4 × 400 metres relay at the Olympics explained

Event:4 × 400 metres relay
Gender:Men, Women and Mixed
Firstyearmen:1912
Lastyearmen:2024
Firstyearwomen:1972
Lastyearwomen:2020
Firstyearmixed:2020
Ormen:2:54.43 (2024)
Orwomen:3:15.17 (1988)
Ormixed:3:07.41 (2024)

The 4 × 400 metres relay at the Summer Olympics is the longest track relay event held at the multi-sport event. The men's relay has been present on the Olympic athletics programme since 1912 and the women's event has been continuously held since the 1972 Olympics. The inaugural mixed 4 × 400 metres relay was held at the 2020 Olympics. It is the most prestigious 4×400 m relay race at the elite level. At the 1908 Summer Olympics, a precursor to this event was held – the 1600 m medley relay. This event, with two legs of 200 m, one of 400 m, and a final leg of 800 m, was the first track relay in Olympic history.[1]

The competition has two parts: a first round and an eight-team final. Historically, there was a semi-final round, but this has been eliminated as selection is now determined by time, with the sixteen fastest nations during a pre-Olympic qualification period are entered.

Since 1984, teams may enter up to six athletes for the event. Larger nations typically have two reserves runners in the first round in order to preserve the fitness of their top runners for the final. Heat runners of medal-winning teams receive medals even if they did not run in the final.

The Olympic records for the event are 2:54.43 for men, set by the United States in 2024; 3:15.17 for women, set by the Soviet Union in 1988 and 3:07.41 in mixed relay, set by the United States in 2024. The women's record is also the world record for the 4 × 400 metres relay. The first two women's Olympic finals (1972 and 1976) resulted in new world records for the winning East German teams. The men's world record has been profoundly shaped by Olympic competition with ten records set (1912, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1952, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1988, and 1992): the record has only been broken twice in a 4 × 400 m relay race outside of the multi-sport event.[2]

The United States is by far the most successful nation in the event. The country has won the men's race 18 times and the women's race seven times. As of 2024, no other country has won more than three golds in the event. Great Britain (two wins, thirteen medals), Jamaica (one win, eight medals) and the Soviet Union (three wins, four medals) are the next most successful nations.[3] [4]

Participants in this event are often competitors in the 400 metres and 400 metres hurdles individual Olympic events (and, less commonly, the 800 metres and 200 metres).

Allyson Felix is the most successful athlete in the event, having four straight wins from 2008 to 2020. Steve Lewis, Jeremy Wariner, Bryce Deadmon and Rai Benjamin are the only men to win the title twice, and Chris Brown is the only man to reach the podium three times.

Medal summary

Men

Multiple medalists

RankAthleteNationOlympicsGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1= 1988–1992 2 0 0 2
1= 2004–2008 2 0 0 2
1=2008, 2016 2002
1=2021–2024 2002
1=2021–2024 2002
6 2000, 2008–2016 1 1 2 4
7 2008–2012 1 1 1 3
8= 1932–1936 1 1 0 2
8= 1948–1952 1 1 0 2
8= 1968–1972 1 1 0 2
8= 1968–1972 1 1 0 2
8= 2008–2012 1 1 0 2
8= 2008–2012 1 1 0 2
14= 1920–1924 1 0 1 2
14= 2000–2004 1 0 1 2
16= 1992–1996 0 1 1 2
16= 1992–1996 0 1 1 2
16= 1992–1996 0 1 1 2
16= 2000–2008 0 1 1 2
16= 2020–2024 0 1 1 2

Medals by country

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 19 3 0 22
2 2 5 6 13
3 1 3 1 5
4 1 1 2 4
5 1 1 0 2
6 1 0 2 3
7 1 0 0 1
8= 0 2 2 4
8= 0 2 2 4
10 0 2 0 2
11= 0 1 1 2
11= 0 1 1 2
13= 0 1 0 1
13= 0 1 0 1
13= 0 1 0 1
13= 0 1 0 1
13= 0 1 0 1
18 0 0 3 3
19= 0 0 2 2
19= 0 0 2 2
21= 0 0 1 1
21= 0 0 1 1

