World Championships: Men's 4x100m and 4x400m relays
The inaugural champions in the sprint relay at Helsinki were United States. On a busy night, 100m champion Carl Lewis anchored the Americans in the semi-final, then took a winning lead in the long jump before anchoring his team to victory in the final in a world record 37.86. Lewis’s time was timed as 8.98 and gave them a five-metre victory as they took 0.17 off the record.
The Americans were less fortunate in the 4x400m as Willie Smith fell on the third leg while disputing the lead. The Soviets won easily in 3:00.79, but may have won anyway with Olympic champion Viktor Markin on their last leg. Anchored by Phil Brown, Britain was a clear third with Garry Cook’s 45.12 the fastest UK leg.
Britain were stronger in 1987 and set a European record of 2:58.86 in finishing second to the USA’s 2:57.29, which was a low-altitude world best. They were anchored by future world record-holder Butch Reynolds’ 44.00. Brown anchored GB with 44.34 but even quicker was Cuba’s bronze medallist Roberto Hernandez in 43.88.
USA also won the 4x100m but Lewis had to work hard with an 8.86 anchor to overhaul the Soviets who set a European record 38.02.
Britain were disqualified in their heat but fared better in Tokyo in 1991 as Linford Christie anchored them in third with 38.09. The Americans won in a world record of 37.50, with Lewis again running the glory leg. They sensationally didn’t win the 4x400m though. Roger Black’s 44.7 gave Britain a narrow lead on leg one, Derek Redmond’s 44.0 lost ground as Quincy Watts ran a superb 43.4 for USA. Then former 200m medallist John Regis closed the gap slightly on Danny Everett with a 44.22. USA were still expected to win with individual champion Antonio Pettigrew setting off ahead with a few metres lead, but 400m hurdles bronze medallist Kriss Akabusi ran a sensational last leg to edge past the American in the last 30 metres, timing 44.59 to win by 0.04 in 2:57.53.
In Stuttgart in 1993, Britain put up a poor defence, exiting in the heats despite an Ade Mafe 44.16 anchor in the final. USA smashed the world record with Andrew Valmon (44.5), Watts (43.6), Reynolds (43.23) and Michael Johnson (42.93) combining for a brilliant 2:54.29 as they won by over five seconds from Kenya.
USA also won gold in the sprint relay but after equalling the world record of 37.40 in their semi, they ran a mere 37.48 in the final. Three metres back, a British all individual medal-winning team of Colin Jackson, Tony Jarrett, Regis and Christie took silver in a fast 37.87, just ahead of Canada.
That bronze-winning country, with 100m gold and silver medallists Donovan Bailey and Bruny Surin, then advanced to gold in Gothenburg in 1995 and, in windy conditions, won in 38.31. USA failed to finish their heat while Britain failed to make the final.
USA did win the 4x400m final easily though, with Reynolds’ 43.74 their fastest time as Britain finished in fourth.
The final in Athens in 1997 was closer with a Johnson-less USA narrowly prevailing over Britain and Jamaica in 2:56.47. Mark Richardson ran a 43.57 final leg to close on the Americans after Jamie Baulch had run 44.08 on the third leg but slowed in the straight after earlier sprinting into the lead. However, 11 years later, Pettigrew, who ran 43.1 on the second leg, would admit to drug use over this period and so USA were subsequently disqualified with Britain becoming champions.
Canada retained their 4x100m crown in Greece with Bailey anchoring with 8.94 as Britain were third and USA again messed up the baton changing in the heats.
Normal service was resumed in Seville as USA won in 37.59 though 100m champion Maurice Greene had to work hard to get past Britain’s Dwain Chambers, who completed a European record time of 37.73.
Britain’s relay team management was less successful in the 4x400m as they rested Richardson in the heats and fell a second short despite Baulch’s 44.24 last leg. In the final, USA ‘won’ but again Pettigrew’s inclusion meant a retrospective disqualification and Polish gold. Bahamas were the beneficiary in Edmonton in 2001 as USA were again removed and though Pettigrew didn’t run the heats, they lost that performance too as another retrospective drugs user, Jerome Young, ran instead. USA also lost 4x100m gold years later due to Tim Montgomery’s drugs violation, with South Africa eventually promoted to gold. Britain did not finish their heat.
In Paris in 2003, USA narrowly beat Britain with 38.06 to 38.08 but Dwain Chambers’ inclusion in the British team saw them lose their silver due to a failed drug test. USA lost another gold in the 4x400m, with this time two athletes removed and France moved up to first. Jamaica advanced to second and thus Danny McFarlane won a record fifth successive medal at any event.
