The Ukrainian national track and field team has started at the 2026 World Relay Championships in Botswana. The “blue and yellow” team took 18th place overall in the 4x100m medley relay and advanced to the additional round of the competition.
At this year's World Relay Championship, Ukraine is represented in only one event – the 4×100 m mixed relay. The “blue and yellow” team ran the qualifying race with Ilya Popov, Oleksandr Sokolov, Diana Goncharenko, and Daniila Khavan.
Ukrainian athletes started in the first qualifying heat, in which they finished in seventh place with a result of 41.84 seconds. With this indicator, the Ukrainians took the overall 18th place according to the results of all heats. According to the competition regulations, the top 2 qualifying heats and the two fastest teams from the overall rating advanced to the final. Those teams that finished from ninth to 24th place advanced to an additional round, in which their final positions at the World Championships would be determined.
According to the results of the qualifying races at this year's World Championships, the world record was updated twice: first, the Canadian foursome, running together with Ukraine, finished first with a time of 40.07 seconds, and later Jamaica improved this result, running out of 40 seconds – 39.99 seconds.
Who made it to the 2026 World Cup final in the 4x100m mixed relay?
- Nigeria, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Canada, United States, Spain, Germany, Jamaica
Instead, Ukraine will compete for the final place from 9th to 24th with the national teams of France, Australia, Italy, Poland, Kenya, China, Portugal, Switzerland, Belgium, Mexico, Botswana and Paraguay, India and New Zealand.
The Ukrainian team is returning to the World Relay Championship after a one-year break. The national team missed last year's World Championship in Guangzhou: the decision was explained by the strategy of preparing for further starts in the summer season and the process of changing generations in the team.
An additional race, as well as the final, in which the world championship awards will be awarded, will be held on Sunday, May 3.