The real 4x100 m mixed relay is here (at long last)

In an article I published eight years ago I was writing

"Speaking of mixed relays it's the 4x100 m that I would like to see even more than the 4x400 m. The short relay depends crucially on delicately balancing the speeds of the two runners at the exchange of the baton. So, adding the extra difficulty of different top speeds for male and female runners would make this event even more challenging. I cross my fingers for such an event to become part of official competitions".

Those words turned out to be prophetic. A few years later World Athletics introduced this event and it was first held during the 2025 World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou. 

And it was, for me, an utter disappointment. By that time WA had fixed the order of the 4x400 m mixed relay to man-woman-man-woman. But going to the World Relays they decided that the order for the 4x100 m would be woman-woman-man-man. 

I really hated this risk-avoiding configuration and I discussed the point with my Décapassion friends, Frédéric and Pierre Gousset. (On a totally different point, I am astonished that they did not write an article on the women's decathlon championship that was held in August. Unfortunately it's a bit too late by now). 

The Gousset argued that a man-woman-man-woman would be technically very difficult, but I was not convinced. The initial WA proposal had a single moderately-delicate exchange, woman to man, at the end of the opposite straight, really the most comfortable position for an exchange. What I would like to see was a technically challenging relay with man to woman exchanges. And World Athletics, for once, set aside their timorousness and decided to adopt the man-woman-man-woman order. During the World Athletics Council, held in Tokyo, just before the World Championships, it was decided, among others, that the new order with be applied in the World Athletics Series events as well as the World Athletics Relays that will be held next year in Gaborone, Botswana. Moreover the events will be part of the program of 2028, Los Angeles, Olympics. 

Now I am afraid that I will have to wait till May 2026, and the World Relays in Botswana for this event, disputed at high level. I just hope that in the months leading to Gaborone, there will be several national formations participating in the World Athletics Series, running the mixed 4x100 m, aiming at polishing their technique. I will definitely monitor the deployment of this event and report if necessary.

And, remember: "You have read it here first".