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Join Noah Lyles, Morgan Mitchell and Andrew Howe for the latest episode of the World Athletics Club.

World Athletics Club – Yokohama

<h4>Welcome to our comprehensive lead-in coverage to the IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019, which, for the next 36 hours or so will be your one-stop shop for all things Yokohama as we count down to the start of the 4th edition of the IAAF's newest World Athletics Series event.</h4>
This page will be updated regularly throughout the day on Friday (10) and right up until the gun sounds the start of the first race on Saturday afternoon, incorporating news gathered from our team on the ground in Yokohama and from IAAF, local organisers' and athletes' social media channels.
To get up to speed, why not start with a look at our <a href="https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-relays/iaaf-world-relays-6359/news/preview">race-by-race previews</a>?
And don't forget: the championships will be broadcast in more than 120 countries and territories (an updated list is <a href="https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-relays/news/broadcast-intentions-iaaf-world-relays-yokoha">here</a>) and available via live stream on our YouTube channel (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzhIAYVXZhE">day 1</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUmNp9JqD7U">day 2</a>) to everyone else, ensuring that the event will be viewable by fans in just about every corner of the planet.
Updates: Jon Mulkeen/<a href="https://twitter.com/Statman_Jon">@Statman_Jon</a> and Bob Ramsak/<a href="https://twitter.com/BobRamsak">@BobRamsak</a>
&nbsp;
Note: If posts don't immediately appear, refresh your browser.

Welcome to our comprehensive lead-in coverage to the IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019, which, for the next 36 hours or so will be your one-stop shop for all things Yokohama as we count down to the start of the 4th edition of the IAAF's newest World Athletics Series event.

Latest updates - IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019

The IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019&nbsp;take place at Yokohama International Stadium this weekend, 11-12 May, and you can follow all the action on the IAAF website, its associated platforms and via more than 80 broadcasters from around the world.
This year's edition of the IAAF's newest World Athletics Series event features the introduction of two exciting innovations, the mixed shuttle hurdles relay and the mixed 4x2x400m relay, while teams in the traditional 4x100m and 4x400m relays will be targeting for qualification spots for the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019.
<h3>&nbsp;</h3>
<h3>Live coverage</h3>
The&nbsp;IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019 will be broadcast around the world in <a href="https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-relays/news/broadcast-intentions-iaaf-world-relays-yokoha">more than 120 territories</a>. Fans from all other territories will have access to a live stream on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/IAAF2012">IAAF's YouTube channel</a>: [<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzhIAYVXZhE">Day 1</a>] [<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUmNp9JqD7U">Day 2</a>]
<h3> Live action</h3>
We're providing several ways to get up to speed and stay up to speed. We'll have updates pages on Thursday and Friday providing the key goings-on in the lead-in to the championships. On Saturday we'll also have a live competition blog.
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-relays/iaaf-world-relays-6359/live">Live blog</a> (during the competition)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-relays/iaaf-world-relays-6359/timetable/byday">Timetable &amp; results</a></li>
<li>IAAF app: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/it/app/iaaf.org/id681225974?l=en&amp;mt=8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">App Store</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.iaaf.applications.IAAF&amp;hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google Play</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/2Q91jfh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon appstore</a></li>
</ul>
If you already have the app, be sure to download the latest update to benefit from all the features.
<h3> Social media</h3>
<ul>
<li>Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/iaaforg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@iaaforg</a></li>
<li>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WorldAthleticsClub/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IAAF World Athletics Club</a></li>
<li>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/iaaf_athletics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">iaaf_athletics</a></li>
</ul>
<h3> Website coverage</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-relays/news/latest-updates-iaaf-world-relays-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lead-in updates</a> (beginning Thursday afternoon 9 May)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-relays/iaaf-world-relays-6359/news/preview">Event-by-event previews</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-relays/iaaf-world-relays-6359/news">Wrap reports</a></li>
<li>Media gallery</li>
<li><a href="https://spikes.iaaf.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SPIKES</a></li>
</ul>
<h3> Stats</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.iaaf.org/download/downloadresultinfo?filename=20449fe1-151d-452d-9210-15130493c05a.pdf&amp;urlSlug=facts-figures-statistical-handbook">Facts &amp; Figures</a> - IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019 statistics resource</li>
<li><a href="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/competitioninfo/7ebf04db-5b41-4936-943f-e6e1502c5848.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biographies</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-relays/history">Past results</a></li>
</ul>
IAAF

The IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019 take place at Yokohama International Stadium this weekend, 11-12 May, and you can follow all the action on the IAAF website, its associated platforms and via more than 80 broadcasters from around the world.