Women

Multiple medalists

RankAthleteNationOlympicsGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 2008–2021 4 0 0 4
2 2004–2012 3 0 0 3
3 1992–2000 2 1 0 3
4=
1988–1992 2 0 0 2
4=
1988–1992 2 0 0 2
4=
1988–1992 2 0 0 2
4= 2000–2004 2 0 0 2
4= 2004–2008 2 0 0 2
4= 2004–2012 2 0 0 2
4= 2008–20162 0 0 2
4= 2012–20162 0 0 2
4= 2021–20242 0 0 2
13 1984–1992 1 2 0 3
14= 1976–1980 1 1 0 2
14= 1984–1988 1 1 0 2
14= 1984–1988 1 1 0 2
14= 1984–1988 1 1 0 2
14= 1984–1988 1 1 0 2
14= 1992–1996 1 1 0 2
202004–2016 0 3 1 4
21= 2008–2012 0 2 0 2
21= 2008–2012 0 2 0 2
21= 2008–2012 0 2 0 2
21= 2012–2016 0 2 0 2
25= 2000–2004 0 1 1 2
25= 2000–2004 0 1 1 2
25= 2000–2004 0 1 1 2
25= 2000–2004 0 1 1 2
25= 2016-2020 0 1 1 2
30=
1988–1996 0 0 2 2
30= 2008–2016 0 0 2 2

Medalists by country

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 9 4 0 13
2 2 1 1 4
3 2 0 1 3
4 1 0 0 1
5 0 4 2 6
6 0 1 1 2
7= 0 1 0 1
7= 0 1 0 1
7= 0 1 0 1
7= 0 1 0 1
11 0 0 5 5
12 0 0 2 2
13= 0 0 1 1
13= 0 0 1 1

Mixed

Medalists by country

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 1 0 0 1
2 0 1 0 1
3 0 0 1 1

1908 Olympic medley relay

1908 London

William Hamilton
Nate Cartmell
John Taylor
Mel Sheppard
Arthur Hoffmann
Hans Eicke
Otto Trieloff
Hanns Braun
Pál Simon
Frigyes Wiesner
József Nagy
Ödön Bodor

Top ten fastest Olympic times

Fastest men's times at the Olympics[5]
RankTime (sec)NationAthletesGamesRoundDate
1 2:54.43 Final10 August
2 2:54.53 Final10 August
3 2:55.39 Final23 August
4 2:55.70 Michael Cherry, Michael Norman, Bryce Deadmon, Rai BenjaminFinal7 August
5 2:55.74 Final8 August
6 2:55.83 Final10 August
7 2:55.91 Final28 August
8 2:55.99 LaMont Smith, Alvin Harrison, Derek Mills, Anthuan MaybankFinal 3 August
92:56.16Vincent Matthews, Ronald Freeman, Larry James, Lee EvansFinal 10 October
Danny Everett, Steve Lewis, Kevin Robinzine, Harry ReynoldsFinal1 October
Fastest women's times at the Olympics[6]
RankTime (sec)NationAthletesGamesRoundDate
1 3:15.17 Final1 October
2 3:15.27 Shamier Little, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Gabrielle Thomas, Alexis HolmesFinal10 August
3 3:15.51 Denean Hill, Diane Dixon, Valerie Brisco-Hooks, Florence Griffith JoynerFinal1 October
4 3:16.85 align+leftSydney McLaughlin, Allyson Felix, Dalilah Muhammad, Athing MuFinal7 August
5 3:16.87 Final 10 August
63:18.29Lillie Leatherwood, Sherri Howard, Valerie Brisco-Hooks, Chandra CheeseboroughFinal11 August
Dagmar Neubauer, Kirsten Emmelmann, Sabine Busch, Petra SchersingFinal1 October
8 3:18.54 Mary Wineberg, Allyson Felix, Monique Henderson, Sanya RichardsFinal23 August
9 3:19.01 DeeDee Trotter, Monique Henderson, Sanya Richards, Monique HennaganFinal28 August
10 3:19.06 Courtney Okolo, Natasha Hastings, Phyllis Francis, Allyson FelixFinal 20 August

References

Participation and athlete data
Olympic record progressions
Specific

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://web.archive.org/web/20200417171342/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1908/ATH/mens-1600-metres-medley-relay.html Athletics at the 1908 London Summer Games: Men's 1,600 metres Medley Relay
  2. Web site: 13th IAAF World Championships In Athletics: IAAF Statistics Handbook. Daegu 2011. (Part 5 of 5) . IAAF Media & Public Relations Department . Monte Carlo . 546, 562, 705 . pdf . 2011 . 2013-03-12 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131011062834/http://www.iaaf.org/download/downloadresultinfo?filename=c36ff61e-f89f-4205-a873-8f3dff0fff67.pdf&urlSlug=daegu-2011-statistics-book-part-5-of-5 . 2013-10-11 .
  3. https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/sports/ATH/mens-4-x-4100-metres-relay.html Athletics Men's 4 × 400 metres Relay Medalists
  4. https://web.archive.org/web/20200417040735/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/sports/ATH/womens-4-x-400-metres-relay.html Athletics Women's 4 × 400 metres Relay Medalists
  5. Web site: Men's 4 × 400 m.
  6. Web site: Women's 4 × 400 m.

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