the event has expanded the potential pool of countries that can offer genuine competition in Olympics relay racing.

“With the traditional relays you need at least four athletes of the same gender,” he said earlier this year.



New Boss Hails ‘Near-Perfect Race’ From Rejuvenated Lawson 

Team RB driver Liam Lawson of New Zealand steers his car during qualification ahead of the Formula One Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps racetrack in Spa, Belgium, Saturday, July 26, 2025. (AP)
Team RB driver Liam Lawson of New Zealand steers his car during qualification ahead of the Formula One Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps racetrack in Spa, Belgium, Saturday, July 26, 2025. (AP)
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New Boss Hails ‘Near-Perfect Race’ From Rejuvenated Lawson 

Team RB driver Liam Lawson of New Zealand steers his car during qualification ahead of the Formula One Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps racetrack in Spa, Belgium, Saturday, July 26, 2025. (AP)
Team RB driver Liam Lawson of New Zealand steers his car during qualification ahead of the Formula One Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps racetrack in Spa, Belgium, Saturday, July 26, 2025. (AP)

Liam Lawson endured a miserable start to the Formula One season but eighth place at the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday meant points for the third time in the last six races for the rejuvenated New Zealander.

Brutally dumped by Red Bull and relegated to the Racing Bulls team after only two races, Lawson failed to register on the drivers' championship standings for the first seven rounds of the season.

Sunday's race was delayed by 80 minutes due to wet weather but when it finally got underway, Lawson made the switch to dry tires at just the right time and eased away from Brazilian rookie Gabriel Bortoleto to take another four points.

Lawson, who had qualified ninth, was fully appreciative of the way the team's strategy worked out and is hungry for more points at Hungaroring next weekend.

"I really enjoyed today. Often in those conditions you just want to survive, so I'm very happy for the team and how everything came together," the 23-year-old said.

"It's always tricky when you cross over to a dry tire when it's damp, but the car was fast and in clean air we had great pace.

"We need to keep the momentum rolling forward and make sure we enter the summer break on a high."

In keeping with what has been a chaotic year for the two Red Bull-owned outfits on the grid, Lawson was working under his third team boss of the season at Spa-Francorchamps.

The sacking two weeks ago of Christian Horner, who had handed Lawson the Red Bull seat only to take it away, meant a promotion for Racing Bulls' team principal Laurent Mekies.

Racing director Alan Permane, who has stepped into the breach as team principal at the junior team, could not have been happier with the way Lawson performed.

"Liam had a near-perfect race, he managed his tires exceptionally well, both on the intermediates and on the dry tire," he said.

"He was strong and able to comfortably pull away from Bortoleto behind and was very happy with the car overall."