How to follow and watch the IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019

Fans from the following territories and countries can tune in to coverage of the IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019 on Saturday and Sunday 11 and 12 May.
Fans from territories and countries not listed here can watch the championships via live stream on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/IAAF2012">IAAF's YouTube channel</a>.
As always, check local listings for the broadcast schedule and intentions - live coverage, delayed coverage or highlights - in your area.
<h3>&nbsp;</h3>
<h3>Africa</h3>
Benin - StarTimes Botswana - BTV, StarTimes Burundi - StarTimes Cameroon - StarTimes Central African Republic - StarTimes Chad - StarTimes Congo - StarTimes DR Congo - StarTimes Eritrea - StarTimes Ethiopia - StarTimes Gabon - StarTimes Chana - StarTimes Guinea - StarTimes Guinea-Bissau - StarTimes Ivory Coast - StarTimes Kenya - StarTimes Liberia - StarTimes Madagascar - StarTimes Malawi - StarTimes Mozambique - StarTimes Namibia - StarTimes Nigeria - StarTimes Rwanda - StarTimes Senegal - StarTimes South Africa - StarTimes Tanzania - StarTimes Uganda - StarTimes Zambia - StarTimes
<h3>&nbsp;</h3>
<h3>Americas</h3>
Anguilla - ESPN International, Television Jamaica Antigua and Barbuda - ESPN International, Television Jamaica Argentina - ESPN International, TyC Sports Aruba - ESPN International Bahamas - ESPN International, Television Jamaica Barbados - ESPN International, Television Jamaica Barbuda - ESPN International Belize - Spring Media (Sub-Licensee - TDN), Television Jamaica Bermuda - ESPN International, Television Jamaica Bolivia - ESPN International, TyC Sports Bonaire - ESPN International Brazil - Globosat British Virgin Islands - Television Jamaica Canada - CBC Cayman Islands - ESPN International, Television Jamaica Chile - ESPN International, TyC Sports Colombia - ESPN International, TyC Sports Costa Rica - ESPN International, TyC Sports, Spring Media (Sub-Licensee - TDN) Curacao - ESPN International Dominica - ESPN International, Television Jamaica Dominican Republic - ESPN International, Spring Media (Sub-Licensee - TDN) Ecuador - ESPN International, TyC Sports El Salvador - ESPN International, TyC Sports, Spring Media (Sub-Licensee - TDN) Falkland Islands - ESPN International French Guiana - ESPN International Grenada - ESPN International, Television Jamaica Guadeloupe - ESPN International Guatemala - ESPN International, TyC Sports, Spring Media (Sub-Licensee - TDN) Guyana - Television Jamaica Haiti - ESPN International Honduras - ESPN International, TyC Sports, Spring Media (Sub-Licensee - TDN) Jamaica - ESPN International, Television Jamaica Martinque - ESPN International Mexico - ESPN International, Spring Media (Sub-Licensee - TDN) Montserrat - ESPN International, Television Jamaica Nicaragua - ESPN International, TyC Sports, Spring Media (Sub-Licensee - TDN) Panama - ESPN International, TyC Sports, Spring Media (Sub-Licensee - TDN) Paraguay - ESPN International, TyC Sports Peru - ESPN International, TyC Sports Puerto Rico - NBC Universal and NBC St Barthelemy - ESPN International St Kitts and Nevis - ESPN International, Television Jamaica St Lucia - ESPN International, Television Jamaica St Maarten - ESPN International, Television Jamaica St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Television Jamaica Suriname - Television Jamaica Trinidad &amp; Tobago - ESPN International, Television Jamaica Turks &amp; Caicos - ESPN International, Television Jamaica Uruguay - ESPN International, TyC Sports US Virgin Islands - NBC Universal and NBC USA - NBC Universal and NBC Venezuela - ESPN International, TyC Sports
<h3>&nbsp;</h3>
<h3>Asia</h3>
Bahrain - Abu Dhabi Media Bangladesh - STAR Sports India Bhutan - STAR Sports India China - CCTV Democratic People's Republic of Korea - Galaxia SM India - STAR Sports India Iran - Abu Dhabi Media Iraq - Abu Dhabi Media Japan - TBS Kuwait - Abu Dhabi Media Maldives - STAR Sports India Nepal - STAR Sports India Oman - Abu Dhabi Media Pakistan - STAR Sports India Palestine - Abu Dhabi Media Qatar - Abu Dhabi Media Republic of Korea - Galaxia SM Saudi Arabia - Abu Dhabi Media Sri Lanka - STAR Sports India Syria - Abu Dhabi Media United Arab Emirates (including Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras Al Khamimeh, Umm Al Quwain and Sharjah) - Abu Dhabi Media Yemen - Abu Dhabi Media
<h3>&nbsp;</h3>
<h3>Europe</h3>
Belarus - BTRC Belgium - RTL Bosnia - Arena Sport Croatia - HRT, Arena Sport Denmark - TV2 Italy - RAI Kosovo - Arena Sport Macedonia - Arena Sport Montenegro - Arena Sport Norway - NRK Poland - TVP Russia - MatchTV Serbia - Arena Sport Slovenia - Arena Sport Spain - TVE Sweden - TV4 Turkey - TRT UK - BBC
<h3>&nbsp;</h3>
<h3>Oceania</h3>
Australia - Eurosport New Zealand - Sky Network NZ
&nbsp;
IAAF

Fans from the following territories and countries can tune in to coverage of the IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019 on Saturday and Sunday 11 and 12 May.

