Marcell Jacobs is keen to forget his first two appearances at the European Indoor Championships.

For Jason Gardener – who was this week announced as the World Athletics ambassador for the World Athletics Relays Silesia21 on 1-2 May – it all started at the World U20 Championships.

More than 1000 athletes on 150 relay teams from 45 nations are getting ready for the World Athletics Relays Silesia21, with just 50 days to go.

Our end-of-year reviews continue with a recap of 2019’s best relay action.

A United States men’s 4x100m relay team led off by individual 100m champion Christian Coleman and anchored by individual 200m champion Noah Lyles was always going to have a chance of gold – assuming they avoided the fallibility that has often dogged their nation’s sprint relay ambitions.

Individual 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce added yet another gold medal to her collection by helping Jamaica to victory in the women’s 4x100m.

For neutral observers – and of course the home crowd – the men’s 4x100m final was one of the highlights of the IAAF World Championships held two years ago in London’s Olympic stadium, as Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake anchored the home quartet to a surprise gold ahead of the United States.

The USA and Jamaica have ruled this event for the best part of a decade, but their dominance could be seriously challenged in Doha.

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.

Our 2018 review series continues with statisticians A Lennart Julin and Mirko Jalava looking back at the combined events and relays.

Team Americas closed out day one of the IAAF Continental Cup Ostrava 2018 in fine style with a slick display of baton exchanges to seal an easy win in the men’s 4x100m relay.

Team Americas took a decisive victory in the women's 4x100m, the penultimate event of the first day of action at the IAAF Continental Cup Ostrava 2018.