The Australian men’s 4x100m relay team have secured their ticket to Paris, with an 18-year-old stepping up

Following a record breaking performance from the women’s 4x100m relay team, the Aussie men’s team have also clinched a ticket to Paris, securing the spot despite their best runner missing with injury.

Australia will have two sprint relay teams at the Paris Olympics after the men’s 4x100m joined the party, sealing the spot without the nation’s fastest man Rohan Browning.

In Browning’s absence new Australian champion, 18-year-old Sebastian Sultana, stepped up to lead the team which also included Joshua Azzopardi, Jacob Despard and Calab Law.

After just missing out on automatic Olympic qualifying in Saturday’s heats at the World Athletics Relay Championships in the Bahamas, the Aussie team won their spot in the repechage round with the top 14 nations at the championships getting a ticket to Paris.

Australia finished second behind South Africa in 38.46sec with the top two nations in the race getting the final elusive automatic Olympic spot.

Sydney teenager Sultana made a name for himself at last month’s national championships when he was a shock winner of the national title. Browning, who came into the Olympic trials with an injury issue, finished fourth.

Sultana is now going to the Olympic Games after running a strong first leg against the world’s best in the Bahamas.

Sebastian Sultana ran a strong first leg. Picture: Getty Images

“It feels absolutely incredible to have qualified for the Paris Olympics, fulfilling a childhood dream,” Sultana said.

Australia hasn’t had a 4x100m relay team at the Olympics since 2012 in London. They have had an inglorious run since with Browning falling in the heats of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Despard, who was a member of the Birmingham team, said he couldn’t wipe the smile off his face when he saw Azzopardi race clear in the final leg.

“The stadium was electric, our race went to plan,” Despard said. “I couldn’t be prouder to qualify with this group of men. We’re all really committed to relay and have a great connection as a team.”

Rohan Browning missed the race. Picture: Getty Images

Azzopardi said a lot of work had gone into this moment for the Australian sprinters.

“The Olympics is the pinnacle of sport, and to go up against the best in the world in such a strong event is something dreams are made of,” he said.

“The work has been unreal, with the help of coaches, biomechanists, medical team, and a whole lot more other people behind the scenes have made this happen.

“We’ve kept the same core group so the combinations and connections are unreal and we proved that tonight and qualified for Paris.”

Australia’s 4x100m women’s team, who had earnt automatic qualification the previous day, showed they are an outside medal chance in Paris by finishing fifth in the final.

Australia will field a women’s 4x100m relay team for the first time since the 2000 Games. Picture: Supplied

Following on from their Australia record-breaking performance in the heat the team of Ebony Lane, Bree Masters, Ellaa Connolly and Torrie Lewis clocked 43.02sec to be just outside the placings.

The team came into the championships ranked 11th in the world.

“Fifth in the world is incredible. (Coach) Cathy Walsh told me that it was the highest placing that we’ve ever had as a women’s 4x100m team at these championships, and that is just so exciting given there’s so much more we can do together as a group,” Masters said.

“I think we’re a definite medal chance in Paris. There’s a lot that we can do to improve upon that race so that we can be one percent better and come in really confident in July.”

The USA won the final in a championships record 41.85sec from France with Great Britain third.

Unfortunately Australia’s 4x400m relay teams failed to capitalise on their opportunity to qualify and will now try to get one of the two remaining spots which are up for grabs at the end of the qualifying period in July. The women’s team is currently ranked 19th and the men’s 32nd.

Originally published as The Australian men’s 4x100m relay team have secured their ticket to Paris, with an 18-year-old stepping up