Broadcast intentions: IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019

Previews of each of the nine races to be contested at the IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019, which take place on 11-12 May, are now available.
<ul>
<li>&bull; <a href="https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-relays/news/preview-mens-and-womens-4x100m-relay-iaaf-wor">Men's and women's 4x100 relay</a></li>
<li>&bull; <a href="https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-relays/news/preview-mens-and-womens-4x200-relay-iaaf-worl">Men's and women's 4x200 relay</a></li>
<li>&bull; <a href="https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-relays/news/preview-mens-womens-and-mixed-4x400-relay-iaa">Men's, women's and mixed 4x400 relay</a></li>
<li>&bull; <a href="https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-relays/news/preview-mixed-4x2x400m-relay-iaaf-world-relay">Mixed 4x2x400m relay</a></li>
<li>&bull; <a href="https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-relays/news/preview-mixed-shuttle-hurdles-relay-iaaf-worl">Mixed shuttle hurdles relay</a></li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
Facts &amp; Figures -&nbsp;IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019, the latest in a series of statistical reference books published ahead of IAAF World Athletics Series events, is now also available for <a href="https://www.iaaf.org/download/downloadresultinfo?filename=20449fe1-151d-452d-9210-15130493c05a.pdf&amp;urlSlug=facts-figures-statistical-handbook">download</a>.
Official start lists will become available and published on the IAAF website on Friday (10) afternoon local time (GMT+9).
IAAF

Previews of each of the nine races to be contested at the IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019, which take place on 11-12 May, are now available.

Event previews published, Facts & Figures statistics handbook available - IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019

Fast pace, high drama and a strong possibility of surprises, the 4x100m is one of the most exciting disciplines in track and field. USA and Germany, the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s winners respectively in 2017, will head to the IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019 to take on the world champions in the event as teams seek to secure their places at the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019.
<h3> Men&rsquo;s 4x100m</h3>
USA&rsquo;s World Relays first-place finish in 2017 was about the only position in this event that went to the form book.
World record-holders Jamaica exited in the heats, Great Britain &ndash; who would go on to win the world title just a few months later &ndash; failed to get the baton around in the final, while Barbados took a surprise runner-up finish behind the USA.
While Jamaica&rsquo;s 4x100m team was once again struck with bad luck at the World Championships later that year, the rest of the world&rsquo;s leading sprint relay nations contested for top honours with Great Britain coming out on top, clocking a European record of 37.47 to beat USA by 0.05.
Three of the victorious British quartet &ndash; CJ Ujah, Adam Gemili and Nethaneel Mitchel-Blake &ndash; have been named on their country&rsquo;s squad for Yokohama. 2014 world indoor 60m champion Richard Kilty and two-time European 4x100m champion Harry Aikines-Aryeetey add further strength to the team.
Noah Lyles, the 2017 and 2018 IAAF Diamond League 200m champion, is the star name on the US team. He will be joined by two of the men who helped USA to their 2017 World Relays triumph: world 100m champion Justin Gatlin and 2010 world indoor 60m silver medallist Mike Rodgers.
Following their Olympic silver in 2016 and world bronze medal in 2017, hosts Japan will have higher expectations in this event than any other.
Yoshihide Kiryu and Shuhei Tada, two of the men who represented Japan in London, feature on the host nation&rsquo;s squad alongside Asian Games 200m champion Yuki Koike and Asian Games 100m bronze medallist Ryota Yamagata. 
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The Japanese 4x100m team with their silver medals at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games</div>
&nbsp;
The Jamaican team might not be as strong as it has been for previous editions, but the likes of Julian Forte, Jevaughn Minzie and Tyquendo Tracey have more than enough speed to make them a strong contender.
China finished third in this event at the 2017 World Relays and three of the men from that race will represent them again in Yokohama. Led by world indoor silver medallist Su Bingtian and fellow sub-10-second performer Xie Zhenye, they will be keen to atone for a disappointing performance at the recent Asian Championships where they were disqualified.
With Olympic 200m silver medallist Andre De Grasse back in action, Canada&rsquo;s 4x100m team will hope to recapture the kind of form that carried them to world bronze in 2015 and Olympic bronze in 2016. They already own the fastest time in the world this year with their 38.34 clocking from the Florida Relays.
Brazil, France, Turkey and South Africa all boast solid depth, while Indonesia&rsquo;s world U20 champion Lalu Muhammad Zohri and Italian 100m record-holder Filippo Tortu headline their respective national teams.
But with only 10 World Championships places available among the 26 participating teams, there&rsquo;s still plenty of scope for surprises.
<h3> Women&rsquo;s 4x100m</h3>
If the 2017 World Relays taught us anything, it&rsquo;s that there&rsquo;s no such thing as an odds-on favourite when it comes to the 4x100m. Anything can &ndash; and will &ndash; happen.
Less than a year prior, USA had won the Olympic title from lane one in 41.01, the second-fastest time in history. Half of that quartet were in Nassau for the World Relays just nine months later, but a fall from Tianna Bartoletta on the first leg ended their hopes of victory.
Jamaica, the reigning world champions at that time, would have been expected to capitalise, but it was Germany who emerged as the winners, clocking 42.84.
Three members of Germany&rsquo;s victorious 2017 team &ndash; Rebekka Haase, Lisa Mayer and Alexandra Burghardt &ndash; will be in action in Yokohama, joined by European 100m silver medallist Gina Luckenkemper.
But they will need another near-perfect run if they hope to once again challenge a strong US squad, comprising five women with sub-11-second PBs. World 100m champion Tori Bowie will make her World Relays debut and will team up with the top three finishers from last year&rsquo;s US Championships: Aleia Hobbs, Ashley Henderson and Jenna Prandini. 2015 NCAA 200m champion Dezerea Bryant completes the team. 
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Tori Bowie anchors the USA to 4x100m victory at the IAAF World Championships London 2017</div>
&nbsp;
European 100m and 200m champion Dina Asher-Smith may be absent from the team, but Britain's 4x100m line-ups have found a new level of consistency in recent years and should still challenge for top honours.
Jamaica&rsquo;s star athletes Elaine Thompson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce have been named on the 4x200m team, but their 4x100m squad of Gayon Evans, Shashalee Forbes, Natasha Morrison, Sherone Simpson and Jonielle Smith have the kind of speed and experience needed to succeed in a relay.
With gold at last month&rsquo;s Asian Championships and third-place finishes at the 2017 World Relays and 2018 Continental Cup, China&rsquo;s well-drilled unit has become a regular finalist at recent major events.
Canada, Brazil and Trinidad and Tobago can also be expected to feature among the 10 teams that secure places at the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019.
Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF

Fast pace, high drama and a strong possibility of surprises, the 4x100m is one of the most exciting disciplines in track and field. USA and Germany, the men’s and women’s winners respectively in 2017, will be back at the IAAF World Relays to take on the world champions in the event as teams seek to secure their places at the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019.

Preview: men's and women's 4x100m relay – IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019

There may not be World Championships places at stake in the 4x200m, but many of the world&rsquo;s leading sprinters have opted to contest the rarely-run event at the IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019 as part of their early season preparations.
<h3> Men&rsquo;s 4x200m</h3>
Although the USA has dominated every edition of the World Relays to date, the men&rsquo;s 4x200m is one discipline they have not yet won.
Jamaica won in 2014 with a world record of 1:18.63 and then retained their title one year later with the USA being disqualified on both occasions. Canada, meanwhile, won in 2017 with USA finishing runners-up.
Canada hasn&rsquo;t put forward a men&rsquo;s 4x200m team this year; instead, the four men that carried them to victory in 2017 will contest the 4x100m in Yokohama.
This year USA has fielded a team with two sub-20-second performers in the form of Isiah Young and Remontay McClain. 400m specialist Vernon Norwood, a world 4x400m champion indoors and outdoors in 2016 and 2015 respectively, steps down in distance. 
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Vernon Norwood in the 4x400m at the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015</div>
&nbsp;
Jamaica&rsquo;s squad boasts the likes of 2015 world 4x100m champion Rasheed Dwyer, 2013 world 4x100m champion Oshane Bailey, 2016 world U20 200m bronze medallist Nigel Ellis, and sub-20-second man Julian Forte.
Keen to impress the home supporters, Japan has put together a strong line-up for the 4x200m, including Olympic 4x100m silver medallists Aska Cambridge and Shota Iizuka and world 4x100m bronze medallist Kenji Fujimitsu.
South Africa&rsquo;s team is also strong. African 100m champion Akani Simbine will team up with 2015 world 200m bronze medallist Anaso Jobodwana, 20.01 performer Luxolo Adams and rising talent Sinesipho Dambile.
Paulo Andre de Oliveira has impressed in a handful of early-season races in California and leads a strong Brazilian 4x200m team in Yokohama, while Olympic 200m bronze medallist Christophe Lemaitre headlines the French team.
<h3> Women&rsquo;s 4x200m</h3>
Given the strength of their team, Jamaica clearly has every intention of holding on to their 4x200m crown.
Three of the women that contributed to their 2017 victory &ndash; Shericka Jackson, Shashalee Forbes and Elaine Thompson &ndash; will be joined by two-time Olympic 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and 2013 world 400m bronze medallist Stephenie Ann McPherson.
The championship record of 1:29.04 they set two years ago could come under threat. The long-standing world record of 1:27.46, set in 2000, may be a bit of a stretch, but there will likely be numerous revisions to the world all-time list in Yokohama. 
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Jamaica's victorious 4x200m squad at the IAAF/BTC World Relays Bahamas 2017</div>
&nbsp;
After winning in 2014, USA failed to finish in 2015 and was a well-beaten third in 2017. With the likes of 2018 NCAA indoor champion Gabrielle Thomas, 22.02 performer Kyra Jefferson and 2017 NCAA 100m champion Mikiah Brisco in their line-up, they are perhaps the only team that can match Jamaica in terms of pure speed. It&rsquo;s just a question of which team has the better baton passing.
Nigeria&rsquo;s team doesn&rsquo;t look quite as strong as the quartet that won the 4x200m in 2015, but 400m specialist Patience George and sprint hurdler Tobi Amusan will be valuable assets.
China, France, Germany and even Ecuador could all be in contention for a top-three finish, while the support will be strong for the Japanese team.
Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF

