Athletics at the 2024 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 400 metres relay

Did You Know?

• Fourteen teams qualified through the 2024 World Athletics Relays; the remaining two spots went to the highest-ranked teams on the World Athletics top list.
• The qualification period ran from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024.

Background

The 4 × 400 metres relay is the longest track relay event on the Olympic athletics programme. The women's relay has been held at every Summer Olympics since 1972, contested thirteen times before 2024. The United States has finished no worse than silver at every Olympics since the event's introduction, except at the boycotted 1980 games, and has won every gold since 1996. Jamaica has medaled in every edition since 2000. The event took place at the Stade de France, built for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, which had a capacity of 77,083 spectators during the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Results

Round 1 was held on 9 August starting at 10:40 (UTC+2). The United States qualified with 3:21.44 minutes, three seconds faster than the next-best team, with Great Britain behind them in the first heat. The other qualifying teams were spread across a little over a second; Canada was the slowest qualifier at 3:25.77 minutes. The final was held on 10 August starting at 21:22 (UTC+2). For the final, the United States replaced three of the heat runners—Quanera Hayes, Aaliyah Butler and Kaylyn Brown—with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Gabrielle Thomas and Alexis Holmes; Shamier Little was the lone carryover. Stacey-Ann Williams took the early lead for Jamaica in lane 8, nearly swallowing the stagger gap to France's Sounkamba Sylla before the backstretch, and held a five-metre lead on the home stretch before slowing. Little and Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands gained ground, and Little passed to McLaughlin-Levrone in the lead, who extended it to nearly 15 metres by the break line. Andrenette Knight of Jamaica had a slight lead on Cathelijn Peeters of the Netherlands, but Ireland's Rhasidat Adeleke moved into third before the straightaway. As Adeleke passed Knight on the curve, Knight stopped due to a dropped baton, resulting in disqualification. McLaughlin-Levrone handed off to Thomas with almost 30 metres on Adeleke, who had five metres on a tightening group of the Netherlands, Great Britain, Canada, Belgium and France. McLaughlin-Levrone's relay split of 47.71 seconds was the third fastest in history. Thomas added to the American lead, and Great Britain's Nicole Yeargin overtook Ireland's Phil Healy before the final handoff. Alexis Holmes of the United States held the lead; in pursuit were Great Britain's Amber Anning, Ireland's Sharlene Mawdsley, and the Netherlands' Femke Bol.