USA had no drugs problems in Helsinki in 2005 and won in 2:56.91 where Jeremy Wariner ran 43.49 to hold off Bahamas’ Chris Brown with 43.42. They did have 4x100m baton problems though and exited in the heats as France won an exciting final from Trinidad and Tobago as Britain took third, In Osaka in 2007, a record four teams broke 38 seconds, with Britain again third, as USA narrowly held off Jamaica, for whom a certain Usain Bolt ran leg two with Asafa Powell anchoring in 8.84.
USA won the 4x400m much more easily, clocking 2:55.56, with Wariner’s 43.10 helping ensure a four-second victory over the Bahamas.
In Berlin in 2009, Wariner won another gold – his fifth, with this time a 43.6 on leg two as USA won easily from Great Britain. In the 4x100m, USA were disqualified in their semi-final due to an early takeover but wouldn’t have challenged Jamaica in the final, who won in the second fastest time ever of 37.31. Britain was third with Marlon Devonish winning a record fifth medal, and it would have been six but for Chambers’ drugs suspension in 2003.
Jamaica did set a world record in Daegu in 2011 with Bolt anchoring them to victory by over a second as USA and Britain collided on the final bend as both failed to finish. America did retain their 4x400m gold though but didn’t find it easy until LaShawn Merritt brought them through for victory.
Merritt again gave them victory in Moscow in 2013, although slightly more decisively. Britain’s team managers came under fire as they left their star runner from the heats, Jamie Bowie, out of the final, retaining a clearly out-of-form Michael Bingham and moved Martyn Rooney to the first leg. They ended up fourth, a second away from a medal.
Britain thought they had won a medal in the 4x100m as they finished third in 37.80 but were later adjudged to have had a faulty changeover and were disqualified as Jamaica won again in 37.36. That was Bolt’s eighth world gold to match Johnson and Lewis.
Year | Winner | Time | GB performance & time
1983 USA 37.96 5th sf 39.39
1987 USA 37.90 DQ ht
1991 USA 37.50 3rd 38.09
1993 USA 37.48 (37.40sf) 2nd 37.77
1995 Canada 38.31 5th sf 38.75
1997 Canada 37.86 3rd 38.14
1999 USA 37.59 2nd 37.73
2001 South Africa* 38.47 DNF ht
2003 USA 38.06 (37.99sf) DQ (drugs suspension 38.08 (2nd)
2005 France 38.08 3rd 38.27
2007 USA 37.78 3rd 37.90
2009 Jamaica 37.31 3rd 38.02
2011 Jamaica 37.04 DNF (38.29sf)
2013 Jamaica 37.36 DNF (38.12sf)
* USA 1st in 2001 with 37.96 annulled in 2005 due to Tim Montgomery drugs suspension
Points table (8 for 1st etc)
1. USA 63
2. JAM 52
3. GBR 44
4. CAN 33
5. ITA 27
6. GER 27
7. BRA 26
8. JPN 25
9. FRA 24
10. TRI 24
Year | Winner | Time | GB performance & time
1983 USSR 3:00.79 3rd 3:03.53
1987 USA 2:57.29 2nd 2:58.86
1991 GBR 2:57.53 (2nd USA 2:57.57)
1993 USA 2:54.29 4th ht 3:02.15
1995 USA 2:57.32 4th 3:03.75
1997 GBR* 2:56.65 (2nd JAM 2:56.75)
1999 Poland** 2:58.91 3rd ht 3:02.21
2001 Bahamas*** 2:58.19 5th 3:01.26
2003 France**** 2:58.96 4th 3:01.00
2005 USA 2:56.91 4th 2:58.82
2007 USA 2:55.56 6th 3:02.94
2009 USA 2:57.86 2nd 3:00.53
2011 USA 2:59.31 7th 3:01.16
2013 USA 2:58.71 4th 3:00.88 (3:00.50sf)
*USA 1st in 1997 with 2:56.47 annulled in 2008 due to Antonio Pettigrew drugs suspension
**USA 1st in 1999 with 2:56.45 annulled in 2008 due to Antonio Pettigrew drugs suspension
***USA 1st in 2001 with 2:57.54 annulled in 2008 due to Antonio Pettigrew drugs suspension
****USA 1st in 2003 with 2:58.88 annulled in 2009 due to Calvin Harrison/Jerome Young drugs suspension
Points table (8 for 1st etc)
1. USA 74
2. JAM 70
3. GBR 65
4. POL 38
5. BAH 31
6. FRA 27
7= GER 25
7= RUS 25
9. RSA 18
10. CUB 13
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