Athletics at the 2024 Summer Olympics – Mixed 4 × 400 metres relay
| Mixed 4 × 400 metres relay at the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad | |
|---|---|
| Venue | Stade de France Saint-Denis, France |
| Dates |
|
| Teams | 16 |
| Winning time | 3:07.43 min AR |
| Medalists | |
The mixed 4 × 400 metres relay at the 2024 Summer Olympics was held over two rounds at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France, on 2 and 3 August 2024. This was the second time that this mixed-sex relay event was contested at the Summer Olympics. National teams could qualify for the event through the 2024 World Athletics Relays or the World Athletics top list.
Sixteen teams competed in round 1, where the team of the United States set a world record of 3:07.41 minutes, making them more than 3 seconds faster than the other teams. The teams of France, Great Britain, Belgium, Jamaica, Nigeria, and Switzerland all broke national records in round 1. Eight teams advanced to the final, that was won by the team of the Netherlands in a European record of 3:07.43 min, ahead of the team of the United States in second place in 3:07.74 min and the team of Great Britain in third place in a national record of 3:08.01 min. The Belgian team set another national record and the French team was disqualified in the final.
Femke Bol's anchor leg in the final was called "one of Paris' signature moments".[3] The Dutch runner started in fourth position and overtook three runners to win the race, where she had a split time of 48.00 s. When Eugene Omalla auctioned his gold medal the next year, he received criticism.
Background
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In the mixed 4 × 400 metres relay, each mixed-sex team consists of four athletes, two male and two female, who successively run one lap on a 400-metre track and pass on a baton between them.[4] The running order man–woman–man–woman has been mandatory at championships since 2022.[5]
This relay was added to the Olympic athletics programme in 2021, so it had been contested once at the Summer Olympics before 2024.[6] At the 2024 Summer Olympics, the event was held at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France, which is part of the Paris metropolitan area.[7]
At the start of the 2024 edition, the world record was 3:08.80 min, set by the team of the United States at the 2023 World Athletics Championships on 19 August 2023;[8] the Olympic record was 3:09.87 min, set by the team of Poland, the defending champions, at the 2020 Summer Olympics on 31 July 2021;[6] and the world leading time from the 2024 season was 3:09.92 min, run by the team of Ireland at the 2024 European Athletics Championships on 7 June 2024.[9]
| Record | Nation (competitors) | Time | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World record[8] |  United States
(Justin Robinson, Rosey Effiong, Matthew Boling, Alexis Holmes) |
3:08.80 | Budapest, Hungary | 19 August 2023 |
| Olympic record[6] |  Poland
(Karol Zalewski, Natalia Kaczamarek, Justyna Święty-Ersetic, Kajetan Duszyński) |
3:09.87 | Tokyo, Japan | 31 July 2021 |
| World leading[9] |  Ireland
(Christopher O'Donnell, Rhasidat Adeleke, Thomas Barr, Sharlene Mawdsley) |
3:09.92 | Rome, Italy | 7 June 2024 |
| Record | Nation (competitors) | Time | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| African record[10] |  Kenya
|
3:11.88 | Nairobi, Kenya | 15 June 2024 |
| Asian record[11] |  Bahrain
(Musa Isah, Aminat Yusuf Jamal, Salwa Eid Naser, Abbas Abubakar Abbas) |
3:11.82 | Doha, Qatar | 29 September 2019 |
| European record[12] | Poland
(Karol Zalewski, Natalia Kaczamarek, Justyna Święty-Ersetic, Kajetan Duszyński) |
3:09.87 | Tokyo, Japan | 31 July 2021 |
| North, Central American and Caribbean record[13] | United States
(Justin Robinson, Rosey Effiong, Matthew Boling, Alexis Holmes) |
3:08.80 WR | Budapest, Hungary | 19 August 2023 |
| Oceanian record[14] |  Australia
(Bendere Oboya, Anneliese Rubie-Renshaw, Tyler Gunn, Alex Beck) |
3:17.00 | Gold Coast, Australia | 12 June 2021 |
| South American record[15] |  Colombia
(Jhon Perlaza, Lina Licona, Nicolás Salinas, Evelis Aguilar) |
3:14.48 | Mexico City, Mexico | 7 April 2024 |
Qualification
[edit]Sixteen national teams could qualify for this event. Fourteen teams qualified during two rounds of the mixed 4 × 400 metres relay, eight teams in round 1 and six teams in a repechage round, at the 2024 World Athletics Relays in Nassau, The Bahamas, on 4 and 5 May 2024. The remaining two teams that qualified were those with the highest ranking on the World Athletics top list based on performances from 31 December 2022 to 30 June 2024.[16][17]
| Qualification event | Teams | Nations | |
|---|---|---|---|
| World Athletics Relays | round 1 | 8 | |
| repechage round | 6 | ||
| World Athletics top list | 2 | ||
Results
[edit]Round 1
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Sixteen teams competed in the two heats of the first round on 2 August in the evening, starting at 19:10 (UTC+2). Eight teams, the first three in each heat (Q) and the next two fastest overall (q), qualified for the final.[2]
In the first heat, the team of the United States, consisting of Vernon Norwood, Shamier Little, Bryce Deadmon, and Kaylyn Brown, was leading from the first to the last leg and finished in a new world record (WR) of 3.07.41 min, more than a second faster than the previous world record and more than three seconds faster than the other teams. The French team set a national record (NR) of 3:10.60 min, the Belgian team set a national record (NR) of 3:10.74 min, and the Jamaican team set a national record (NR) of 3:11.06 min. Although they didn't advance to the final, the Swiss team also set a national record (NR) of 3:12.77 min.[2]
