The mixed 4 × 400 metres relay is a mixed-sex 4 × 400 metres relay in which teams field two men and two women. Since March 2022, team members have to run in the order man-woman-man-woman. It was introduced at the 2017 IAAF World Relays and was then held at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Qatar.
| Athletics Mixed 4 × 400 metres relay | |
|---|---|
| World records | |
| Mixed |  United States (Vernon Norwood (M), Shamier Little (F), Bryce Deadmon (M), Kaylyn Brown (F)) 3:07.41 (2024) |
| Olympic records | |
| Mixed | United States (Vernon Norwood (M), Shamier Little (F), Bryce Deadmon (M), Kaylyn Brown (F)) 3:07.41 (2024) |
| World Championship records | |
| Mixed | United States (Justin Robinson (M), Rosey Effiong (F), Matthew Boling (M), Alexis Holmes (F)) 3:08.80 (2023) |
Background
editPart of the rationale for the event was that should teams put their men and women in different orders, there will be excitement in seeing large leads being reversed when men and women are running against each other.[1] All the teams in the finals at the 2017 IAAF World Relays ran man-woman-woman-man.[1] In the final of the event's World Athletics Championship debut in 2019, all but one team chose a man-woman-woman-man order, with the exception of Poland, who chose man-man-woman-woman.[2] In March 2022, the rule was changed so that every team must use the order man-woman-man-woman.[3]
Michael Johnson commentating at the 2019 World Athletics Championships expressed a concern that, while entertaining, the mixed 4 × 400 metres event contributes to an overly busy schedule.[2]
Poland won the inaugural Olympic 4 × 400 metres mixed relay at the 2020 Summer Olympics, held in 2021.[4]
Records
editWorld and Olympic Record
edit| Mixed Outdoor World Record & Olympic Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country | Members | Place | Date | Time |
| Vernon Norwood, Shamier Little, Bryce Deadmon, Kaylyn Brown | Saint-Denis, France | 2 August 2024 | 3:07.41 | |
| Mixed Indoor World Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonexistent[5] |
Continental records
edit- Updated 10 August 2024.[6]
| Area | Time | Competition / Venue | Athletes | Nation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Africa (records) | 3:11.88 A | 2024 Athletics Kenya Olympic Trials | Zablon Ekhal Ekwam, Mary Moraa, Kelvin Sane Tauta, Mercy Chebet | |
| Asia (records) | 3:11.82 | 2019 World Athletics Championships | Musa Isah, Aminat Yusuf Jamal, Salwa Eid Naser, Abbas Abubakar Abbas | |
| Europe (records) | 3:07.43[note 1] | 2024 Summer Olympics | Eugene Omalla, Lieke Klaver, Isaya Klein Ikkink, Femke Bol | |
| North, Central America and Caribbean (records) |
3:07.41 WR | 2024 Summer Olympics | Vernon Norwood, Shamier Little, Bryce Deadmon, Kaylyn Brown | |
| Oceania (records) | 3:17.00 | Performance Centre, Gold Coast (Runaway Bay, Australia) | Bendere Oboya, Anneliese Rubie-Renshaw, Tyler Gunn, Alex Beck | |
| South America (records) | 3:14.48 | Encuentro FMAA César Moreno Bravo | Jhon Perlaza, Lina Licona, Nicolás Salinas, Evelis Aguilar |
Notes
edit- ^ Awaiting ratification
World record progression
editMain Article: Mixed 4 x 400 Metres relay world record progression
The first world record recognised by the IAAF was set by the US team at 3:12.42 in the first heat at the 2019 World Athletics Championships on 28 September 2019,[7] beating a prior world best by the US set in 2016. The US team then set a new record of 3:09.34 in the final the next day.[8] During the 2023 World Athletics Championships, team USA bested the previous record with a time of 3:08:80. Team USA further improved the record in the first heat at the 2024 Olympics with a time of 3:07:41.[9]
Awaiting ratification
| Time | Team | Date | Competition | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3:12.42 | 2019-09-28 | 2019 World Athletics Championships | Tyrell Richard, Jessica Beard, Jasmine Blocker, Obi Igbokwe | |
| 3:09.34 | 2019-09-29 | 2019 World Athletics Championships | Wilbert London, Allyson Felix, Courtney Okolo, Michael Cherry | |
| 3:08.80 | 2023-08-09 | 2023 World Athletics Championships | Justin Robinson, Rosey Effiong, Matthew Boling, Alexis Holmes | |
| 3:07.41 | 2024-08-02 | 2024 Summer Olympics | Vernon Norwood, Shamier Little, Bryce Deadmon, Kaylyn Brown |
All-Time Top 25
edit- Correct as of August 2024.
