GUANGZHOU, China — Sprinters Joseph Fahnbulleh and Ebony Morrison are set to lead Team Liberia at the World Athletics Relays, which kick off Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Guangzhou, China.
Fahnbulleh will spearhead the men’s squad, which is expected to include Akeem Sirleaf, Emmanuel Matadi, and Jabes Reeves in both the 4×100-meter and 4×400-meter relays.
At the 2024 World Relays in the Bahamas, the Liberian men’s team set a national record of 38.65 seconds, earning qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympics. In that heat, Liberia finished second behind Germany, who won with a time of 38.57 seconds. It marked the first time Liberia successfully qualified a relay team for the Olympic Games, after five previous failed attempts.
Fahnbulleh, 23, a two-time Olympic finalist, will again lead the charge, as he did in the Bahamas, with hopes of helping Liberia compete for titles and secure qualification for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September.
Although the women’s team narrowly missed qualification in 2024, Morrison and her teammates — Destiny Smith-Barnett, Maia McCoy, and Symone Darius — have been vigorously preparing and are expected to deliver an impressive performance.
Liberia has shown consistent improvement on the international athletics stage, and this round of qualifiers is expected to continue that upward trajectory.
More than 730 athletes — including Olympic stars such as Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Wayde van Niekerk, Letsile Tebogo, and Shericka Jackson — are expected to participate in the qualifiers and championship.
The top 14 teams in each of the men’s and women’s 4×100-meter and 4×400-meter relays will qualify for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
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