| Athletics 4 × 100 metres relay | |
|---|---|
) The finish at the Rio 2016 Olympics | |
| World records | |
| Men |  Jamaica (Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Yohan Blake, Usain Bolt) 36.84 (2012) |
| Women |  United States (Tianna Bartoletta, Allyson Felix, Bianca Knight, Carmelita Jeter) 40.82 (2012) |
| Olympic records | |
| Men | Jamaica (Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Yohan Blake, Usain Bolt) 36.84 (2012) |
| Women | United States (Tianna Bartoletta, Allyson Felix, Bianca Knight, Carmelita Jeter) 40.82 (2012) |
| World Championship records | |
| Men | Jamaica (Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Yohan Blake, Usain Bolt) 37.04 (2011) |
| Women | Jamaica (Veronica Campbell-Brown, Natasha Morrison, Elaine Thompson, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce) 41.07 (2015) |
The 4 × 100 metres relay or sprint relay is an athletics track event run in lanes over one lap of the track with four runners completing 100 metres each. The first runners must begin in the same stagger as for the individual 400 m race. A relay baton is carried by each runner. Prior to 2018, the baton had to be passed within a 20 m changeover box, preceded by a 10-metre acceleration zone. With a rule change effective November 1, 2017 that zone was modified to include the acceleration zone as part of the passing zone, making the entire zone 30 metres in length. The outgoing runner cannot touch the baton until it has entered the zone, the incoming runner cannot touch the baton after it has left the zone. The zone is usually marked in yellow, frequently using lines, triangles or chevrons. While the rule book specifies the exact positioning of the marks, the colors and style are only "recommended". While most legacy tracks will still have the older markings, the rule change still uses existing marks.[1] Not all governing body jurisdictions have adopted the rule change.
Transfer of the baton in this race is typically blind. The outgoing runner reaches a straight arm backwards when they enter the changeover box, or when the incoming runner makes a verbal signal. The outgoing runner does not look backwards, and it is the responsibility of the incoming runner to thrust the baton into the outstretched hand, and not let go until the outgoing runner takes hold of it without crossing the changeover box and to stop after baton is exchanged.[2][3] Runners on the first and third legs typically run on the inside of the lane with the baton in their right hand, while runners on the second and fourth legs take the baton in their left. Polished handovers can compensate for a lack of basic speed to some extent, and disqualification for dropping the baton or failing to transfer it within the box is common, even at the highest level.[4]
The United States men and women historically dominated this event through the 20th century, winning the most Olympic gold medals and the most IAAF world championships. Carl Lewis ran the anchor leg on U.S. relay teams that set six world records from 1983 to 1992, including the first team to break 38 seconds.
The current men's world record stands at 36.84, set by the Jamaican team at the final of the 2012 London Olympic Games on 11 August 2012. As the only team to break 37 seconds to date, Jamaica has been the dominant team in the sport, winning two consecutive Olympic Gold Medals as well as four consecutive World Championships. The previous record was 37.04 seconds as set by the Jamaican team at the 2011 World Championships.
The fastest electronically timed anchor leg run is 8.65 seconds by Usain Bolt at the 2015 IAAF World Relays,[5] while Bob Hayes was hand-timed as running 8.7 seconds on a cinder track in the 1964 Tokyo Games Final. The Tokyo Games also had electronic timing; upon video review, Hayes ran 8.6 seconds in the final and an astonishing 8.5 seconds in the semi-final.[6]
The women's world record stands at 40.82 seconds, set by the United States in 2012 at the London Olympics. The fastest anchor leg run by a woman is 9.70 by Carmelita Jeter.
According to the IAAF rules, world records in relays can only be set if all team members have the same nationality.