All-Time Top 10 by Country
edit- Correct as of August 2024.
Olympic medalists
edit| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3:09.87 OR, AR | 3:10.21 NR | 3:10.22 SB | |||
| 2024 | 3:07.43 AR | 3:07.74 | 3:08.01 NR | |||
World Athletics Championships
edit| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 3:09.34 WR | 3:11.78 NR | 3:11.82 AR | |||
| 2022 | 3:09.82 NR | 3:09.90 NR | 3:10.16 | |||
| 2023 | 3:08.80 WR | 3:11.06 NR | 3:11.98 NR | |||
World Athletics Relays
edit| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 3:14.42 CR | 3:17.29 | 3:20.26 | |||
| 2019 | 3:16.43 | 3:18.15 | 3:19.43 | |||
| 2021 | 3:16.60 | 3:17.54 | 3:17.58 | |||
| 2024 | 3:10.73 CR | 3:11.45 | 3:11.53 | |||
References
edit- ^ a b Bloom, Ben (28 September 2019). "The mixed gender 4x400 metre relay - what you need to know ahead of World Championships debut". The Telegraph.
- ^ a b "World Athletics Championships", BBC 2, 29 September 2019
- ^ Vernon, Dan (15 March 2022). "Key competition decisions made at 227th World Athletics Council Meeting". World Athletics.
- ^ "Olympic News - Sports News, Events & Athletes". Archived from the original on 5 October 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
- ^ "4x400 Metres Relay - mixed - senior - all". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
- ^ "Stats | World Athletics | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
- ^ "World Athletics Championships Doha2019 - 4X400 Metres Relay Mixed - Heats Summary". Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ^ a b "World Athletics Championships Doha2019 - Results 4 × 400 m Relay Mixed − Final" (PDF). IAAF. 29 September 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Paris Olympics 2024 - 4 x 400m Relay Mixed Round 1 Results". Olympics.com. 3 August 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Paris Olympics 2024 - 4 x 400m Relay Mixed Final Results". Olympics.com. 3 August 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ "World Athletics Championships Budapest23 - Results - 4 x 400 Metres Relay Mixed - Final" (PDF). World Athletics. 19 August 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
- ^ a b c d "World Athletics Championships Oregon22 - Mixed 4 × 400 m Relay Final Results" (PDF). World Athletics. 15 July 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
- ^ a b c d e "The XXXII Olympic Games Tokyo - Mixed 4x400 Metres Relay". Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ^ a b c "European Athletics Championships 2024 Rome - Mixed 4X400 Metres Relay - Final". Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ^ "Mixed 4 x 400 Metres Relay - Round 1 Results Summary" (PDF). World Athletics. 19 August 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
- ^ a b "4 x 400m Mixed Relay Heat 2 - 2020 Olympics" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 July 2021.
- ^ "FINAL | 4x400 Metres Relay | Results | Bahamas 24 | World Athletics Relays". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ a b Mike Rowbottom (8 June 2024). "European champions! Inspired Ireland storm to inaugural mixed 4x400m title". European Athletics. Retrieved 8 June 2024.