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Great Britain and Northern Ireland team ready for World Athletics Relays in China

May 8, 2025

The Great Britain and Northern Ireland team is all set for the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, China, happening Saturday and Sunday, May 10 and 11. The relays will be broadcast and streamed by the BBC.

The team is ready 💪

A mixture of youth and experience takes on the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou this weekend.#WorldRelays
— British Athletics (@BritAthletics) May 8, 2025

At the start of a new Olympic cycle leading up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, the squads are a mixture of experienced championship runners and developing athletes. The team’s overall aim is to qualify for all relay events for the World Championships in Tokyo later this year.

Women

There are three senior international debuts in the women’s 100m relay squad, Nia Wedderburn-Goodison (Ryan Freckleton, Harrow), the double gold medallist at the 2022 U18 Europeans, Success Eduan (Anita Richardson, Sale Harriers Manchester) who won U20 individual bronze medallist and silver in the relay at just 16 years of age in 2023 and Kissiwaa Mensah (Prince Duwai, Chelmsford) who claimed silver in the 200m at the UK Indoor Championships earlier this year.

They are joined by an incredibly experienced cohort of sprint talent comprising Asha Philip (Amy Deem, Newham and Essex Beagles), and Paris Olympic relay silver medallists Amy Hunt (Marco Airale, Charnwood), Desiree Henry (Linford Christie, Enfield & Harringey) and Bianca Williams (Linford Christie, Thames Valley).

In the women’s 400m squad, Paris Olympic relay silver medallists Hannah Kelly (Les Hall, Bolton), Lina Nielsen (Tony Lester, Shaftesbury Barnet), Nicole Yeargin (Vince Anderson, Pitreavie), Victoria Ohuruogu (Newham and Essex Beagles), and double Olympic medallist Laviai Nielsen (Tony Lester, Enfield & Harringey) are bringing huge experience to the team.

European indoor mixed relay silver medallist Emily Newnham (Nick Dakin, Shaftesbury Barnet) and Poppy Malik (Grant Barker, Harrow) will make up the rest of the team after making her senior international debut at those championships. Unfortunately, Ama Pipi who was initially selected has withdrawn due to injury.

Men

In the men’s 100m relay squad, Paris bronze medallist Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake (Ryan Freckleton, Newham and Essex Beagles) features. But he won’t be joined by Paris teammate Jeremiah Azu. Just days before the competition, he withdrew due to picking up an injury.

European 100m bronze medalist Romell Glave (Michael Afilaka, Croydon), Eugene Amo-Dadzie (Steve Fudge, Woodford Green Essex Ladies), Joe Ferguson (Richard Kilty, Sheffield & Dearne), Jona Efoloko (Ryan Freckleton, Sale Harriers Manchester) and Jerriel Quainoo (Ryan Feckleton, Blackheath and Bromley) are set to race in China.

In the men’s 400m squad, two of the Paris Olympic relay bronze medallists, Charlie Dobson (Leon Baptiste, Colchester) and Toby Harries (David Sadkin, Brighton Phoenix), are part of the team. Alongside Rio Mitcham (Leon Baptiste, Birchfield Harriers), Efe Okoro (Felipe Siquiera, Birchfield Harriers) and recent European indoor silver relay medallist Josh Faulds (James Wright, Rugby & Northampton), who came into the squad after Alex Haydock-Wilson withdrew earlier in April.

400m hurdler Sam Lunt (James Wright, Wirral) will make his international debut at just 19 years of age. Alongside Bailey Swift (Leon Baptiste, Northampton), who will also be making his senior international debut, after only specializing in the 400m just two years ago. Remaining squad member Lewis Davey picked up an injury a week before and will no longer compete.

More than half of the squad is made up of athletes who have completed the UK Athletics Futures program, the pathway program that started eight years ago.

The top 14 teams in each of the five disciplines will automatically qualify for Tokyo 2025, including a new event: the 4x100m mixed relay.

Darren Campbell, Head of Sprints, Hurdles and Relays at UK Athletics, said, “After our brilliant achievement in Paris at the Olympic Games, I am excited for the continued success and development of the Great Britain and Northern Ireland relay teams at this Championship.

“It is great to see a team combining World and Olympic medallists alongside several developing athletes to strengthen the depth of relay runners across the GB&NI team.

“I am looking forward to the squad developing their relay skills whilst performing their very best on the world stage and looking to secure those qualification spots for the Tokyo World Championships later this year.”