Kenya’s Mixed Relay Dreams Crushed, Disqualified From the World Championships

Heartbreak struck Kenya’s athletics contingent at the Japan National Stadium in Tokyo on Saturday as their mixed 4×400 metres relay team was disqualified from the final at the 2025 World Athletics Championships, despite posting what could have been a new African record.

The Kenyan quartet of Brian Tinega, Mercy Oketch, Allan Kipyego and Mary Moraa had crossed the finish line second in their heat with an impressive time of 3 minutes and 10.73 seconds, trailing only Belgium who clocked 3:10.97. The Netherlands finished third in 3:11.11, with Poland taking fourth place in 3:11.15.

However, celebration quickly turned to devastation when the electronic results board revealed Kenya’s disqualification under technical rule TR17.2.3, indicating a lane infringement violation. The team’s result was marked as “DQ” and they were relegated to last place, while the Netherlands moved up to second and Poland claimed third.

The disqualification was particularly crushing given that Kenya’s time would have shattered the existing African record of 3:11.88, set by a Kenyan team at the Athletics Kenya trials on June 15, 2024, ahead of the Paris Olympics. According to World Athletics regulations, TR17.2.3 refers to a direct disqualification for lane infringement, typically applied when an athlete completely steps over the lane line or commits multiple infractions.

The emotional toll on the team was immediately evident. When the quartet faced the media moments after learning of their fate, tears spoke louder than words. Mercy Oketch, struggling to compose herself, could only offer: “We are out of the final. We got DQ, and we don’t know why as of now. We don’t know what to say. Let’s wait for the next one. Maybe the 400m race will have a better outcome.”

The disqualification represents a significant blow to Kenya’s medal aspirations at the championships being held from September 13-21 at Tokyo’s premier athletics venue. The mixed 4x400m relay has become an increasingly competitive event since its introduction to major championships, and Kenya’s strong showing suggested they were genuine medal contenders.

For a team that appeared to have executed their race plan to near perfection, the lane violation serves as a harsh reminder that in athletics, margins for error are razor-thin and consequences absolute.

As Kenya’s athletes regroup for the remaining events at these World Championships, the mixed relay team’s experience will serve as both a painful memory and perhaps motivation for future redemption on the global stage.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​