Here's Where the Journey Begins: Olympic Champions Kick Off World Championships 4x100m Relay Quest

The Paris Olympics held last year offered numerous spectacular highlights for Canadian athletics, with perhaps the most exhilarating being the gold medal win in the men's 4x100-meter relay finals.

This weekend, the team featuring Andre De Grasse, Aaron Brown, Brendon Rodney, and Jerome Blake returns to the venue where they started their path to Olympic gold—the World Athletics Relays—and they're keen to leverage this competition as another stepping stone.

This year’s gathering in Guangzhou, China, offers a clear route to the major event on this season’s competitive schedule: the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September.

Relay squads have the opportunity to secure a berth at the world championships by making it to their corresponding finals in Guangzhou.

"It's super important. It all starts here in World Relays in China," De Grasse said. "The main objective for us [is to] make sure that we qualify … so that we are at the world championships when it matters."

Watch all the action from World Athletics Relays beginning on Saturday at 7 a.m. ET on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem. Click here for the full broadcast schedule .

Following the impressive performances by Canadian track athletes in Paris, they didn’t have long to rest before focusing on preparations for the world championships. Head coach Glenroy Gilbert of Team Canada believes that this weekend’s meet provides an ideal opportunity for his athletes to concentrate on shaping their upcoming season.

Gilbert mentioned that you're constantly heading toward the benchmark event," he stated. "Given that we've just had an Olympic year, athletes often experience a decline in their concentration or motivation due to the aftermath of the Olympic peak.

Canada aims to secure qualification for both male and female squads in the 4x100m and 4x400m races. Additionally, Canadian athletes will compete in the mixed 4x400m and 4x100m events, with the latter event being introduced for the first time at these World Relays.

Gilbert mentioned that they consistently aim to secure spots in as many relay events as possible for the world championships," he stated. "Currently, their focus is on providing the athletes with a positive experience, which would be achieved if they perform well enough to earn qualification.

The major emphasis will shift to Tokyo later during the summer.

Zoe Sherar, Alyssa Marsh, and Kyra Constantine — three members of the Canadian women's 4x400m relay squad that secured bronze at the 2024 World Relays — are set to return for the competition in Guangzhou.

Similarly, the World Relays silver medalists in the men’s 4x100—the quartet comprising De Grasse, Brown, Rodney, and Blake—will also participate. This event in Guangzhou marks their second competition of the season following their victory at the Florida Relays in early April.

De Grasse, Brown and Rodney have teamed together since 2016, with Blake joining the mix in time to help capture Olympic silver in Tokyo in 2021. A year later, they combined to win the world title in Eugene, Ore., before striking gold at Paris 2024.

Canada's 'secret weapon'

Gilbert knows what it takes to have sustained success in the relay. The 56-year-old was part of Canada's Olympic gold-medal winning 4x100 team in 1996, as well as two world title wins. He believes the current Canadian team has developed a chemistry and familiarity that's "massive" to relay success.

"As you run together more often, you refine your skills even further, particularly when everyone is actively involved and takes responsibility for their segment in the relay," Gilbert stated.

Thirty years back, we faced a similar scenario with my squad, yet these individuals demonstrate an ability to concentrate and stick to their tasks, acknowledging that each member must be prepared and taking this aspect quite seriously. They hold the relay in high regard.

De Grasse concurs, attributing much of his squad's triumph to Gilbert, whom he refers to as their "secret weapon."

Having someone like Glenroy on our side is truly remarkable," De Grasse stated. "It’s not an everyday occurrence to find someone who has been through it all and understands exactly what it demands, offering us guidance and the kind of leadership that he brings.

becoming Olympic champions could cause certain teams to become complacent and ease up, but Gilbert mentions that De Grasse and his fellow athletes have moved past 2024.

"It’s a fresh competition. It’s a brand-new beginning. An occasion for them to face off against global competitors,” Gilbert stated. “Our main objective is securing qualification. We’ll refine our skills and hone our abilities for the World Championships—because that’s ultimately what counts.”

De Grasse concurs – and thinks that both he and his teammates’ experience has the potential to be beneficial without dwelling on previous achievements.

