In heavy rain at Japan National Stadium on 21/9, the US team of Christian Coleman, Kenny Bednarek, Courtney Lindsey, and Lyles finished first with a time of 37.29 seconds. This was the world's fastest time in 2025 and the fifth-fastest time in history.
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Noah Lyles crosses the finish line first, securing the gold medal for the USA in the men's 4x100m relay at the 2025 World Athletics Championships Tokyo on 21/9. Photo: AFP |
Noah Lyles crosses the finish line first, securing the gold medal for the USA in the men's 4x100m relay at the 2025 World Athletics Championships Tokyo on 21/9. Photo: AFP
The USA won its 16th gold medal at the 2025 World Athletics Championships Tokyo, surpassing the previous record of 14 golds set in Doha in 2019. In total, the USA won 26 medals (16 gold, 5 silver, and 5 bronze), more than the next 5 countries combined.
On the final leg, Andre De Grasse threatened a surprise win for Canada, but Lyles pulled away decisively to secure a convincing victory. Canada took silver, while the Netherlands set a national record of 37.81 seconds to claim bronze. The host nation, Japan, finished sixth to the enthusiastic cheers of the home crowd.
For Lyles, this was his second gold medal in Tokyo, adding to his 200m title – his fourth consecutive world championship in the event – and his bronze in the 100m. This brings his total world championship medal count to eight, just three shy of Usain Bolt's record. Lyles has declared his intention to pursue a fifth consecutive 200m title in Beijing in 2027, aiming to surpass the Jamaican legend.
"We knew we were the fastest; it was just about executing clean handoffs," Lyles said after the race. "Once Coleman got the baton around the curve, I knew we had it. My teammates made it easy for me."
On the final day of competition, 21/9, medals were awarded in several other events. In the women's 4x100m relay, the USA, comprising Twanisha Terry, Kayla White, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, and Sha’Carri Richardson, finished first with a time of 41.75 seconds, just 0.04 seconds ahead of Jamaica. Germany took bronze with 41.87 seconds, 0.2 seconds ahead of Great Britain.
Jefferson-Wooden, the newly crowned sprint queen of the championships, completed a hat-trick of gold medals in Tokyo (100m, 200m, and 4x100m). The race also marked the final medal for Jamaican sprint legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in her illustrious career.
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Melissa Jefferson-Wooden celebrates after winning gold with the USA in the women's 4x100m relay. Photo: Reuters |
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden celebrates after winning gold with the USA in the women's 4x100m relay. Photo: Reuters
The USA also won gold in the women's 4x400m relay. The team of Isabella Whittaker, Lynna Irby-Jackson, Aaliyah Butler, and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone finished in a championship record time of 3 minutes 16.61 seconds. Jamaica took silver with 3 minutes 19.25 seconds, while the defending champions, the Netherlands, finished third with 3 minutes 20.18 seconds.
The most dramatic race of the day was the men's 4x400m relay. The USA led for most of the race, but in the final stretch, 400m hurdles champion Rai Benjamin was overtaken just before the finish line by Botswana's new 400m champion, Collen Kebinatshipi. Botswana won gold with a time of 2 minutes 57.76 seconds, with the USA taking silver and South Africa bronze.
The 2025 World Athletics Championships Tokyo took place from 13/9 to 21/9 at the Japan National Stadium in Tokyo. Organizers reported a total attendance of 619,288 over the nine days of competition, a remarkable figure demonstrating the global appeal of athletics and the enthusiastic support of Japanese fans.
The USA topped the medal table with 16 gold, 5 silver, and 5 bronze medals, for a total of 26. Following were Kenya (7 gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze), Canada (3 gold, 1 silver, and 1 bronze), and the Netherlands (2 gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze).
Compiled by Hong Duy
