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 and the women's event has been continuously held since the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam. It is the most prestigious 4 × 100 m relay race at elite level.

The competition has two parts: a first round and an eight-team final. Historically, there has been a semi-final round, but this has been eliminated as selection is now determined by time – the sixteen fastest nations during a pre-Olympic qualification period are entered. Since 1988, teams may enter up to six athletes for the event. Larger nations typically have two reserves runners in the first round in order to preserve the fitness of their top runners for the final. Heat runners of medal-winning teams receive medals even if they did not run in the final.

The Olympic records for the event were both set at the 2012 Olympic Games in London: the Jamaican men's team ran 36.84 seconds and the American women's team won with 40.82 seconds, both of them world records. The men's world record has been broken and equalled at the Olympics on numerous occasions. The record was set at six consecutive editions from 1912 to 1936, then five straight editions from 1956 to 1972. Since then, the men's Olympic final has been won in a world record time in 1984, 1992, and 2012. The women's world record has been similarly linked to the Olympics: the record was broken on the first three occasions it was contested as an Olympic event (1928 to 1936). It was then improved at six successive Olympics from 1952 to 1972. The women's world record at the 2012 Olympic Games ended the forty-year absence of such a feat.

The United States is by far the most successful nation in the event. The country has won the men's race 15 times and the women's race on 12 occasions. The American men were dominant historically, accruing eight straight wins from 1920 to 1956, but have also logged numerous disqualifications (chiefly due to baton pass failures), including five straight from 2008 to 2024 (also in 1912, 1960, and 1988). The American women took four consecutive gold medals from 1984 to 1996. As of 2016, no other country has won more than three golds in the men's or women's event. Jamaica (four wins, nine medals), Canada (three wins, ten medals), Great Britain (two wins, fifteen medals) and the Soviet Union (two wins, eleven medals) are the next most successful nations.Athletics Men's 4 × 100 metres Relay Medalists. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-07.Athletics Women's 4 × 100 metres Relay Medalists. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-07.

Participants in this event are often competitors in the 100 metres and 200 metres individual Olympic events (and, less commonly, the sprint hurdles). Frank Wykoff and Evelyn Ashford are the most successful athletes in the event, having each won three gold medals. In terms of total career medals, the most successful is Jamaica's Veronica Campbell-Brown with four (one gold and three silvers). Only eight other athletes have won three medals in the event: Marlies Göhr (twice champion), Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (once champion), Aaron Brown (once champion), Brendon Rodney (once champion), Andre De Grasse (once champion), Lyudmila Zharkova, Dina Asher-Smith, and Daryll Neita.

Medal summary Men

Multiple medalists Rank Athlete Nation OlympicsGoldSilverBronze Total 1 1928–1936 3 0 0 3 2 1920-1924 2 0 0 2 1948–1952 2 0 0 2 1980–1988 2 0 0 2 1984–1992 2 0 0 2 2008–2016 2 0 0 2 2012–2016 2 0 0 2 2012–2016 2 0 0 2 9 2016–2024 1 1 1 3 2016–2024 1 1 1 3 2016–2024 1 1 1 3 12 1992–1996 1 1 0 2 1992–1996 1 1 0 2 1996–2000 1 1 0 2 15 1996–2000 1 1 0 2 2000–2004 1 1 0 2 2008–2012 1 1 0 2 2008–2012 1 1 0 2 2008–2012 1 1 0 2 2008–2012 1 1 0 2 2020–2024 1 1 0 2 22 1976–1980 1 0 1 2 23 1928–1932 0 2 0 2 1952–1956 0 2 0 2 1952–1956 0 2 0 2 1956–1960 0 2 0 2 1956–1960 0 2 0 2 2004–2012 0 2 0 2 29 1924–1928 0 1 1 2 1932–1936 0 1 1 2 1972–1976 0 1 1 2 1972–1976 0 1 1 2 1996–2000 0 1 1 2 1996–2000 0 1 1 2 2000–2008 0 1 1 2 36 1964–1968 0 0 2 2 1964–1968 0 0 2 2

Medals by country Rank NationGoldSilverBronze Total 1 15 2 0 17 2 2 4 1 7 3 2 3 3 8 4 2 1 2 5 5 2 1 0 3 6 1 2 2 5 7 1 1 2 4 8 1 1 0 2 9 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 11 0 1 5 6 12 0 1 2 3 0 1 2 3 14 0 1 1 2 0 1 1 2 16 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 18 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 The German total includes teams both competing as Germany and the United Team of Germany, but not East or West Germany.

