Mixed 4 × 400 metres relay explained

Event:Mixed 4 × 400 metres relay
Wrmixed: (Vernon Norwood (M), Shamier Little (F), Bryce Deadmon (M), Kaylyn Brown (F)) 3:07.41 (2024)
Crmixed: (Justin Robinson (M), Rosey Effiong (F), Matthew Boling (M), Alexis Holmes (F)) 3:08.80 (2023)
Ormixed: (Vernon Norwood (M), Shamier Little (F), Bryce Deadmon (M), Kaylyn Brown (F)) 3:07.41 (2024)

The mixed 4 × 400 metres relay is a mixed-sex 4 × 400 metres relay in which teams field two men and two women. Since March 2022, team members have to run in the order man-woman-man-woman. It was introduced at the 2017 IAAF World Relays and was then held at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Qatar.

Background

Part of the rationale for the event was that should teams put their men and women in different orders, there will be excitement in seeing large leads being reversed when men and women are running against each other.[1] All the teams in the finals at the 2017 IAAF World Relays ran man-woman-woman-man. In the final of the event's World Athletics Championship debut in 2019, all but one team chose a man-woman-woman-man order, with the exception of Poland, who chose man-man-woman-woman.[2] In March 2022, the rule was changed so that every team must use the order man-woman-man-woman.[3]

Michael Johnson commentating at the 2019 World Athletics Championships expressed a concern that, while entertaining, the mixed 4 × 400 metres event contributes to an overly busy schedule.

Poland won the inaugural Olympic 4 × 400 metres mixed relay at the 2020 Summer Olympics, held in 2021.[4]

Records

Continental records

AreaTimeCompetition / VenueAthletesNation
3:11.88 2024 Athletics Kenya Olympic TrialsZablon Ekhal Ekwam, Mary Moraa, Kelvin Sane Tauta, Mercy Chebet
3:11.82
3:07.432024 Summer Olympics
3:07.41 WR
3:17.00Performance Centre, Gold Coast (Runaway Bay, Australia)Bendere Oboya, Anneliese Rubie-Renshaw, Tyler Gunn, Alex Beck
3:14.48 Encuentro FMAA César Moreno Bravo

Notes

  1. News: The mixed gender 4x400 metre relay - what you need to know ahead of World Championships debut. The Telegraph. 28 September 2019. Bloom. Ben.
  2. "World Athletics Championships", BBC 2, 29 September 2019
  3. News: Key competition decisions made at 227th World Athletics Council Meeting. World Athletics. 15 March 2022. Vernon. Dan.
  4. Web site: Olympic News - Sports News, Events & Athletes. 2 August 2021. 5 October 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211005083358/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/news/poland-wins-inaugural-olympic-4x400m-mixed-relay-gold. dead.
  5. Web site: 4x400 Metres Relay - mixed - senior - all . 2024-08-10 . worldathletics.org.
  6. Web site: Stats World Athletics World Athletics . 2024-08-10 . worldathletics.org.

World record progression

Main Article: Mixed 4 x 400 Metres relay world record progression

The first world record recognised by the IAAF was set by the US team at 3:12.42 in the first heat at the 2019 World Athletics Championships on 28 September 2019,[7] beating a prior world best by the US set in 2016. The US team then set a new record of 3:09.34 in the final the next day.[8] During the 2023 World Athletics Championships, team USA bested the previous record with a time of 3:08:80. Team USA further improved the record in the first heat at the 2024 Olympics with a time of 3:07:41.[9]

TimeTeamDateCompetitionParticipants
3:12.42 2019-09-28 Tyrell Richard, Jessica Beard, Jasmine Blocker, Obi Igbokwe
3:09.34 2019-09-29 2019 World Athletics Championships Wilbert London, Allyson Felix, Courtney Okolo, Michael Cherry
3:08.80 2023-08-09 Justin Robinson, Rosey Effiong, Matthew Boling, Alexis Holmes
3:07.41 2024-08-02 Vernon Norwood, Shamier Little, Bryce Deadmon, Kaylyn Brown

