Athletics At The 2024 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 Metres Relay

The men's 4 × 100 metres relay at the 2024 Summer Olympics was held in two rounds at the Stade de France in Paris, France, on 8 and 9 August 2024. This was the 26th time that the men's 4 × 100 metres relay was contested at the Summer Olympics. A total of 16 teams were able to qualify for the event through the 2024 World Athletics Relays or the World Athletics top list.

Summary

After the close finish in the 100 metres between reigning World Champion Noah Lyles and seasonal World Leader Kishane Thompson, which Lyles won by .005, there was excitement for the rematch on the anchor leg of the 4 × 100 relay. USA were the most successful Olympic 4 × 100 team overall, winning the event all but 5 of 20 Olympics between 1912 and 2000. Jamaica had more recent success, winning 3 times in a row during the Usain Bolt era, 2008-2016. This time, neither country was defending a medal, as Italy returned as the defending champion with one addition to their relay team, Canada as the silver medallists returning the same lineup, and China as the bronze after the disqualification of Tokyo 2020 second place finisher Great Britain. That was a repeat of USA's recent history of failures to live up to expectations in the 4 × 100. USA's 2016 "early" exchange was so egregious, a failure to execute rules every team has to adhere to from the junior level, that it caused a successful lobbying effort to make the technical rules for passing easier. Tracks all over the world had to be repainted to eliminate the acceleration zone leading to the beginning of the passing zone. Predictions expected USA to break their streak of futility with Jamaica and Italy as top contenders.

Things changed when Lyles finished third in the 200 metres, without his fast finish. After hugging his competitors, Lyles said he had been diagnosed with COVID-19 two days earlier and that he was dropping out of the relay. With substitutes, USA was the top qualifying team out of the heats. Jamaica shockingly failed to make the final.

For the final, USA substituted Kenny Bednarek onto the team for the final and completely changed the order. Great Britain, Italy and Japan made similar changes, while Canada, South Africa, China and France stuck with a well-practiced order.

With the best starter in the world, multiple World Indoor Champion Christian Coleman (USA) blasted out of the blocks, making up a huge amount of the stagger on Méba-Mickaël Zeze (FRA) to his outside, while leaving Jeremiah Azu (GBR) behind. On the far outside, Aaron Brown (CAN) was also pulling away from Deng Zhijian (CHN) while 18 year old Bayanda Walaza (RSA) was gaining behind Deng. At the first exchange, USA's Bednarek almost came to a complete stop trying to complete the handoff, Great Britain's Louie Hinchliffe whizzed by with Japan's star Abdul Hakim Sani Brown gaining. Jerome Blake (CAN) continued to widen the gap on China's star Xie Zhenye with South Africa's Shaun Maswanganyi gaining behind. Around the final turn, former World Junior Record holder Yoshihide Kiryū (JPN) zoomed past everybody, so as the teams evened out after the excellent underhand exchange to Koki Ueyama, Japan was ahead. A fast turn on the inside by Lorenzo Patta brought Italy about even with Canada's Brendon Rodney. After the handoffs, Akani Simbine (RSA) and Pablo Matéo (FRA) were even, marginally ahead of Zharnel Hughes (GBR) 3 metres down on Ueyama, Filippo Tortu (ITA) and six-time Olympic medalist Andre De Grasse (CAN). De Grasse and Tortu quickly picked off Ueyama but down the stretch Simbine and Hughes were closing fast, passing Ueyama metres out and Tortu less than 20. Simbine maintained the slight edge on Hughes to give South Africa the silver over Great Britain's bronze, but not enough to catch De Grasse for gold. The vaunted American squad crossed the line in seventh only to learn that they had been disqualified. Bednarek had left way too early, then tried to stop and the exchange from Coleman was out of the passing zone.

It was a seventh Olympic medal for De Grasse and a new African Record for the South African squad. Canada's gold was their third Olympic medal in a row, after bronze in 2016 and silver in 2020.

Background

The 4 × 100 metres relay at the Summer Olympics is the shortest track relay event held at the multi-sport event. The men's relay has been present on the Olympic athletics programme since 1912.

Qualification

For the men's 4 × 100 metres relay event, fourteen teams qualified through the 2024 World Athletics Relays. The remaining two spots were awarded to the teams with the highest ranking on the World Athletics Top List. The qualification period was between 1 July 2023 and 30 June 2024.Sean McAlister,
How to qualify for athletics at Paris 2024. The Olympics qualification system explained
, '' Olympics.com'', 20 December 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2024.

Results

Round 1

Round 1 was held on 8 August, starting at 11:35 (UTC+2) in the morning.Paris 2024 - Olympic Schedule - Athletics
, '' Olympics.com''. Retrieved 29 June 2024.

Heat 1

Heat 2

Final

The final was held on 9 August, starting at 19:45 (UTC+2) in the evening.

References

{{Olympic champions 4 × 100 metres men

Men's 4 x 100 metres relay
Men's events at the 2024 Summer Olympics
Olympics 2024