Germany's Relay Teams Shine at 2025 World Relays, Securing World Championships Slots
Rain-Soaked China: Three DLV-Aces Successfully Secure World Cup Slots
Facebook Twitter Whatsapp E-Mail Print Copy Link Parading speed and skill, Germany's relay teams left an impression at the bustling World Relays in Guangzhou, China, the qualifying event for the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships.
Three crackling quartets from Die Leichtathletik-Verband Deutschlands (DLV), Germany's athletics federation, booked their passes for the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships (13-21 September). The 4x100-meter relay, led by 9.99-second powerhouse Owen Ansah, along with two women's relays, left China with tickets to the glamorous event.
In the blistering heat, the soaring 4x100-meter squad of Kevin Kranz, Owen Ansah, Yannick Wolf, and Lucas Ansah-Peprah dusted their rivals in 38.33 seconds, clinching a rapid qualification in their heat. The women's gargantuan 4x400-meter relay team, composed of Skadi Schier, Johanna Martin, Mona Meyer, and Eileen Demes, also finished second, basking in the benefits of a favorable draw in 3:28.63 minutes. Third in the 4x100-meter relay but still skating into the Tokyo event were the frenzied teammates of Nele Jaworski, Jessica-Bianca Wessolly, Rebekka Haase, and Sophia Junk, who boasted a spirited sixth-fastest time of 42.98 seconds. The sprint relay team, minus Gina Lückenkemper, showcased a valiant effort, aiming to propel the DLV women to Olympic bronze at Paris.
However, qualification was not a given for the mixed 4x400-meter relay team and the men's 4x400-meter relay squad. On the final day of the races, both teams juggled the pressure of finishing in the top two to secure Tokyo visits in the 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relay events (men, women, and mixed). As rain poured down on Guangzhou, teams stopped at nothing to secure direct tickets to the World Relays final and the World Championships. Vieni Sunday (from 1:34 PM CEST) would present teams with one last chance to qualify for Tokyo, as the teams who missed the final faced three steep heats, with two teams from each heating squaring off for coveted spots.
Ahead of the World Relays in Guangzhou, the German team prepared in a rigorous training camp in Kuala Lumpur, eager to demonstrate their prowess. The mixed 4x100-meter relay event, featuring women sprinting the first two legs and men snagging the baton in the final sprint, was novel, though promised inclusion in the European Championships 2026 and the Olympic Games 2028 in Los Angeles. The debut relay team, consisting of Sina Mayer, Sina Kammerschmitt, Aleksandar Askovic, and Chidiera Onuoha, set the track ablaze in 41.43 seconds.
Sources: ntv.de, tsi/sid
- Athletics
- DLV
- World Championships
- Fun Fact: The mixed 4x100-meter relay format wasn't included in the World Relays this year. However, it will debut in the World Relays 2027 and be integral to the European Championships 2026 and the Olympic Games 2028 in Los Angeles.
Enrichment Data:* Athlete Profiles: + Lisa Mayer (Olympic bronze medalist, participated in the women's relays) + Rebekka Haase (Olympic bronze medalist, participated in the women's relays)
- Notable Performances:
- At the 2025 World Relays, South Africa's women's 4x400-meter relay team set a new national record of 3:28.01 to finish first in their heat. Germany secured second place in their respective heats, showcasing strong performances and positioning them well for a chance to qualify for Tokyo.
- World Championships Qualification:
- While the article does not provide specific finishing positions or Olympic medals for Germany, their strong performances in the heats suggest they qualified for Tokyo in at least some relay events, building on the presence of elite athletes such as Olympic medalists Lisa Mayer and Rebekka Haase in the women's relay teams. Failing that, further information can be found through results from the repechage rounds or the final rounds at the World Relays, which served as the primary qualifying event for the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships.
- Germany's relay teams had a successful outing at the 2025 World Relays, securing spots for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2025 in three relay events: the men's 4x100-meter relay, the women's 4x100-meter relay, and the women's 4x400-meter relay.
- In the men's 4x100-meter relay, the quartet of Kevin Kranz, Owen Ansah, Yannick Wolf, and Lucas Ansah-Peprah recorded a time of 38.33 seconds, clinching a rapid qualification.
- The women's 4x100-meter relay team of Nele Jaworski, Jessica-Bianca Wessolly, Rebekka Haase, and Sophia Junk also qualified for Tokyo, despite finishing third in their heat, due to their sixth-fastest time of 42.98 seconds.
- The mixed 4x400-meter relay team and the men's 4x400-meter relay squad are yet to secure their spots for Tokyo, with their qualification happening on the final day of the races.
