The

4 × 400 metres relay The 4 × 400 metres relay or long relay is an athletics track event in which teams consist of four runners who each complete 400 metres or one lap. It is traditionally the final event of a track meet. At top class events, th ...

races at the

1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the secon ...

was contested as part of the athletics program.

Summary

The final saw

Sunday Uti Sunday Uti (born 23 October 1962) is a former Nigerian sprinter who won an Olympic bronze medal in 4 x 400 metres relay in Los Angeles 1984. He finished sixth in the final of the individual 400 metres contest. In addition he won the gold med ...

start off with a strong leg in lane 7, giving the Nigerian team the lead going in to the first handoff.

Moses Ugbusien Moses Omote Ugbisien (born 11 December 1964) is a Nigerian athlete who competed mainly in the 400 metres. Ugbisien is from the Delta State in Nigeria and is of Yoruban ancestry. He competed for Nigeria in the 1984 Summer Olympics held in ...

took the baton rather casually, the slow start giving

Darren Clark Darren Edward Clark (born 6 September 1965 in Sydney, New South Wales) is an Australian retired sprinter who specialized in the 400 metres. His personal best time of 44.38 seconds, achieved at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, is the current Oceanian ...

the chance to pass during the curve, putting Australia into the lead at the break. Taking an efficient tangent from lane 8, Ray Armstead gained ground on Ugbusien, moving to his shoulder to try to make a pass for the Americans on the stretch, 4 meters behind Clark who was running a 43.86 split, which exactly equalled Lee Evans' world record at the time. Ugbusien didn't relent and the two teams passed virtually even. On the handoff,

Alonzo Babers Alonzo C. Babers (born October 31, 1961) is an American former athlete, winner of two gold medals at the 1984 Summer Olympics, in the 400 m and the 4 × 400 m relay. Born in Montgomery, Alabama, Alonzo Babers was a military dependent who graduat ...

got the edge, trying to keep up with

Rotimi Peters Rotimi Peters is a retired Nigerian athlete who competed in the 400 & 4x400 meters. He competed for Nigeria in the 1984 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles, United States in the 4 x 400 meters relay where he won the bronze medal with his t ...

. The long striding Babers took off in pursuit of

Gary Minihan Gary Minihan (born 24 January 1962) is an Australian retired sprinter who specialized in the 400 metres. At the 1982 Commonwealth Games he won a bronze medal in 400 metres and a silver medal in 4 × 400 metres relay. He finished fourth with t ...

, with the three teams well ahead of the next pursuing team from Great Britain. Coming off the final turn, Babers smoothly went past Minihan and pulled away to a 7 meter lead by the handoff to

Antonio McKay Antonio McKay Sr. (born February 9, 1964) is a former track and field athlete who specialized in the 400 meters. Career He won All-American honours competing for Georgia Tech and was the NCAA champion both indoors and outdoors in 1984. He won a ...

. Behind the action at the front,

Todd Bennett Todd Anthony Bennett (6 July 1962 – 16 July 2013) was a Great Britain, British athlete who competed mainly in the 400 metres. Athletics career Bennett competed for Great Britain in the 1984 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles, United Stat ...

steadily chipped away what was more than a 10 meter deficit to put Britain but a step behind Nigeria at the final handoff. McKay kept the American lead for the victory. There a was a battle for the other medals, with Rick Mitchell holding the Australian advantage of about two meters over

Innocent Egbunike Innocent Ejima Egbunike (born 30 November 1961) is a former sprinter from Nigeria. He studied at Azusa Pacific University, where he still holds the school record at 400 metres and the automatically timed NAIA meet record at 200 metres. M ...

for Nigeria, with Phil Brown another step back for Britain. With Egbunike training at an American university

Azusa Pacific Azusa Pacific University (APU) is a private, evangelical Christian university in Azusa, California. The university was founded in 1899, with classes opening on March 3, 1900, in Whittier, California, and began offering degrees in 1939. The uni ...

, he was quite familiar to the spectators. Down the backstretch, Egbunike gained on Mitchell, moving on to his outside shoulder to pounce coming off the final turn. Behind Egbunike, Brown was staying in close contact still on the inside. Then, as Egbunike attacked, Brown went to the outside making it three abreast with 70 meters to go. Mitchell couldn't keep up, but Egbunike and Brown ran stride for stride for 50 meters. In the final 20 meters, Brown gained a slight advantage and crossed the line ahead for the silver medal. Nigeria's consolation was the African continental record.

Medalists

Note: * mark athletes who ran in the heats only

Abbreviations

Records

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in minutes) prior to the 1984 Summer Olympics.

Results

Final

Semi-final

Heat 1 Heat 2

Heats

Heat 1 Heat 2 Heat 3 Heat 4

References

External links

Results
{{DEFAULTSORT:Athletics at the 1984 Summer Olympics - Men's 4 by 400 metres relay 4 x 400 metres relay men Relay foot races at the Olympics Men's events at the 1984 Summer Olympics