All-time top 10 countries
Men
| Rank | Time | Team | Nation | Date | Place | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 36.84 | Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Yohan Blake, Usain Bolt | Jamaica | 11 August 2012 | London | [9] |
| 2 | 37.10 | Christian Coleman, Justin Gatlin, Mike Rodgers, Noah Lyles | United States | 5 October 2019 | Doha | [10] |
| 3 | 37.36 | Adam Gemili, Zharnel Hughes, Richard Kilty, Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake |  Great Britain | 5 October 2019 | Doha | [10] |
| 4 | 37.43 | Shuhei Tada, Kirara Shiraishi, Yoshihide Kiryu, Abdul Hakim Sani Brown |  Japan | 5 October 2019 | Doha | [10] |
| 5 | 37.62 | Darrel Brown, Marc Burns, Emmanuel Callander, Richard Thompson |  Trinidad and Tobago | 22 August 2009 | Berlin | |
| 6 | 37.64 | Akeem Haynes, Aaron Brown, Brendon Rodney, Andre De Grasse | .svg.png){kind=small} Canada | 19 August 2016 | Rio de Janeiro | |
| 7 | 37.65 | Thando Dlodlo, Simon Magakwe, Clarence Munyai, Akani Simbine |  South Africa | 4 October 2019 | Doha | [11] |
| 8 | 37.72 | Rodrigo do Nascimento, Vitor Hugo dos Santos, Derick Silva, Paulo André de Oliveira |  Brazil | 5 October 2019 | Doha | [10] |
| 9 | 37.79 | Max Morinière, Daniel Sangouma, Jean-Charles Trouabal, Bruno Marie-Rose |  France | 1 September 1990 | Split | |
| Su Bingtian, Xu Zhouzheng, Wu Zhiqiang, Xie Zhenye |  China | 4 October 2019 | Doha | [12] |
Women
| Rank | Time | Team | Nation | Date | Place | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 40.82 | Tianna Bartoletta, Allyson Felix, Bianca Knight, Carmelita Jeter | United States | 10 August 2012 | London | |
| 2 | 41.07 | Veronica Campbell-Brown, Natasha Morrison, Elaine Thompson, Shelly Fraser-Pryce | Jamaica | 29 August 2015 | Beijing | |
| 3 | 41.37 | Silke Gladisch-Möller, Sabine Rieger-Günther, Ingrid Auerswald-Lange, Marlies Göhr |  German Democratic Republic | 6 October 1985 | Canberra | |
| 4 | 41.49 | Olga Bogoslovskaya, Galina Malchugina, Natalya Voronova, Irina Privalova |  Russia | 22 August 1993 | Stuttgart | |
| 5 | 41.63 | Tatjana Pinto, Lisa Mayer, Gina Lückenkemper, Rebekka Haase |  Germany | 29 July 2016 | Mannheim | |
| 6 | 41.77 | Asha Philip, Desiree Henry, Dina Asher-Smith, Daryll Neita | Great Britain | 19 August 2016 | Rio de Janeiro | |
| 7 | 41.78 | Patricia Girard, Muriel Hurtis-Houairi, Sylviane Félix, Christine Arron | France | 30 August 2003 | Paris | |
| 8 | 41.92 | Savatheda Fynes, Chandra Sturrup, Pauline Davis-Thompson, Debbie Ferguson |  Bahamas | 29 August 1999 | Sevilla | |
| 9 | 42.00 | Antonina Pobyubko, Natalya Voronova, Marina Zhirova, Elvira Barbashina |  Soviet Union | 17 August 1985 | Moscow | |
| 10 | 42.03 | Kelly-Ann Baptiste, Michelle-Lee Ahye, Reyare Thomas, Semoy Hackett | Trinidad and Tobago | 29 August 2015 | Beijing |
All-time top 25
Men
| Rank | Time | Team | Nation | Date | Place | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 36.84 | Nesta Carter Michael Frater Yohan Blake Usain Bolt | Jamaica | 11 August 2012 | London | [17] |
| 2 | 37.04 | Nesta Carter Michael Frater Yohan Blake Usain Bolt | Jamaica | 4 September 2011 | Daegu | |
| 3 | 37.10 | Christian Coleman Justin Gatlin Michael Rodgers Noah Lyles | United States | 5 October 2019 | Doha | [18] |