Jason Henderson of Athletics Weekly called it "a runaway relay victory" for the team of the United States.[18] Marcus Thompson II of The New York Times said about the American runners: "Judging by the aggression of their legs, the quartet had every intention of going for the world-record mark. It was top of mind heading into the race."[19] In an interview after the race, Deadmon said: "I ain’t think we (were) gon’ do that today." and "I was running down the back stretch on the last curve, and I was like, ... 'Damn! It's kinda loud in here.' So that was definitely a great experience."[19]
In the second heat, the team of Great Britain set a national record (NR) of 3:10.61 min. The Nigerian team also set a national record (NR) of 3:11.99 min, although they didn't advance to the final.[2]
Final
[edit]Eight teams competed in the final on 3 August in the evening, starting at 20:55 (UTC+2). During the race it was lightly raining.[1]
In the opening leg, Alexander Doom of Belgium was the first to hand over the baton, followed by Vernon Norwood of the United States and Samuel Reardon of Great Britain; Eugene Omalla of the Netherlands handed over in sixth position. In the second leg, Shamier Little of the United States moved into the leading position and handed over before Helena Ponette of Belgium, Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands, who had moved up from sixth position at the start of this leg, and Laviai Nielsen of Great Britain. In the third leg, Jonathan Sacoor of Belgium brought his team back in the lead at the handover, and he was followed by Bryce Deadmon of the United States, Alex Haydock-Wilson of Great Britain, and Isaya Klein Ikkink of the Netherlands. In the anchor leg, Femke Bol of the Netherlands first caught up with Naomi Van den Broeck of Belgium between 200 and 300 metres and then Bol also passed Amber Anning of Great Britain and Kaylyn Brown of the United States in the last 100 metres.[1][20]
The team of the Netherlands won the race in a European record (AR) of 3:07.43 min, 0.02 s slower than the world record set the day before, followed by the team of the United States in second place in 3:07.74 min and the team of Great Britain in third place in a national record (NR) of 3:08.01 min. Outside the medals, the Belgian team set a national record (NR) of 3:09.36 min.[1] The French team was disqualified (DQ) for obstructing other runners (TR17.1.2) at the third handover.[1][21] The fastest male runner was Sacoor who had a split time of 44.01 s and the fastest female runner was Bol with a 48.00 s split.[1]
Mark Puleo of The New York Times reported that the "Netherlands' legendary 400-meter star is making a surprise appearance in the mixed 4x400m," seeing the 400 metres hurdles as Bol's main event.[22] Lori Ewing of Reuters wrote that "Femke Bol ran a stunning last lap to lead the Netherlands to victory".[23] Jason Henderson of Athletics Weekly said about Bol: "The tall Dutch athlete was a scintillating sight as she took the Netherlands from a fighting fourth and up into first place."[24] Rohan Nadkarni of NBC News called Bol's anchor leg overcoming three runners to win gold "one of Paris' signature moments".[3] And Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad called the Dutch victory "Sensational!" in its headline.[25]
In an interview after the race, Bol said: "I just went for it. We just wanted a medal this time, we didn't think it would be gold, just a medal. Well, we got gold and are the Olympic champions. It is absolutely crazy for a small country like ours."[23] Anning said about the final stage of the race, referring to Brown and Bol: "I saw my teammate in front of me so I wanted to keep pushing but I knew Femke was coming. I just didn’t want to let off, they had done the job but I just had to finish it off. I wanted a medal and I was just doing my part in getting there. I've got a great team and all I could do was finish what they had started."[26] Norwood said about his relay team: "We did exactly what we needed to do. We are still world record holders and I can't be more proud of us."[23]
| Rank | Lane | Nation | Competitors | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
7 |  Netherlands
|
Eugene Omalla, Lieke Klaver, Isaya Klein Ikkink, Femke Bol | 3:07.43 | AR |
|
5 | United States
|
Vernon Norwood, Shamier Little, Bryce Deadmon, Kaylyn Brown | 3:07.74 | |
|
8 |  Great Britain
|
Samuel Reardon, Laviai Nielsen, Alex Haydock-Wilson, Amber Anning | 3:08.01 | NR |
| 4 | 4 |  Belgium
|
Alexander Doom, Helena Ponette, Jonathan Sacoor, Naomi Van den Broeck | 3:09.36 | NR |
| 5 | 2 |  Jamaica
|
Reheem Hayles, Junelle Bromfield, Zandrion Barnes, Stephenie Ann McPherson | 3:11.67 | |
| 6 | 9 |  Italy
|
Luca Sito, Giancarla Trevisan, Edoardo Scotti, Alice Mangione | 3:11.84 | |
| 7 | 3 | Poland
|
Maksymilian Szwed, Justyna Święty-Ersetic, Karol Zalewski, Alicja Wrona-Kutrzepa | 3:12.39 | |
| 6 |  France
|
Muhammad Abdallah Kounta, Louise Maraval, Fabrisio Saïdy, Amandine Brossier | DQ | TR17.1.2 |
Aftermath