There may not be World Championships places at stake in the 4x200m, but many of the world’s leading sprinters have opted to contest the rarely-run event at the IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019 as part of their early season preparations.

Preview: men's and women's 4x200m relay – IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019

The USA has won both the men's and women's 4x400m relays at each of the three previous editions of the IAAF World Relays, and will arrive in Yokohama as the teams to beat.
<h3>Men's 4x400m</h3>
The US men's squad is solid, but young, with all making their debut at the World Relays. Michael Cherry has been a reliable relay runner in recent years, contributing legs to the silver medal-winning squads at the 2017 World Championships and 2018 World Indoor Championships.
So has Fred Kerley, a teammate on both of those squads, who with 43.70 credentials - the fastest in the field of entrants - and the 2018 Diamond League title under his belt, also brings raw speed to the table.
The pool also includes Kerley's younger brother Mylik, a former NCAA 4x400m relay champion indoors and outdoors, Josephus Lyles, a world U18 and U20 medallist and younger brother of sprint phenom Noah, and Paul Dedewo, a 44.43 400m runner.
&nbsp;
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Onkabetse Nkobolo of Botswana in the 4x400m heats at the IAAF/BTC World Relays Bahamas 2017</div>
&nbsp;
Botswana finished second two years ago, edged by just 0.15 in one of the most memorable races of the 2017 edition. Three members of that squad - Isaac Makwala, Onkabetse Nkobolo and Baboloki Thebe - have made the trip to Yokohama looking to settle that score. Thebe, still just 22, already has a pair of African 400m titles to his credit while Makwala, the veteran on the team at 33, raced to last year's Commonwealth title.
Bahamas, the runners-up in 2014 and 2015, are led by Steven Gardiner, the 400m national record holder at 43.87, who has illustrated strong fitness already this season with a 20.04 200m in early April. But he'll have to count on some relative newcomers to come up with big performances to figure in the medal chase.
Don't discount Trinidad and Tobago, the reigning world champions. Machel Cenedio and Jareem Richards, members of the triumphant squad who ended a US World Championships win streak in the event at six in London, will take to the track here.
Others in the mix include Belgium, who raced to bronze in 2015. Their squad includes the Borl&eacute;e brothers Dylan, Kevin and Jonathan - who were on that 2015 squad - along with Janathan Sacoor, the world U20 champion.
Poland could be a factor. Their pool includes Karol Zalewski and Jakub Krzewina, the lead-off and anchor legs of the gold medal-winning squad at last year's World Indoor Championships.
<h3>Women's 4x400m</h3>
Unlike in previous men's World Relays finals, which all came down to fierce homestretch battles, the women's were decidedly more lopsided, with US quartets winning by 1.53 seconds in 2014, 3.10 seconds in 2015 and 4.92 seconds in 2017. No one that ran on those victorious squads is back this year, but the squad boasts enough experience to arrive as the team to beat.
Thirty-year-old Jessica Beard has three world 4x400m titles to her credit and clocked 50.18 last year, a career best. Courtney Okolo, a member of the 2016 Olympic champion quartet and a two-time world indoor gold medallist, also has plenty of experience. As does Shakima Wimbley, a world outdoor champion in the event in 2017 and world champion indoors in 2018.
Jamaica, which finished runner-up in 2014 and 2015 and took bronze two years ago, looks set to mount the strongest challenge. Anastasia Le-Roy, the 2018 Commonwealth Games silver medallist, heads a squad that includes two-time Olympic silver medallist Christine Day, her Rio teammate Chrisann Gordon and full lap hurdles standout Janieve Russell who led off the Jamaican quartet two years ago.
&nbsp;
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Poland celebrates their runner-up finish in the 4x400m in Nassau</div>
&nbsp;
But Poland also brings a strong team. Their pool includes Malgorzata Holub-Kowalik, Iga Baumgart-Witan, Patrycja Wyciszkiewicz and Justyna Swiety-Ersetic, the quartet that took the European title last year. Holub-Kowalik, Baumgart-Witan and Swiety-Ersetic made up three-quarters of the team that finished second at the World Relays two years ago.
Nigeria, the bronze medallists at the inaugural edition and consistent top-five finishers at global events, could be a medal threat as well. So could Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the third place finishers in 2015, who more recently were second at the European Indoor Championships.
India and host Japan finished second and third at the Asian Championships in Doha last month and will be targeting top-five finishes here.
The top ten placed teams in both the men's and women's 4x400m will automatically qualify for the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019.
<h3>Mixed 4x400m</h3>
After its wildly successful debut at this event in Nassau two years ago, the mixed 4x400m relay returns to centre stage here, but minus defending champion Bahamas.&nbsp;
That would suggest that the US, given its prodigious depth in the event, will start as the squad to beat. But with a team that's largely untested internationally entered, the race appears to be wide open.
Nathan Strother, this year's World Indoor Tour champion, is the most experienced. The 23-year-old clocked 44.34 a year ago and finished third at the Continental Cup. On the women's side, Olivia Baker, a medallist at the 2013 and 2014 World Youth and World Junior Championships is the standout.
Conversely, Poland, a perennial 400m power, is considerably more experienced. Its pool features of world indoor 4x400m champions Karol Zalewski and Jakub Krzewina, who are also included in the men&rsquo;s 4x400m pool, and Patrycja Wyciszkiewicz, a world indoor silver medallist and European outdoor gold medallist in the 4x400 last year.
Others will also be factors.&nbsp;
The Jamaican squad, which finished third in this event two years ago, includes Javon Francis, a 2016 Olympic silver medallist in the event and Tiffany James, the 2016 world U20 400m champion.
Belgium's hopes lie with relay veteran Kevin Borl&eacute;e, world U20 champion Jonathan Sacoor and this year's European indoor 400m silver medallist Cynthia Bolingo. But Borl&eacute;e and Sacoor will have to recover quickly: the mixed relay final is scheduled immediately after the men&rsquo;s 4x400m, where both are also expected to compete.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF

Preview: men's, women's and mixed 4x400 relay – IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019

Preview: men's, women's and mixed 4x400m relay – IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019

This is possibly the most difficult event to predict on the IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019 programme.
PBs and season&rsquo;s bests may give a rough indication of form over one lap of the track, but there&rsquo;s no telling how athletes will fare when having to run two 400m legs in a relay in quick succession.
But the IAAF World Relays has never been an event that shies away from innovation and the 2x2x400m will be the first final to take place in Yokohama.
The minds behind this particular discipline felt it would play to the strengths of middle-distance specialists, given they would most likely be used to churning out speedy 400m repetitions off short recoveries in training.
If that turns out to be true, then the USA could start as favourites. Donavan Brazier is best known for setting continental U20 outdoor and senior indoor records at 800m, but he also possesses good 400m speed, as shown by his indoor PB of 46.91 set last year.
Teammate Ce&rsquo;Aira Brown hasn&rsquo;t contested a relay since her college days, but she has shown impressive form over a range of distances already this year, including an indoor 800m PB of 1:59.74 and a recent 1500m best of 4:07.68.
World and Olympic 800m finalist Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich will be making his third World Relays appearance for Kenya. A 1:42.84 performer at best, he finished first in the 4x800m in 2014 and second in 2017. Emily Cherotich Tuei, who reduced her PB to 1:58.04 last year, is the other notable name on the Kenyan squad.
Fresh from a PB of 1:59.78, national 800m champion Catriona Bisset forms one half of a strong Australian duo. Joshua Ralph, who has PBs of 46.34 for 400m and 1:45.79 for 800m, will run the other two legs for Australia.
National 800m record-holder and six-time national champion Sho Kawamoto will be joined by national 800m champion Yume Kitamura on the Japanese team. Both have prior relay experience.
Alongside the host nation, the Athlete Refugee Team will be sure to draw big cheers from the crowd. They will be represented in this event by James Nyang Chiengjiek and Rose Nathike Lokonyen. They competed at the 2016 Olympic Games in the 400m and 800m respectively. Lokonyen also competed at the IAAF World Championships London 2017, but this will be Chiengjiek&rsquo;s debut at an IAAF World Athletics Series event.
Belarus, with 2015 world 800m champion Marina Arzamasova, and Poland could also feature among the top teams in this discipline.
But until the athletes enter the final straight on their second legs, there&rsquo;s no telling what will happen.
Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF

This is possibly the most difficult event to predict on the IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019 programme.