| 4 | 37.27 | Asafa Powell Yohan Blake Nickel Ashmeade Usain Bolt | Jamaica | 19 August 2016 | Rio de Janeiro | |
| 5 | 37.31 | Steve Mullings Michael Frater Usain Bolt Asafa Powell | Jamaica | 22 August 2009 | Berlin | |
| 6 | 37.36 | Nesta Carter Kemar Bailey-Cole Nickel Ashmeade Usain Bolt | Jamaica | 18 August 2013 | Moscow | |
| 37.36 | Nesta Carter Asafa Powell Nickel Ashmeade Usain Bolt | Jamaica | 29 August 2015 | Beijing | ||
| 37.36 | Adam Gemili Zharnel Hughes Richard Kilty Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake | Great Britain | 5 October 2019 | Doha | [10] | |
| 9 | 37.38 | Mike Rodgers Justin Gatlin Tyson Gay Ryan Bailey | United States | 2 May 2015 | Nassau | |
| 10 | 37.39 | Nesta Carter Michael Frater Yohan Blake Kemar Bailey-Cole | Jamaica | 10 August 2012 | London | |
| 11 | 37.40 | Michael Marsh Leroy Burrell Dennis Mitchell Carl Lewis | United States | 8 August 1992 | Barcelona | |
| 37.40 | Jon Drummond Andre Cason Dennis Mitchell Leroy Burrell | United States | 21 August 1993 | Stuttgart | ||
| 13 | 37.41 | Nesta Carter Asafa Powell Rasheed Dwyer Nickel Ashmeade | Jamaica | 29 August 2015 | Beijing | |
| 14 | 37.43 | Shuhei Tada Kirara Shiraishi Yoshihide Kiryu Abdul Hakim Sani Brown | Japan | 5 October 2019 | Doha | [10] |
| 15 | 37.45 | Trell Kimmons Wallace Spearmon Tyson Gay Mike Rodgers | United States | 19 August 2010 | Zürich | |
| 16 | 37.46 | Jon Drummond Curtis Perry Chris Johnson Maurice Greene | United States | 7 September 1999 | Berlin | |
| 37.46 | Daniel Bailey Yohan Blake Mario Forsythe Usain Bolt |  Antigua and Barbuda Jamaica Jamaica Jamaica | 25 July 2009 | London | ||
| 18 | 37.47 | Chijindu Ujah Adam Gemili Danny Talbot Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake | Great Britain | 12 August 2017 | London | [19] |
| 19 | 37.48 | Jon Drummond Andre Cason Dennis Mitchell Leroy Burrell | United States | 22 August 1993 | Stuttgart | |
| 20 | 37.50 | Andre Cason Leroy Burrell Dennis Mitchell Carl Lewis | United States | 1 September 1991 | Tokyo | |
| 21 | 37.52 | Mike Rodgers Justin Gatlin Jaylen Bacon Christian Coleman | United States | 12 August 2017 | London | [20] |
| 22 | 37.56 | Adam Gemili Zharnel Hughes Richard Kilty Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake | Great Britain | 4 October 2019 | Doha | [21] |
| 23 | 37.58 | Charles Silmon Mike Rodgers Rakieem Salaam Justin Gatlin | United States | 19 July 2013 | Monaco | |
| 37.58 | Jason Livermore Kemar Bailey-Cole Nickel Ashmeade Usain Bolt | Jamaica | 2 August 2014 | Glasgow | ||
| 25 | 37.59 | Jon Drummond Tim Montgomery Brian Lewis Maurice Greene | United States | 29 August 1999 | Seville | |
| 37.59 | Kaaron Conwright Wallace Spearmon Tyson Gay Jason Smoots | United States | 19 September 2006 | Athens |
Note:
- A USA team ran 37.04 in London in 2012 but the performance was annulled due to use of performance-enhancing drugs by Tyson Gay
- A Jamaican team ran 37.10 in Beijing in 2008 but the performance was annulled due to use of performance-enhancing drugs by Nesta Carter
- A USA team ran 37.38 in the heats in London in 2012 but the performance was retrospectively disqualified following drug test failue by Tyson Gay, even though Gay only ran in the final and not the heat.