Women

Multiple medalists Rank Athlete Nation OlympicsGoldSilverBronze Total 1 1984–1992 3 0 0 3 2 1976–1988 2 1 0 3 3 1932–1936 2 0 0 2 1984–1988 2 0 0 2 1992–1996 2 0 0 2 1992–1996 2 0 0 2 2012–2016 2 0 0 2 2012–2016 2 0 0 2 9 2000–2016 1 3 0 4 10 2012–2020 1 2 0 3 11 1948–1956 1 1 0 2 1964–1968 1 1 0 2 1972–1976 1 1 0 2 1972–1976 1 1 0 2 1980–1988 1 1 0 2 1996–2000 1 1 0 2 1996–2000 1 1 0 2 1996–2000 1 1 0 2 1996–2000 1 1 0 2 1996–2000 1 1 0 2 2000–2004 1 1 0 2 2000–2004 1 1 0 2 2004–2012 1 1 0 2 2016-2020 1 1 0 2 2020-2024 1 1 0 2 26 1952–1956 1 0 1 2 1956–1960 1 0 1 2 1956–1960 1 0 1 2 1956–1960 1 0 1 2 1996–2000 1 0 1 2 31 Lyudmila Zharkova 1968–1980 0 1 2 3 2016–2024 0 1 2 3 2016–2024 0 1 2 3 34 1932–1936 0 1 1 2 1952–1956 0 1 1 2 1968–1972 0 1 1 2 1968–1972 0 1 1 2 1976–1980 0 1 1 2 1988–1992 0 1 1 2 1996–2000 0 1 1 2 2016–2024 0 1 1 2 2020–2024 0 1 1 2 43 1980–1984 0 0 2 2 1980–1984 0 0 2 2 1980–1984 0 0 2 2 2016–2020 0 0 2 2

Medals by country Rank NationGoldSilverBronze Total 1 12 2 2 16 2 2 3 1 6 3 2 2 0 4 4 1 2 2 5 5 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 2 8 1 0 1 2 9 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 11 0 3 6 9 12 0 3 2 5 13 0 1 3 4 14 0 1 1 2 0 1 1 2 16 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 18 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 The German total includes teams both competing as Germany and the Unified Team of Germany, but not East or West Germany.

Finishing times Top ten fastest Olympic times

+ Fastest men's times at the OlympicsRankTime (sec)NationAthletesGamesRoundDate 1 36.84 (WR) Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Yohan Blake, Usain Bolt 2012 Final 11 August 2 37.27 Asafa Powell, Yohan Blake, Nickel Ashmeade, Usain Bolt 2016 Final 19 August 3 37.39 Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Yohan Blake, Kemar Bailey-Cole 2012 Heats 10 August 4 37.40 Michael Marsh, Leroy Burrell, Dennis Mitchell, Carl Lewis 1992 Final 8 August 5 37.47 Christian Coleman, Fred Kerley, Kyree King, Courtney Lindsey 2024 Heats 8 August 6= 37.50 Lorenzo Patta, Marcell Jacobs, Eseosa Desalu, Filippo Tortu 2020 Final 6 August 6= 37.50 Aaron Brown, Jerome Blake, Brendon Rodney, Andre De Grasse 2024 Final 9 August 8 37.57 Bayanda Walaza, Shaun Maswanganyi, Bradley Nkoana, Akani Simbine 2024 Final 9 August 9 37.60 Ryota Yamagata, Shota Iizuka, Yoshihide Kiryu, Asuka Cambridge 2016 Final 19 August 10= 37.61 Jon Drummond, Bernard Williams, Brian Lewis, Maurice Greene2000 Final 30 September 10= 37.61 Jeremiah Azu, Louie Hinchliffe, Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, Zharnel Hughes 2024 Final 9 August

+ Fastest women's times at the OlympicsRankTime (sec)NationAthletesGamesRoundDate 1 40.82 (WR) Tianna Madison, Allyson Felix, Bianca Knight, Carmelita Jeter 2012 Final 11 August 2 41.01 Tianna Bartoletta, Allyson Felix, English Gardner, Tori Bowie 2016 Final 19 August 3 41.02 Briana Williams, Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson 2020 Final 6 August 4 41.36 Christania Williams, Elaine Thompson, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce 2016 Final 19 August 5 41.41 Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Sherone Simpson, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Kerron Stewart 2012 Final 11 August 6 41.45 Javianne Oliver, Teahna Daniels, Jenna Prandini, Gabrielle Thomas 2020 Final 6 August 7 41.55 Asha Philip, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Dina Asher-Smith, Daryll Neita 2020 Heats 5 August 8 41.60 Romy Müller, Bärbel Wöckel, Ingrid Auerswald, Marlies Göhr 1980 Final 1 August 9 41.64 Tianna Madison, Jeneba Tarmoh, Bianca Knight, Lauryn Williams 2012 Heats 10 August 10 41.65 Alice Brown, Jeanette Bolden, Chandra Cheeseborough, Evelyn Ashford 1984 Final 11 August

References Participation and athlete data Athletics Men's 4 × 100 metres Relay Medalists. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-07. Athletics Women's 4 × 100 metres Relay Medalists. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-07. Olympic record progressions Mallon, Bill (2012). TRACK & FIELD ATHLETICS - OLYMPIC RECORD PROGRESSIONS. Track and Field News. Retrieved on 2014-02-07. Specific

External links IAAF 4×100 metres relay homepage Official Olympics website Olympic athletics records from Track & Field News