Kenya’s mixed 4x400m relay team has secured its berth at the Paris Olympic Games this year by claiming two crucial spots in the updated World Athletics standings.

Despite narrowly missing out on an automatic qualification during the World Athletics Relay Championships in May, Kenya managed to meet the June 30 deadline by securing a place among the top 16 teams globally.

The Kenyan team, boasting a season-best time of 3:11.88 set at the Kenya Paris Olympic Trials on June 15 at Nyayo National Stadium, secured the 16th spot in the rankings.

They qualified alongside Italy, who clocked a quicker time of 3:10.69 at Stadio Olimpico on June 7.

These achievements mark Kenya and Italy’s inclusion in the elite roster of mixed 4x400m relay teams heading to the Olympic Games.

They join 14 other nations that automatically qualified at the Relay Championships in Nahau, Bahamas. Among these are the United States, Netherlands, Nigeria, Bahamas, Belgium, Poland, Dominican Republic, France, Great Britain, Germany, Jamaica, Ukraine, Switzerland, and Ireland.