Women
| Rank | Time | Team | Nation | Date | Place | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 40.82 | Tianna Bartoletta Allyson Felix Bianca Knight Carmelita Jeter | United States | 10 August 2012 | London | |
| 2 | 41.01 | Tianna Bartoletta Allyson Felix English Gardner Tori Bowie | United States | 19 August 2016 | Rio de Janeiro | |
| 3 | 41.07 | Veronica Campbell-Brown Natasha Morrison Elaine Thompson Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce | Jamaica | 29 August 2015 | Beijing | |
| 4 | 41.29 | Carrie Russell Kerron Stewart Schillonie Calvert Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce | Jamaica | 18 August 2013 | Moscow | |
| 5 | 41.36 | Christania Williams Elaine Thompson Veronica Campbell-Brown Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce | Jamaica | 19 August 2016 | Rio de Janeiro | |
| 6 | 41.37 | Silke Gladisch-Möller Sabine Rieger-Günther Ingrid Auerswald-Lange Marlies Göhr | German Democratic Republic | 6 October 1985 | Canberra | |
| 7 | 41.41 | Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Sherone Simpson Veronica Campbell-Brown Kerron Stewart | Jamaica | 10 August 2012 | London | |
| 8 | 41.44 | Natalliah Whyte Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Jonielle Smith Shericka Jackson | Jamaica | 5 October 2019 | Doha | [24] |
| 9 | 41.47 | Chryste Gaines Marion Jones Inger Miller Gail Devers | United States | 9 August 1997 | Athens | |
| 10 | 41.49 | Olga Bogoslovskaya Galina Malchugina Natalya Pomoshchnikova-Voronova Irina Privalova | Russia | 22 August 1993 | Stuttgart | |
| Michelle Finn-Burrell Gwen Torrence Wendy Vereen Gail Devers | United States | 22 August 1993 | Stuttgart | |||
| 12 | 41.52 | Chryste Gaines Marion Jones Inger Miller Gail Devers | United States | 8 August 1997 | Athens | |
| 13 | 41.53 | Silke Gladisch-Möller Marita Koch Ingrid Auerswald-Lange Marlies Göhr | German Democratic Republic | 31 July 1983 | Berlin | |
| 14 | 41.55 | Alice Brown Diane Williams Florence Griffith-Joyner Pam Marshall | United States | 21 August 1987 | Berlin | |
| 15 | 41.56 | Bianca Knight Allyson Felix Marshevet Myers Carmelita Jeter | United States | 4 September 2011 | Daegu | |
| 16 | 41.58 | Alice Brown Diane Williams Florence Griffith-Joyner Pam Marshall | United States | 6 September 1987 | Rome | |
| Lauryn Williams Allyson Felix Muna Lee Carmelita Jeter | United States | 8 August 2009 | Cottbus | |||
| 18 | 41.60 | Romy Müller Bärbel Wöckel Ingrid Auerswald-Lange Marlies Göhr | German Democratic Republic | 1 August 1980 | Moscow | |
| Sherone Simpson Natasha Morrison Elaine Thompson Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce | Jamaica | 3 September 2015 | Zürich | |||
| 20 | 41.61 | Alice Brown Diane Williams Chandra Cheeseborough Evelyn Ashford | United States | 3 July 1983 | Colorado Springs | |
| 21 | 41.62 | Tatjana Pinto Lisa Mayer Gina Lückenkemper Rebekka Haase | Germany | 29 July 2016 | Mannheim | |
| 22 | 41.63 | Alice Brown Diane Williams Chandra Cheeseborough Evelyn Ashford | United States | 25 June 1983 | Los Angeles | |
| 23 | 41.64 | Tianna Bartoletta Allyson Felix Bianca Knight Carmelita Jeter | United States | 10 August 2012 | London | |
| 24 | 41.65 | Alice Brown Jeanette Bolden Chandra Cheeseborough Evelyn Ashford | USA | 11 August 1984 | Los Angeles | |
| Silke Möller Marita Koch Ingrid Auerswald Marlies Göhr | GDR | 17 August 1985 | Moscow | |||
| Christania Williams Elaine Thompson Simone Facey Veronica Campbell-Brown | Jamaica | 1 September 2016 | Zürich |
Olympic Games medalists
Men
Great Britain 
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United Team of Germany 
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Trinidad and Tobago 
Women
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Ukraine Note: * Indicates athletes who ran in preliminary rounds and also received medals.