[edit]In May 2025, Omalla sold his gold medal of the mixed 4 × 400 metres relay for $57,000 through Heritage Auctions.[27][28][29] When he was criticized, Omalla released a statement on social media: "I understand that my decision to auction the medal may have come across to some as an act of greed or lack of respect. That's why I want to make this clear: it's not about financial problems, and it's definitely not meant to enrich myself."[30] Omalla, who had lived in Uganda and had represented this African nation before representing the Netherlands, said about the intended purpose of the proceeds: "A large part of the proceeds will go to my parents' charity, Child's Destiny of Hope (CDhope), an organization that works for children in Uganda through education, health care, and life-improving support. The rest will be used to support my family – people who sacrificed everything so that I could pursue my dreams."[27][30]
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g "Athletics – 4 x 400m Relay Mixed – Final – Results – Revised", Olympics.com, 5 August 2024. Archived 16 August 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ a b c d e "Athletics – 4 x 400m Relay Mixed – Round 1 – Results – Revised", Olympics.com, 3 August 2024. Archived 16 August 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ a b Rohan Nadkarni, "Olympics recap: What you missed in swimming, gymnastics, track and field, and more", NBC News, 4 August 2024. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
- ^ "4x400 Metres Relay", World Athletics. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ "Key competition decisions made at 227th World Athletics Council Meeting" (press release), World Athletics, 15 March 2022. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ a b c Wilson, Steve (31 July 2021). "Poland makes history with Olympic mixed 4x400m win". World Athletics. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ^ "Paris 2024 - Olympic Schedule - Athletics", Olympics.com. Archived 24 March 2024. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
- ^ a b "All time Top lists – Senior – 4 x 400 Metres Relay mixed", World Athletics, 29 June 2024. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
- ^ a b "Season Top Lists – Senior 2024 – 4 x 400 Metres Relay mixed", World Athletics, 2024. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
- ^ "Toplists – All time Top lists – Senior – 4x400 Metres Relay mixed – Africa", World Athletics. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ "Toplists – All time Top lists – Senior – 4x400 Metres Relay mixed – Asia", World Athletics. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ "Toplists – All time Top lists – Senior – 4x400 Metres Relay mixed – Europe", World Athletics. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ "Toplists – All time Top lists – Senior – 4x400 Metres Relay mixed – North and Central America", World Athletics. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ "Toplists – All time Top lists – Senior – 4x400 Metres Relay mixed – Oceania", World Athletics. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ "Toplists – All time Top lists – Senior – 4x400 Metres Relay mixed – South America", World Athletics. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ Sean McAlister, "How to qualify for athletics at Paris 2024. The Olympics qualification system explained", Olympics.com, 20 December 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
- ^ a b "Road to Paris 24 – Mixed 4x400 Metres Relay", World Athletics. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ Jason Henderson, "World record for United States in mixed 4x400m in Paris", Athletics Weekly, 18 February 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ a b Marcus Thompson II, "U.S. mixed relay team sets world record in 4×400 prelim, but eyes more: ‘We’re going to do it again’", The New York Times, 2 August 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ "What a Finish! 💨 | Mixed 4x400m Relay Final Highlights | #Paris2024 #Olympics", Eurosport on YouTube, 3 August 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ "Paris 2024 : Kounta (Efsra Reims) disqualifié avec le relais mixte 4 x 400 m" (in French), L'Union, 3 August 2024. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
- ^ Mark Puleo, "Bol leads the Netherlands to gold in the 4x400m mixed relay!", The New York Times, 3 August 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ a b c "Inspired Bol leads Dutch to mixed relay glory", Reuters, 3 August 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ Jason Henderson, "Femke Bol's amazing anchor seals mixed relay gold for Netherlands", Athletics Weekly, 18 February 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ "Sensationeel! Estafetteploeg verrast topfavoriet VS en knalt na inhaalrace van Femke Bol naar goud" (in Dutch), Algemeen Dagblad, 3 August 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ "Bronze for Mixed 4x400m relay at Paris 2024", British Athletics, 3 August 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ a b "Nederlandse atleet Omalla veilt zijn sensationele gouden medaille van Parijs" (in Dutch), NOS, 9 May 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
- ^ "2024 Paris Summer Olympics Gold Medal Presented to Netherlands | LOT #82227", Heritage Auctions. Archived 31 May 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
- ^ "Omalla veilde olympisch goud voor 57.000 dollar voor goed doel: 'Een grote zegen'" (in Dutch), NOS, 9 June 2025. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Atleet Omalla legt veiling olympische medaille uit: 'Geld gaat naar goed doel en familie'" (in Dutch), NOS, 12 May 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
External links
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