Women’s relay teams steal spotlight on final day of World Champs
Published:Monday | September 22, 2025 | 12:11 AMGregory Bryce/Staff Reporter
The women’s 4x400 metres and sprint relay teams shared the national spotlight as they both pocketed silver medals on the final day of the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, yesterday.
Jamaica, with one gold, six silver and three bronze, ended 10th on the World Athletics medal table but in third spot in number of medals won behind United States with 26 and Kenya on 11.
In a third event contested yesterday, the Jamaica team of Delano Kennedy, Jevaughn Powell, Jasauna Dennis and Rusheen McDonald clocked 3:03.46 for seventh spot behind winners Botswana, who won gold in 2:57.76.
On a wet day at the Japan National Stadium, the quartet of Dejanea Oakley, Stacey-Ann Williams, Andrenette Knight and Nickisha Pryce ran a season’s best time of three minutes, 19.25 seconds (3:19.25) in the 4x400m to take second behind a powerful United States team, who took the world title in a championship record 3:16.61, with the Netherlands third in 3:20.18.
Oakley opened the race with a strong first leg, running a split of 50.50 to hand over the baton in second, just behind the USA team.
Williams maintained Jamaica’s position in the second leg, splitting 49.59, with Knight doing the same with her split of 50.66.
With the ever-dangerous Femke Bol on the anchor leg for the Dutch team, Pryce ran a stellar anchor leg in 48.50 to hand Jamaica the silver medal.
After the race, Williams praised the collective group effort in ensuring Jamaica finished on the podium despite the quality of their opponents.
“We have completed an amazing race,” she said. “It was not easy to come out in the final knowing that USA and Netherlands have Sydney [McLaughlin-Levrone] and Femke [Bol] on their last legs but we came up with silver, because we trusted each other on every single leg,” she said.
The silver medal is Jamaica’s fourth straight medal in the event at the World Championships. The nation holds a strong history in the event, medalling in eight of the last 10 editions.
Williams said the team was inspired by Jamaica’s strong legacy and they are proud to have become yet another Jamaican team to have done so.
“We all are inspired by the Jamaican women who came before us. It was truly an inspiration to see them, so we’re just following their footsteps.”
LAST RACE
In the final race on the night for Team Jamaica, the legendary Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce graced the track for one last time in national colours as she led off the relay team that captured the silver medal.
Jamaica, in a season’s best 41.79 seconds, finished just behind USA, 41.75, and ahead of Germany in third, 41.87.
Fraser-Pryce ran the first leg and handed the baton off to Tia Clayton, who stormed down the backstretch before handing off to her twin sister and world 100m silver medallist Tina Clayton.
Jonielle Smith, on anchor, closed rapidly on USA’s Sha’Carri Richardson to claim the silver medal.
Fraser-Pryce praised the team for their run and said the medal is the result of their effort on the track.
“We are satisfied with the medal,” she said. “We are grateful we did it and stayed healthy. The ladies really gave their best. This is a team effort.”