- nb Note: Marion Jones was stripped of all her Olympic medal.
- In 2008 the Russian team of Evgeniya Polyakova, Aleksandra Fedoriva, Yulia Gushchina and Yuliya Chermoshanskaya were awarded the gold medals, however, these were rescinded in 2016 following disqualification of Chermoshanskaya for use of performance-enhancing drugs.[25]
World Championships medalists
Men
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Note * Indicates athletes who ran only in the preliminary round and also received medals.
- dq1 The Nigerian team of Innocent Asonze, Francis Obikwelu, Daniel Effiong and Deji Aliu originally finished third in the 1999 World Championship, but were disqualified after Asonze was found to have used performance-enhancing drugs.
- dq2 The United States team of Mickey Grimes, Bernard Williams, Dennis Mitchell and Tim Montgomery originally won the 2001 World Championship in a time of 37.96 seconds, but were disqualified after Montgomery admitted to drug use as a result of the BALCO scandal in 2005.
- dq3 The British team of Christian Malcolm, Darren Campbell, Marlon Devonish and Dwain Chambers originally finished second in the 2003 World Championship, but were disqualified after Chambers was found to have used performance-enhancing drugs.
Women
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Note * Indicates athletes who ran only in the preliminary round and also received medals.
- dq1 The United States team of Kelli White, Chryste Gaines, Inger Miller, and Marion Jones originally won the 2001 World Championship in a time of 41.71 seconds, but were disqualified after Jones and White were found to have used performance-enhancing drugs.
See also
- Men's 4 × 100 metres relay world record progression
- Women's 4 × 100 metres relay world record progression
- Italy national relays team at the international athletics championships
- List of fastest anchor legs
Notes and references
- ^ https://www.iaaf.org/about-iaaf/documents/rules-regulations IAAF rulebook Rule 170
- ^ Price, Satchel. "How do track relay handoffs work?". SB Nation. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
- ^ "Keys to secure a smooth baton handoff". Human Kinetics. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
- ^ Ellis, Aaron. "Why Do Baton Drops Happen So Often in Professional Relay Races?". Huffington post. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
- ^ "Men's 4x100m relay". alltime-athletics.com. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/summer08/fanguide/athlete?athlete=5325
- ^ "All-time men's best 4 × 100m Relay". IAAF. 13 August 2017. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- ^ "All-time men's best 4×100m Relay". alltime-athletics.com. 27 July 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
- ^ "The XXX Olympic Games - 4x100 metres Relay Men Final - Results". IAAF. 11 August 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f "4×100m Relay Men − Final − Results" (PDF). IAAF. 5 October 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
- ^ 2019 Heats
- ^ 2019 Heats
- ^ "All-time women's best 4 × 100m Relay". IAAF. 24 August 2019. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
- ^ "All-time women's best 4×100m Relay". alltime-athletics.com. 21 July 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
- ^ "All-time men's best 4 × 100m Relay". IAAF. 13 August 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
- ^ "All-time men's best 4×100m Relay". alltime-athletics.com. 27 July 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
- ^ "The XXX Olympic Games - 4x100 metres Relay Men Final - Results". IAAF. 11 August 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
- ^ "4×100m Relay Men − Final − Results" (PDF). IAAF. 5 October 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
- ^ "4×100m Relay Results" (PDF). IAAF. 12 August 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
- ^ "4×100m Relay Results" (PDF). IAAF. 12 August 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
- ^ "4×100m Relay Round 1 Results" (PDF). IAAF. 4 October 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
- ^ "All-time women's best 4 × 100m Relay". IAAF. 19 August 2017. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
- ^ "All-time women's best 4×100m Relay". alltime-athletics.com. 21 July 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
- ^ "4×400m Relay Women − Final − Results" (PDF). IAAF. 5 October 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
- ^ IOC sanctions Yulia Chermoshanskaya for failing anti-doping test at Beijing 2008