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.

In the second part of our 2017 year-end review series, statisticians A Lennart Julin and Mirko Jalava look back on the best relay performances of the year.

Less than 24 hours after cursing their luck – and indeed their mistakes – in the 4x100m final, Canada found redemption in Nassau on Sunday night (23), defeating sprint superpowers USA and Jamaica to claim the 4x200m title in superlative fashion.

Canada exorcised the demons of Saturday night’s dropped baton with a commanding performance in the heats of the men’s 4x200m on Sunday evening (23), but it wasn’t without controversy.

An IAAF/BTC World Relays record in the women's 4x200m and yet another dramatic finish in the men's 4x100m were among the key highlights on the first day of the IAAF/BTC World Relays Bahamas 2017, with plenty more drama on tap when competition resumes this evening.

Propelled by a strong opening leg by Jura Levy, Jamaica powered to a convincing victory in the women's 4x200m, clocking a 1:29.04 World Relays record in the process.

Strong runs by US and Jamaican quartets in the women's 4x200m kicked off the third edition of the IAAFWorld Relays, setting up yet another showdown between the two sprint powerhouses in this evening's final.

Few events exemplify recent history in the men’s relays better than the 4x200m at the IAAF World relays, which at the first two editions has seen formidable US quartets fall to a litany of errors as Jamaica took the title with ease, their reliable exchanges the key difference on both occasions.

As with most of the sprint relay events on the IAAF World Relays programme this weekend, the women's 4x200m is expected to come down to another showdown in the ongoing USA-Jamaica rivalry.

In what was her final outing at the event, Sanya Richards-Ross anchored the USA team to victory in the women’s 4x400m at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia on Saturday (30).

Statisticians A Lennart Julin and Mirko Jalava look back on the best relay performances of the year.

This event provided one of the highlights of the 2014 IAAF World Relays but this year it turned into a comedy of errors for both Jamaica and the USA.