In its only event on the final day of the Tokyo World Athletics Championships, Japan fielded the same men's 4x100 m lineup it did in the heats, Yuki Koike, Hiroki Yanagita, Yoshihide Kiryu and Towa Uzawa. The specter of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics final, where Japan had a rare missed exchange while being a medal favorite, hung over the team's return to the final on home ground, and there was the extra pressure of knowing the emperor was in attendance in the stadium watching.
Japan had the 5th-best time in the heats, and given the less than A-team lineup this time it would have taken something special to better that and add one last medal to Japan's count. Multiple delays due to heavy rain kept them waiting, but once it went off it played out pretty much according to expectations. Well, the U.S.A. did manage to get the baton around this time, so not exactly every expectation, but given that they did they of course dropped a world-leading 37.29 for gold. Canada was next with a 37.55 SB for silver, with Netherlands running a 37.81 NR for bronze.
Hot in the first round, Ghana took 4th in 37.93. Germany came from behind to catch Japan just before the line, 5th in 38.29 to Japan's 38.35. France was 7th in 38.58, with Australia a DNF. And that's how it went for the home team. Not terrible, not brilliant, not the best it could have been, but putting to bed the ghost of the 2021 DNF on the same track. It could have been worse.
One more wrap-up to come looking at the overall Japanese team performance.
text and photo © 2025 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
Comments
I'll have more to say when Brett gets the wrap up article up, for now let's say it was disappointing on one side, maybe should have been more expected on the other side.