The first
world record
A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...
in the women's
4 x 100 metres relay was recognised by the
International Association of Athletics Federations
World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (from 1912 to 2001) and International Association of Athletics Federations (from 2001 to 2019, both abbreviated as the IAAF) is the international governing body fo ...
in 1922.
[
]
45 world records have been ratified by the IAAF in the event. The following table shows the world record progression in the women's 4 × 100 metre relay, as ratified by the IAAF. "y" denotes time for 4 × 110 yards (402.34 m), ratified as a record for this event.
Records 1922-1976
[
]
Records since 1977
From 1975, the IAAF accepted separate automatically electronically timed records for events up to 400 metres. From 1977, the IAAF required fully automatic timing
Fully automatic time (abbreviated FAT) is a form of race timing in which the clock is automatically activated by the starting device, and the finish time is either automatically recorded, or timed by analysis of a photo finish. The system is c ...
to the hundredth of a second for these events.[
][
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Women's 4 x 100 metres relay world record progression
4x100, women
4 × 100 metres relay