Mixed-gender first as World Championships bring in new relay race

Men and women to team up in 4x400m British runner Rooney relishing the prospect

A small slice of athletics history will be made this weekend. Ahead of its inclusion at the Olympics next year, the mixed 4x400 metre relay makes its competitive debut at the Doha World Championships today, when two men and two women per nation combine in track athletics’ first mixed-gender event.

Whether a sport that is almost unique in its level of focus afforded to men and women needs to force both genders together is a matter for debate but, as with all sports seeking to secure their status in a changing society, the buzzwords “vibrancy” and “youthfulness” are at the forefront of explanations for innovation. So, if the kids want men and women together, that is what athletics will provide.

The theory behind the event suggests it should produce the additional excitement of huge leads being overhauled as teams are able to field their four athletes in whatever order they want. With six seconds between the world’s best male and female 400m runners, there is scope for multiple dramatic overtaking opportunities.

The reality is somewhat different. Even at this early stage of the event’s life, a pattern has quickly emerged: every team in the final of the World Relays this year chose to line up in order of man-womanwoman-man.

Such uniformity is likely to cut down on the unpredictability sought when the event was first created, but its ascension to major global competition still raises a number of interesting issues. Of paramount importance is selection. With separate men and women’s 4x400m relays still on the schedule – as well as individual 400m races – each nation must decide how best to deploy their runners. Do you sacrifice the men’s 4x400m relay in favour of loading your best male runners into the mixed 4x400m relay, for example?

Britain, who have a whopping 15 runners to choose from across their 400m relay squads in Doha, remain typically coy about their plans, with team leader Neil Black only insisting the mixed event is “as high a priority as any other relay” and promising “a serious team”.

While their unparalleled depth means the United States are likely to claim yet another gold medal, the event does provide the opportunity for some of the lesser nations who may not have enough runners of the same gender to challenge in men and women’s relays.

Led by Shaunae Miller-uibo and Steven Gardiner – two of the world’s fastest individual 400m runners – Bahamas in fact beat the Americans to win the inaugural event at the 2017 World Relays, although they have opted against fielding a mixed quartet in Doha.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for smaller countries to come through,” said British 4x400m relay veteran Martyn Rooney. “Teams like India and some of the South American countries who might only have two guys and two girls who are world class.”

Rooney said the event has also posed challenges of how best to accommodate athletes of hugely varying sizes.

“The training is quite interesting because there’s a massive difference in heights and bodyweights,” he said. “It’s quite imposing for some of the smaller girls. You put Zoey [Clark] next to me – I’m 6ft 6in and she’s 5ft 5in, so it’s quite tough for her when I’ve been giving her a shove in the back.

“But she’s been giving it back and the girls have all become more confident and aggressive. It’s going to be exciting.”