Preview: mixed 2x2x400m relay – IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019

The mixed shuttle hurdles relay, one of two new disciplines making their debut at the IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019, will figure prominently on the event's first day, as it opens the weekend's action with the heats and concludes day one with the final.
So, what is it?&nbsp;
As the name suggests, it features two men and two women on each team, running 110m legs. The race will begin with the women running their standard 100m hurdles race from the finish line towards the traditional start, but running an extra 10 metres at the end of their leg to account for the extra distance.
They will then change over to the first man on the team who will run the standard 110m back up the straight in the adjacent lane and then change over to the second woman, who in turn will change over the second man who will run the anchor leg.
&nbsp;
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Devon Allen (centre) in the 110m hurdles at the IAAF World Championships London 2017</div>
&nbsp;
Seven countries have entered teams, with the USA arriving armed with a line-up strong enough to consider them the favourites. Their six-member pool includes 2016 Olympic finalist Devon Allen and 13.27 runner Freddie Crittenden on the men's side, and 2018 world indoor silver medallist Christina Clemons, national indoor champion Sharika Nelvis and 2015 Pan-American Games champion Queen Harrison on the women's.
Ronald Levy leads a strong Jamaican squad that looks ready to battle the US squad to the line. Levy raced to the Commonwealth title last year and finished runner-up at the Continental Cup, so brings solid big meet credentials to Yokohama International Stadium. Two-time Olympian Andrew Riley and Yanique Thompson, the 100m hurdles Commonwealth bronze medallist in 2018, are also in the line-up.
France, meanwhile, is led by reigning European 110m hurdles champion Pascal Martinot-Lagarde, the most decorated athlete in the field. The 27-year-old has collected nine world and European medals since 2012, including two silver medals in the 60m hurdles at World Indoor Championships. He'll be joined by Wilhem Belocian, the world U20 champion, national indoor 60m hurdles champion Sacha Alessandrini and Laura Valette, the Youth Olympic Games champion in 2014.
&nbsp;
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Pascal Martinot-Lagarde</div>
&nbsp;
China should be in the medal picture as well, led by Chen Jiamin and Wu Yanni, who were second and fifth in the 100m hurdles at last month's Asian Championships, and Zeng Jianhang, who was seventh in the men's 110m hurdles in that same competition.
Japan should also contend. Ayoko Kimura and Masumi Aoki, the gold and bronze medallists at the Asian Championships, head the women's half of the line-up, and Shunya Takayama and Taio Kanai, fourth and fifth at the Asian Championships, the men's.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF

The mixed shuttle hurdles relay, one of two new disciplines making their debut at the IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019, will figure prominently on the event's first day, as it opens the weekend's action with the heats and concludes day one with the final.

Preview: mixed shuttle hurdles relay – IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019