All-Time Top 25

RankTimeTeamNationDatePlaceRef
13:07.41Vernon Norwood, Shamier Little, Bryce Deadmon, Kaylyn Brown2 August 2024Paris
23:07.43Eugene Omalla, Lieke Klaver, Isaya Klein Ikkink, Femke Bol3 August 2024Paris[10]
33:07.74Vernon Norwood, Shamier Little, Bryce Deadmon, Kaylyn Brown3 August 2024Paris
43:08.01Samuel Reardon, Laviai Nielsen, Alex Haydock-Wilson, Amber Anning3 August 2024Paris
53:08.80Justin Robinson, Rosey Effiong, Matthew Boling, Alexis Holmes19 August 2023Budapest[11]
63:09.34Wilbert London, Allyson Felix, Courtney Okolo, Michael Cherry29 September 2019Doha
73:09.36Jonathan Sacoor, Helena Ponette, Alexander Doom, Naomi Van Den Broeck3 August 2024Paris
83:09.82Lidio Andrés Feliz, Marileidy Paulino, Alexander Ogando, Fiordaliza Cofil15 July 2022Eugene[12]
93:09.87Karol Zalewski, Natalia Kaczmarek, Justyna Święty-Ersetic, Kajetan Duszyński31 July 2021Tokyo[13]
103:09.90Liemarvin Bonevacia, Lieke Klaver, Tony van Diepen, Femke Bol15 July 2022Eugene
113:09.92Christopher O'Donnell, Rhasidat Adeleke, Thomas Barr, Sharlene Mawdsley7 June 2024Rome[14]
123:10.16Elija Godwin, Allyson Felix, Vernon Norwood, Kennedy Simon15 July 2022Eugene
133:10.21Lidio Andrés Feliz, Marileidy Paulino, Anabel Medina, Alexander Ogando Dominican Republic31 July 2021Tokyo
143:10.22Trevor Stewart, Kendall Ellis, Kaylin Whitney, Vernon Norwood United States31 July 2021Tokyo
153:10.36Liemarvin Bonevacia, Lieke Klaver, Femke Bol, Ramsey Angela Netherlands31 July 2021Tokyo
163:10.41Ryan Willie, Rosey Effiong, Justin Robinson, Alexis Holmes19 August 2023Budapest[15]
173:10.44Dariusz Kowaluk, Iga Baumgart, Małgorzata Hołub-Kowalik, Kajetan Duszyński Poland30 July 2021Tokyo[16]
183:10.60Muhammad Kounta, Louise Maraval, Téo Andant, Amandine Brossier2 August 2024Paris
193:10.61Samuel Reardon, Laviai Nielsen, Alex Haydock-Wilson, Nicole Yeargin2 August 2024Paris
203:10.69Jochem Dobber, Lieke Klaver, Lisanne de Witte, Ramsey Angela30 July 2021Tokyo

All-Time Top 10 by Country

  • Correct as of August 2024.
RankTimeTeamNationDatePlaceRef
13:07.41Vernon Norwood, Shamier Little, Bryce Deadmon, Kaylyn Brown2 August 2024Paris
23:07.43Eugene Omalla, Lieke Klaver, Isaya Klein Ikkink, Femke Bol3 August 2024Paris
33:08.01Samuel Reardon, Laviai Nielsen, Alex Haydock-Wilson, Amber Anning3 August 2024Paris
43:09.36Jonathan Sacoor, Helena Ponette, Alexander Doom, Naomi Van Den Broeck3 August 2024Paris
53:09.82Lidio Andrés Feliz, Marileidy Paulino, Alexander Ogando, Fiordaliza Cofil15 July 2022Eugene
63:09.87Karol Zalewski, Natalia Kaczmarek, Justyna Święty-Ersetic, Kajetan Duszyński Poland31 July 2021Tokyo
73:09.92Christopher O'Donnell, Rhasidat Adeleke, Thomas Barr, Sharlene Mawdsley7 June 2024Rome[17]
83:10.60Muhammad Kounta, Louise Maraval, Téo Andant, Amandine Brossier2 August 2024Paris
83:10.69Luca Sito, Anna Polinari, Eduardo Scotti, Alice Mangione7 June 2024Rome
103:11.06Reheem Hayles, Junelle Bromfield, Zandrion Barnes, Stephenie Ann McPherson2 August 2024Paris

Olympic medalists

20213:09.87, 3:10.21 3:10.22
20243:07.43 3:07.743:08.01

World Athletics Championships

20193:09.34 3:11.78 3:11.82
20223:09.82 3:09.90 3:10.16
20233:08.80 3:11.06 3:11.98

World Athletics Relays

20173:14.42 3:17.293:20.26
20193:16.433:18.153:19.43
20213:16.603:17.543:17.58
20243:10.73 3:11.453:11.53

References

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Mixed 4 × 400 metres relay".

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