Team USA wins gold as Bryce Deadmon and Alexis Holmes lead record 4×400m relay to defend World Championships crown in Tokyo

Bryce Deadmon lit up the Japan National Stadium on Saturday, September 13, 2025. He started the 4×400m mixed relay with power and control. The crowd in Tokyo cheered as he faced South Africa’s Gardeo Isaacs in the first lap. Deadmon’s run gave Team USA the start they needed. Lynna Irby-Jackson, Jenoah McKiver, and Alexis Holmes kept the pace. Together they finished in 3:08.80. The time matched the World Championship record. The win also gave America its first gold medal of the meet.Bryce Deadmon kept his cool in the opening leg. He passed the baton smoothly after holding off Gardeo Isaacs, who ran 44.57. Next came Lynna Irby-Jackson. She had already won Olympic gold in this same Tokyo stadium in 2021. Irby-Jackson pushed hard and clocked 49.18. That run put the Americans ahead.Jenoah McKiver then brought the biggest moment of the race. He ran 43.91. It was the fastest split of the night. His speed left the Netherlands and Belgium chasing. Alexis Holmes closed the race. She ran steady and strong. Holmes crossed the line at 3:08.80. The Netherlands came second in 3:09.96, helped by Femke Bol’s 50.06 anchor. Belgium took bronze in 3:10.61.After the race, Alexis Holmes told reporters, “We wanted to prove ourselves after Paris. It was all about focus and teamwork today.”This gold also carried a story of payback. Just months ago, the U.S. had stumbled. On May 9, 2025, at the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, the mixed 4×100m team made a costly mistake. Kennedy Blackmon, Jada Mowatt, Kendal Williams, and Pjai Austin were racing. During the second handoff, the baton slipped from Mowatt’s hand to Williams. The wet track made it worse. The baton dropped. The Americans lost time and finished fourth in 1:05.77. Italy won the heat in 41.15.Also Read: Tiger Woods Makes Comeback At Nexus Cup With Will Zalatoris While Ernie Els Makes Bold Champions Tour RequestKendal Williams later spoke to reporters. He said, “I don’t know what happened. Sometimes things just don’t line up. We learn and move on.”In Tokyo, the story was different. Deadmon gave the spark. Irby-Jackson built the lead. McKiver blew the race open. Holmes finished with calm strength. Fans stood and cheered. The Americans had redeemed themselves. Team USA was back on top in the mixed 4×400m relay.