Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay

The women's 4 × 100 metres relay at the 2004 Summer Olympics as part of the athletics program was held at the Athens Olympic Stadium from August 26 to 27.<ref name="SR">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The sixteen teams competed in a two-heat qualifying round in which the first three teams from each heat, together with the next two fastest teams, were given a place in the final race.

The final started off quickly with an early lead from Jamaica, before the U.S. team, led by Angela Williams, made a tactical move to pass their Jamaican rivals towards the exchange zone. Marion Jones ran the second leg confidently to put the Americans a more decent lead, until she finally approached the 100 metres silver medalist Lauryn Williams to do the handoff. By the time Williams was about to move off her mark on the third leg, Jones lunged out of breath with baton and desperately tried to catch her at the exchange zone that never happened, costing the Americans' chances for the Olympic medal.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> As the race continued without the U.S. team, the Jamaicans, anchored by 200 metres champion Veronica Campbell, scorched their way down the home stretch to an effortless victory in 41.73 seconds. They were soon followed by Russia taking the silver, and the French quartet rounding out the medal podium with the bronze.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:TOC limit

Records

Template:As of, the existing World and Olympic records were as follows.

No new records were set during the competition.

Qualification

The qualification period for athletics was 1 January 2003 to 9 August 2004. A National Olympic Committee (NOC) could enter one qualified relay team per relay event, with a maximum of six athletes. For this event, an NOC would be invited to participate with a relay team if the average of the team's two best times, obtained in IAAF-sanctioned meetings or tournaments, would be among the best sixteen, at the end of this period.

Schedule

All times are Greece Standard Time (UTC+2)

Date	Time	Round
Thursday, 26 August 2004	22:00	Round 1
Friday, 27 August 2004	22:45	Final

Results

Round 1

Qualification rule: The first three teams in each heat (Q) plus the next two fastest overall (q) moved on to the final.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Heat 1

Rank	Lane	Nation	Competitors	Time	Notes
1	1	Template:FlagIOC	LaTasha Colander, Lauryn Williams, Marion Jones, Angela Williams	41.67	Q, =SB
2	6	Template:FlagIOC	Debbie Ferguson, Shandria Brown, Chandra Sturrup, Tamicka Clarke	43.02	Q, SB
3	4	Template:FlagIOC	Kim Gevaert, Élodie Ouédraogo, Lien Huyghebaert, Katleen De Caluwé	43.08	Q, NR
4	3	Template:FlagIOC	Luciana dos Santos, Rosemar Coelho Neto, Lucimar de Moura, Kátia Regina Santos	43.12
5	2	Template:FlagIOC	Norma González, Digna Luz Murillo, Felipa Palacios, Melisa Murillo	43.30
6	8	Template:FlagIOC	Katja Wakan, Birgit Rockmeier, Marion Wagner, Sina Schielke	43.64	SB
7	5	Template:FlagIOC	Zhanna Block, Tetyana Tkalich, Maryna Maydanova, Iryna Kozhemyakina	43.77
8	7	Template:FlagIOC	Maria Karastamati, Marina Vasarmidou, Effrosíni Patsoú, Georgia Kokloni	44.45	SB

Heat 2

Rank	Lane	Nation	Competitors	Time	Notes
1	4	Template:FlagIOC	Larisa Kruglova, Irina Khabarova, Yuliya Tabakova, Olga Fyodorova	42.12	Q, SB
2	1	Template:FlagIOC	Aleen Bailey, Beverly McDonald, Sherone Simpson, Tayna Lawrence	42.20	Q, SB
3	8	Template:FlagIOC	Christine Arron, Sylviane Félix, Muriel Hurtis, Véronique Mang	42.98	Q
4	2	Template:FlagIOC	Endurance Ojokolo, Oludamola Osayomi, Mercy Nku, Gloria Kemasuode	43.00	q, SB
5	5	Template:FlagIOC	Aksana Drahun, Alena Neumiarzhitskaya, Natallia Safronnikava, Yulia Nestsiarenka	43.06	q
6	3	Template:FlagIOC	Misleydis Lazo, Ana López, Roxana Díaz, Virgen Benavides	43.60
Template:Hs	6	Template:FlagIOC	Annemarie Kramer, Pascal van Assendelft, Jacqueline Poelman, Joan van den Akker	Template:Abbr
Template:Hs	7	Template:FlagIOC	Ayanna Hutchinson, Wanda Hutson, Fana Ashby, Kelly-Ann Baptiste	Template:Abbr

Final

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Rank	Lane	Nation	Competitors	Time	Notes
Template:Gold01	4	Template:FlagIOC	Tayna Lawrence, Sherone Simpson, Aleen Bailey, Veronica Campbell	41.73	NR
Template:Silver02	6	Template:FlagIOC	Olga Fyodorova, Yuliya Tabakova, Irina Khabarova, Larisa Kruglova	42.27
Template:Bronze03	2	Template:FlagIOC	Veronique Mang, Muriel Hurtis, Sylviane Félix, Christine Arron	42.54
4	3	Template:FlagIOC	Tamicka Clarke, Chandra Sturrup, Shandria Brown, Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie	42.69	SB
5	1	Template:FlagIOC	Yulia Nestsiarenka, Natallia Safronnikava, Alena Neumiarzhitskaya, Aksana Drahun	42.94	NR
6	7	Template:FlagIOC	Katleen De Caluwé, Lien Huyghebaert, Elodie Ouedraogo, Kim Gevaert	43.11
7	8	Template:FlagIOC	Gloria Kemasuode, Mercy Nku, Oludamola Osayomi, Endurance Ojokolo	43.42
Template:Hs	5	Template:FlagIOC	Angela Williams, Marion Jones, Lauryn Williams, LaTasha Colander	DNF, DQ

External links

• IAAF Athens 2004 Olympic Coverage