Remember the action-packed moments from the Paris Olympics? There is nothing better than watching your favorites sprint to Olympic glory. But as the dust settled on the thrill of the Summer Games, fans were reeling for more excitement to follow. While the Diamond League kept many glued to their screens, the 2024 track season has officially ended. However, the World Athletics came in clutch with an exciting announcement!

The track and field sector has been fast-paced, but it was nowhere close to being perfect. After several years of athletes voicing their concerns, they eventually realized that change was evident. So, WA launched a new competition format, the World Athletics Ultimate Championships, which will take place in Budapest in 2016. But as exciting as that sounds, one of their events has stirred quite the pot on social media. What went down? 

World Athletics reignite an age-old debate

Earlier this year, the World Athletics raised a few eyebrows regarding an event boasting a prize pot of $10 million. While the Paris Olympics kept everyone busy, they finally unveiled the World Athletics Ultimate Championship on November 22. However, here’s the kicker! The mixed 4x100m relay has garnered many fans’ attention. On November 25, the WA added more fuel to the fire by pinning two powerhouses against each other—the USA and Jamaica. “Team 🇺🇸 vs Team 🇯🇲 The mixed 4x100m relay is coming to the World Athletics Ultimate Championship 🫨 Who’s winning this matchup?” they posted on X. 

What’s the event about, you ask? The magnum opus boasts 28 events across three nights from September 11 to 13. Each session would include semi-finals and finals for the track, whereas field disciplines would only include the finals. However, that isn’t the crowning jewel of this incredible event. Remember how we said the championship boasts a $10 million prize pool? Well, each gold medalist will walk away with $150,000 each, making this the largest ever offered in the history of track and field athletics! 

As exciting as that is, this isn’t what caught everyone’s attention. World Athletics’ post showcased a stacked lineup of Team USA featuring Noah Lyles, Sha’Carri Richardson, Fred Kerley, and Gabby Thomas. On the other hand, Team Jamaica wasn’t too far behind with Oblique Seville, Shericka Jackson, Kishane Thompson, and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. So, what could have stirred the pot? When it comes to the track circuit, the USA and Jamaica have continued to lock horns with their top-tier athletes.

One of the most prominent names to begin this movement would be the legendary Usain Bolt, who set up his unbeatable 200-meter world record at the 2008 Beijing Games. Let’s not forget Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who seized the 100-meter Olympic crown for herself at the same games. In fact, Fraser-Pryce, Elaine Thompson Herah and Shericka Jackson dominated the 100-meter podium at the Tokyo Games. But it all came to an end at the Paris Olympics.

3x World Champion Noah Lyles edged out Kishane Thompson for the Olympic 100m Champion crown with 7.784 seconds on the clock. While Sha’Carri Richardson couldn’t clinch the 200m gold, she made up for it in the women’s 4x100m relay. Similarly, Gabby Thomas bagged the Olympic 200m Champion title, adding two more golds in women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relays. As for Fred Kerley? He snagged an Olympic bronze in the 100m event as well. Given the results, who do fans think will emerge victorious in Budapest?

Track and field fans are divided over their favorites in the mixed 4x100m relay

The 2024 Paris Olympics gave us several exciting results. But one of the biggest shocks for fans was when Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson withdrew from their respective races. Additionally, Kishane Thompson’s was deemed the favorite for the 100-meter dash, but his 7.789 was not quick enough for the gold. After World Athletics posed the question on X, fans hurried over to voice their concerns.

One fan opined, “If Shelly and Shericka can return to form even to 70% of what they were in 23′ Jamaica has a great shot but either way what a banger lineup from both of the heavyweights in the Track World.” The duo ruled the track with an iron fist last year. Another fan believed Jamaica had a better chance: “Haha using Americans who can’t run a relay on the graphic is hilarious.” While the American women snagged an Olympic gold in Paris, the same couldn’t be said about the men. 

Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce looked forward to securing her sixth 100m world title at the World Championship in Budapest. Even though the track veteran and Jackson showcased impeccable form throughout the 2023 season, Sha’Carri Richardson left them in the dust by clinching the 100m world title. At the Paris Olympics, while the USA women’s 4x100m relay squad bagged a gold, the Jamaicans faced disqualification due to dropping their baton on the track. As for the men, they couldn’t move past the heats with 38.45 seconds, missing out on the next round by .06.

However, a fan couldn’t contain their excitement. “This will be fun 😂” Leading up to the Summer Games, many looked forward to the tantalizing rivalry on the track. Yet, the final results left them feeling differently. However, another fan had a clear idea: “USA 🇺🇸 ALL THE WAY! Jamaica had ZERO sprint Olympic Gold and only one sprint medal! has been nation.” According to this fan, the USA clearly proved their mettle on the world’s grandest stage. 

Given how Fraser-Pryce and Jackson have dominated the tracks over the years, many were excited to watch them lock horns with Sha’Carri Richardson upon her debut. However, given how neither contested in the finals, the American sprinters had the upper hand. Similarly, Kishane Thompson was the new golden boy due to his 9.77 seconds at the Jamaican Trials. Bear in mind, this was 0.04 seconds faster than any time Lyles had run. But barring the shiny silver in the 100-meter dash, the nation couldn’t muster up any other podium finishes.

One fan listed their winners: “Top 3 places will probably be: USA Jamaica Great Britain. But then again, the Americans are known for dropping the baton and getting disqualified… so I guess we’ll have to see.” Team USA’s men’s relay team faced significant bad luck at the Summer Games, but that could change at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship. However, another fan pointed out, “It’s going to be amess at xchange point different speed.” While passing the baton can be challenging, this fan believes it will be twice as hard in the mixed relay event. 

The last time Team USA medaled in the men’s 4x100m relay was in 2004, when they bagged silver. However, since then, they have either missed the final or have been disqualified from the event. But they believed Paris would be their game changer, until it wasn’t. After Noah Lyles withdrew from the event, Kyree King, Christian Coleman, Fred Kerley, and Kenny Bednarek looked forward to crushing the curse. However, a collision between Coleman and Bednarek led to their eventual disqualification. With this, they missed out on a medal for the 5th Olympics in a row. Who do you think will walk away with a win, the USA or Jamaica?