The first eight teams to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in each of the five disciplines being contested at the World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24 have been confirmed following the opening day of competition in Nassau. Fourteen teams in the women’s and men’s 4x100m and 4x400m, as well as the mixed 4x400m, automatically qualify for places at the Paris Olympics. On Saturday, the top two teams in each of the four heats per event secured spots for their respective World Relays finals on Sunday, while also booking their places for Paris.

Three nations – France, Great Britain & Northern Ireland, and the USA – each qualified four teams for Paris, while Canada, Italy, and Poland each qualified three teams. The mixed 4x400m heats set a record-breaking pace, with eight teams finishing inside the previous championship record in the first round alone.

USA led the first round in both the women’s and men’s 4x100m events, while Ireland set a national record in the women’s 4x400m. Botswana had a thrilling victory over South Africa in the men’s 4x400m event. Teams will compete for prize money and Olympic lane seeding positions in Sunday’s finals. All other teams will race in an additional round, with the top two teams in each heat also qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Following the qualification of 14 teams per event in Nassau, the remaining two places for Paris in each discipline will be awarded based on top lists during the qualification period from December 31, 2022, to June 30, 2024. Teams qualified for Paris include Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain & NI, Netherlands, Poland, and the United States for the Women’s 4x100m, among others in different disciplines.