Canadian women’s 4x100m team sets national record to qualify for final
This is the third time the women's team has lowered the relay record in 15 months
Nick Iwanyshyn
For the second consecutive major championship, the Canadian women’s 4x100m relay team has advanced to a global final—this time setting a new national record along the way.
The quartet of Sade McCreath, Jacqueline Madogo, Marie-Éloïse Leclair and Audrey Leduc lowered their own Canadian record with a time of 42.38 seconds, finishing fourth in their heat. This marks the third time in the past 15 months that the women’s team has reset the national mark.
“We went there knowing we all had to perform to reach the final,” McCreath told Canadian Running. “The Olympic final last year was surreal, but our expectations have gone up. We believe we can be on that podium.”
Two-time Canadian 100m champion and team anchor Leduc posted the fastest split of the race, covering her leg in 10.16 seconds. The team’s strong performance secured one of the two fastest non-automatic qualifying spots for Sunday’s final.
Canada will now look to improve on its eighth-place finish from the 2024 Paris Olympics when the women’s 4x100m final takes place Sunday at 9:00 p.m. local time (8:00 a.m. ET).
Canadian men’s team wins 4x100m heat
The Canadian men’s 4x100m team also booked their spot in the final with authority. After failing to advance out of the heats at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, the quartet of Aaron Brown, Jerome Blake, Brendon Rodney and Andre De Grasse and stormed to a season’s best 37.85 seconds to win their heat.
The only team faster overall was Ghana, whose team set a national record of 37.79 seconds in the heat following.
“We want to go for that national record tomorrow,” Brown told Canadian Running. “We know when we line up together, anything is possible.”
The Canadian record of 37.48 seconds was set by the same foursome three years ago, when they captured gold at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene.
De Grasse hinted after the men’s 200m that this could be the final major championship appearance for this historic relay team. Unlike in Paris last year, Canada enters the final as one of the favourites and will likely secure their preferred lane.
They’ll face stiff competition from the defending world champions, Team USA, who finished second to Canada in their heat and are expected to add four-time world 200m champion Noah Lyles to their anchor leg.
The men’s 4x100m final will take place Sunday at 9:20 p.m. local time (8:20 a.m. ET).
For full results of the 2025 World Athletics Championships, click here.
Canadian Running’s coverage of the 2025 World Athletics Championships is brought to you by ASICS Canada.