We've already won a world championship, so we understand what it takes to perform at our peak. If each of the four members is doing their personal best, then as a unit, we'll be unbeatable.

Important rookie reps

Although securing a spot at the world championships remains the primary objective for Team Canada in Guangzhou, they have an additional aim that won’t be displayed on a large banner reading ‘QUALIFIED’ or appear on any leaderboard shortly.

The World Athletics Relays serve as crucial stages for Canada's upcoming sprinters to showcase their talents on an international platform.

Gilbert told the younger members, 'It’s important to be quick; that’s essential for excelling in relays. However, speed alone isn’t enough—you also have to perform at an international level, and achieving that requires both time and experience,' he stated.

"It's not just a foregone conclusion that you get in there and all of a sudden you're hitting it out of the park like the other guys. It takes time and that's what the camps and the exposure to a meet like this is all about."

The Canadian roster is an intentional mix of returning veterans and fresh faces, part of the plan to help develop the next crop of sprinters, like Duan Asemota, Eliezer Adjibi, and Malachi Murray.

"The three of these guys have been pretty solid, kind of been a staple … coming up behind where the [current 4x100m] guys are now," Gilbert said. "I think [they're] the big three that you'd probably have to look out for."

The growth of the upcoming cohort of relay sprinters is equally significant for De Grasse.

"I understand many of the younger players are rising through the ranks and eager for an opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities and secure a spot on the team too. Therefore, I am looking forward to greeting the newcomers who will be joining us at the relays and having the chance to get acquainted with them," he stated.

It’s an opportunity for them to step up, and I’m here to guide and mentor them so that once the four of us move on, they could potentially fill one of our roles, prepared for whatever challenges come their way.

Aaron Brown	Men's 4x100m, Mixed 4x100m	Toronto
Andre De Grasse	Men's 4x100m, Mixed 4x100m	Markham, Ont.
Brendon Rodney	Men's 4x100m, Mixed 4x100m	Etobicoke, Ont.
Duan Asemota	Men's 4x100m, Mixed 4x100m	Ajax, Ont.
Eliezer Adjibi	Men's 4x100m, Mixed 4x100m	Ottawa
Jerome Blake	Men's 4x100m, Mixed 4x100m	Kelowna, B.C.
Malachi Murray	Men's 4x100m, Mixed 4x100m	Edmonton
Norris Spike	Men's 4x100m, Mixed 4x100m	Brampton, Ont.
Audrey Leduc	Women's 4x100m, Mixed 4x100m	Laval, Que.
Catherine Leger	Women's 4x100m, Mixed 4x100m	Montreal
Donna Ntambue	Women's 4x100m, Mixed 4x100m	Montreal
Gabrielle Cole	Women's 4x100m, Mixed 4x100m	Ajax, Ont.
Jacqueline Madogo	Women's 4x100m, Mixed 4x100m	Guelph, Ont.
Marie-Éloïse Leclair	Women's 4x100m, Mixed 4x100m	Candiac, Que.
Sade McCreath	Women's 4x100m, Mixed 4x100m	Ajax, Ont.
Austin Cole	Mixed 4x400m	Sherwood Park, Alta.
Christopher Morales Williams	Mixed 4x400m	Maple, Ont.
Nathan George	Mixed 4x400m	Vancouver
Alyssa Marsh	Women's 4x400m, Mixed 4x400m	Whitby, Ont.
Dianna Proctor	Women's 4x400m, Mixed 4x400m	Edmonton
Jasneet Nijjar	Women's 4x400m, Mixed 4x400m	Surrey, B.C.
Kyra Constantine	Women's 4x400m, Mixed 4x400m	Brampton, Ont.
Lauren Gale	Women's 4x400m, Mixed 4x400m	Ottawa
Madeline Price	Women's 4x400m, Mixed 4x400m	Toronto
Micha Powell	Women's 4x400m, Mixed 4x400m	Montreal
Zoe Sherar	Women's 4x400m, Mixed 4x400m	Toronto
Ramone English*	Men's 4x100m	Edmonton

*Reserve