Nine nations, one relay, and a three-second gap that took four legs to decide. The mixed four-by-four-hundred is the most tactically complex relay on the track, and this final delivered a masterclass in how relay depth beats individual brilliance.

Learn why being level at halfway is not enough, why anchor-leg freshness is a deliberate tactical choice, and what the final splits reveal about building a mixed relay team from scratch.

World champions against Olympic champions. Specialists against depth. The world record in the background. Every exchange mattered.