As we mark one week to go to the fourth edition of the IAAF World Relays, we look at a quintet of factors which will make next weekend&rsquo;s edition in Yokohama (11-12 May) a sure fire winner.&nbsp;
<h3>&nbsp;</h3>
<h3>Vibrant new races</h3>
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To improve the quality of the meet and to generate greater interest, two new races have been introduced to the IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019 programme.
The thrilling mixed 2x2x400m, designed for middle-distance specialists, requires both members of the team to run two 400m legs. Athletes then take turns to run their two legs in what is sure to test both the speed, endurance and most importantly pace judgement of all the competing athletes
For the first time, the meet will also feature the mixed shuttle hurdles with two men and two women on each team running 110m legs (note that the women will run an extra 10 metres at the end of their leg as they typically run over the 100m distance). The event will provide the climax to the first day&rsquo;s action and is expected to prove a genuine hit.
<h3>&nbsp;</h3>
<h3>City slickers</h3>
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Yokohama</div>
&nbsp;
As one of Japan&rsquo;s most multicultural cities, Yokohama will lay out the welcome mat for all participants and visiting fans attending the event.
Located just south of Tokyo on the island of Honshu, the city developed rapidly after 1859 when it became the first port in Japan to be open for foreign trade. Today it is home to 3.7 million people and an average daily high of 22.4C in the month of May should make temperatures ideal.
<h3>&nbsp;</h3>
<h3>Strong relay culture</h3>
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Ryoji Matsushita of Fujitsu kicks to a narrow victory at the 2009 New Year Ekiden in Maebashi</div>
&nbsp;
Few countries in the world have embraced the concept of the relay quite like Japan. The first Ekiden relay &ndash; a long distance multi-leg race &ndash; took place in Japan 102 years ago and such races still hold huge appeal today with the most prestigious the annual two-day Hakone Relay.
On the track, Japan has a strong tradition, particularly in the men&rsquo;s 4x100m. Using the underhand (or up-sweep) baton exchange has proved a wise move as the men&rsquo;s sprint relay team have reached 11 of the past 13 global finals in the event; earning silver at the Rio 2016 Olympics and a bronze medal at the IAAF World Championships London 2017.&nbsp;
<h3>&nbsp;</h3>
<h3>Magnificent home</h3>
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Yokohama International Stadium</div>
&nbsp;
The cavernous International Yokohama Stadium plays host to the IAAF World Relays and it is a stadium with a genuine pedigree.
Opened in 1998 and boasting a huge capacity of 72,327, the stadium held the 2002 World Cup football final between Brazil and Germany. Later this year the Rugby World Cup will be hosted at the venue and it has also been a frequent home for the FIFA Club Football World Cup.
<h3>&nbsp;</h3>
<h3>Home success</h3>
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Kotaro Taniguchi anchors Japan in the 4x100m at the IAAF World Relays</div>
&nbsp;
A sprinkling of success for the hosts always helps add to the buoyancy of an international meet and Japan are not without hope of picking up a couple of medals.
The men&rsquo;s 4x100m (the event Japan claimed bronze at in the 2015 IAAF World Relays) remains their best hope. With four athletes &ndash; Ryota Yamagata, Yoshihide Kiryu, Aska Cambridge and Takuya Nagata &ndash; in the top 100 of the 2018 world 100m lists, and with the likes of Takuya Kawakami, Abdul Hakim Sani Brown and Shuhei Tada all ranked in the top 20 in the world this year for the 60m indoors, they boast an enviable strength in depth. Japan could also threaten the medal podium in the men&rsquo;s 4x200m.
 Steve Landells for the IAAF

As we mark one week to go to the fourth edition of the IAAF World Relays, we look at a quintet of factors which will make next weekend’s edition in Yokohama (11-12 May) a sure fire winner. 

Fab five: reasons why Yokohama will rock

Entry lists for the IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019 confirm that 790 athletes from 47 teams will descend on Japan for the global event on 11-12 May.
The entry lists (updated on 7 May) can be downloaded&nbsp;here: <a href="https://www.iaaf.org/download/downloadresultinfo?filename=428c87ab-1102-4de2-a4f0-963bb37e6ab6.pdf&amp;urlSlug=entry-lists-by-event-7-may">entries by event</a> and <a href="https://www.iaaf.org/download/downloadresultinfo?filename=215ace49-cb6b-436f-b36d-1eab2b858362.pdf&amp;urlSlug=entry-lists-by-country-7-may">entries by country</a>.
All of the medal-winning 4x100m and 4x400m teams from recent global championships will be in action in Yokohama.
World champions Great Britain take on Olympic champions Jamaica in the men&rsquo;s 4x100m. The US team for that discipline includes two-time Diamond League 200m champion Noah Lyles, while hosts Japan have entered a full-strength squad.
Another strong Japanese team has been entered for the men&rsquo;s 4x200m, which also includes USA, the World Relays runners-up in 2017, and world record-holders Jamaica.
World champions Trinidad &amp; Tobago will renew their rivalry with Olympic champions USA in the men&rsquo;s 4x400m, while Botswana, Belgium, The Bahamas and Jamaica should also feature.
World and Olympic champions USA fields a women&rsquo;s 4x100m team that features world 100m champion Tori Bowie. The British and Jamaican squads include many of the women that contributed to their respective world silver and bronze medals in 2017.
The top three finishers in the women&rsquo;s 4x200m in 2017 will be back in action in Yokohama as defending champions Jamaica take on Germany and the USA.
USA, world and Olympic champions in the event, will also start as favourites in the women&rsquo;s 4x400m, but Jamaica and European champions Poland are expected to provide stiff opposition.
Twenty-one teams have been entered for the mixed 4x400m with Diamond League champion Salwa Eid Naser featuring on Bahrain&rsquo;s team.
The mixed shuttle hurdles relay will be contested by seven teams with the likes of European champion Pascal Martinot-Lagarde racing for France, Commonwealth champion Ronald Levy running for Jamaica and world indoor silver medallist Christina Clemons competing for the USA.
Eight teams will contest the new mixed 2x2x400m event, which will include Donavan Brazier lining up for the USA.
The final start lists will be available on Friday 10 May.
IAAF

Entry lists for the IAAF World Relays Yokohama 2019 confirm that 790 athletes from 47 teams will descend on Japan for the global event on 11-12 May.

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