Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay

Last updated

Contents

Men's 4 × 100 metres relay
at the Games of the XXXII Olympiad
Jacobs and Tortu 2020.jpg
Marcell Jacobs and Filippo Tortu, two members of the Italian national track relay team, gold medal winner.
Venue Olympic Stadium
Dates5 August 2021 (round 1)
6 August 2021 (final)
Competitors64 from 16 nations
Winning time37.50
Medalists
Gold medal icon.svg Lorenzo Patta
Marcell Jacobs
Fausto Desalu
Filippo Tortu
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy
Silver medal icon.svg Aaron Brown
Jerome Blake
Brendon Rodney
Andre De Grasse
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Bronze medal icon.svg Tang Xingqiang
Xie Zhenye
Su Bingtian
Wu Zhiqiang
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China
  2016
2024  

The men's 4 × 100 metres relay event at the 2020 Summer Olympics took place on 5 and 6 August 2021 at the Olympic Stadium. [1] There were 16 competing relay teams, with each team having 5 members from which 4 were selected in each round. [2]

Summary

During the final, Chijindu Ujah gave Great Britain the lead out of the blocks, Japan's Shuhei Tada and Canada's Aaron Brown also gaining relative to the stagger. At the first handoff, Ujah passed efficiently to Zharnel Hughes, pulling away from Jamaica to their inside. On the outside, Ryota Yamagata left too early for Tada to catch him inside the zone, Japan unable to make the handoff and ending their race. Down the backstretch, 100 metres champion Marcell Jacobs received the baton from Lorenzo Patta and opened up space on Xie Zhenye to his inside, pulling Italy into contention, with Canada's pass from Jerome Blake to Brendon Rodney keeping them in the mix. China loaded up their third leg with ace Su Bingtian pulling back some ground on GBR's Richard Kilty, while Jamaica had Yohan Blake, the second fastest man in history, running the bend. Kilty passed efficiently to Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, while Wu Zhiqiang had to slow down and look back to find Su with the baton, costing China the chance to battle for gold. Italy passed from Fausto Desalu to Filippo Tortu about metre down from team GB. Behind China, Jamaica and Germany, Rodney passed to Canada's star Andre De Grasse almost 5 metres behind. From there De Grasse took off, passing three teams to move into third place, while over the final 50 metres Tortu produced a burst of speed combined with a perfectly executed final dip to take gold on the line. Italy had set a new national record with a time of 37.50, the 19th fastest performance ever and the 2021 world lead. China equalled their national record with 37.79, while Ghana was disqualified from 7th place because of a faulty baton pass.

During the Olympics, British athlete CJ Ujah tested positive for anabolic agent ostarine and steroid-like S-23 (drug), and was provisionally suspended, confirmed on 14 September by B-sample. [3] [4] On 18 February 2022, the British team was disqualified and officially stripped of the silver medal. [5] [6] [7] The International Olympic Committee requested all members of Great Britain's relay team to return their medals. Canada's relay team was upgraded to silver, and China's relay team was upgraded to bronze. [8] This was also the first ever medal for Team China in an Olympic athletics relay event. The medal reallocation ceremony of the bronze medal was held at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium on 4 October 2023 after all the events of the Asian Games ended on that day, along with the medal reallocation ceremony of women's 20 km walk of London 2012.

Background

This was the 25th 4 x 100 relay; it has been run every Olympics since 1912.

Qualification

National Olympic Committees (NOCs) could qualify one relay team in one of three following ways: [2] [9]

A total of five athletes may be entered for a relay team. Should a NOC have also entered individual athletes in the corresponding individual event (100 m), the entered individual athletes must be included in the total of five (5) athletes entered for the relay event. In addition of five, NOCs can nominate a maximum of one alternate athlete for each team.

The qualifying period was originally from 1 May 2019 to 29 June 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the period was suspended from 6 April 2020 to 30 November 2020, with the end date extended to 29 June 2021. The qualifying time standards could be obtained in various meets during the given period that have the approval of the IAAF. Both indoor and outdoor meets are eligible. The most recent Area Championships may be counted in the ranking, even if not during the qualifying period. [2] [10]

Qualified teams

A total of 16 NOCs qualified. Entry number: 16 teams of 5 athletes each (80), plus alternates.

Qualification standardNo. of teamsQualified teams
2019 World Championships in Athletics
Finalists
8Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China
Flag of France.svg  France
Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
2021 World Athletics Relays
Further finalists
4Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany
Flag of Ghana.svg  Ghana
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy
World Athletics Top List
(as of 29 June 2021)
4Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada [11]
Flag of Jamaica.svg  Jamaica [12]
Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Trinidad and Tobago [13]
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey [14]

Top list before competition

Source: 4x100 Metres Relay - men - senior - outdoor - 2021

  1. 38.27 Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain, 1st in Gateshead (GBR), on 13 July 2021
  2. 38.29 Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China, 1st in Shenzhen (CHN), on 20 March 2021
  3. 38.29 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada, 2nd in Gateshead, on 13 July 2021
  4. 38.32 Flag of Germany.svg  Germany, 1st at Sportanlage am Weinweg, Regensburg (GER) 20 June 2021
  5. 38.33 Flag of Jamaica.svg  Jamaica, 1st at GC Foster College, Spanish Town (JAM) 8 May 2021
  6. 38.45 Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil, 1h2 at Stadion Śląski, Chorzów (POL) 1 May 2021
  7. 38.45 Flag of Italy.svg  Italy, 1h3 at Stadion Śląski, Chorzów (POL) 1 May 2021
  8. 38.49 Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa, 2h3 at Stadion Śląski, Chorzów (POL) 1 May 2021 (DQ)
  9. 38.53 Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria, 1st at Yabatech Sport Complex, Lagos (NGR) 27 June 2021, first non-qualifier
  10. 38.56 Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands, 1st at Centre sportif du Bout-du-Monde, Genève (SUI) 12 June 2021
  11. 38.60 Florida State Seminoles (Flag of the United States.svg  United States), 3rd at Hayward Field, Eugene (USA) 11 June 2021

Season's bests for the other qualified teams:

  1. 38.79 Flag of Ghana.svg  Ghana, 2h1 at Stadion Śląski, Chorzów (POL), on 1 May 2021
  2. 38.94 Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey, 2f1 in Cluj-Napoca (ROU), on 19 June 2021
  3. 38.98 Flag of Japan.svg  Japan, 3h2 at Stadion Śląski, Chorzów (POL), on 1 May 2021
  4. 39.06 Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark, 4h2 at Stadion Śląski, Chorzów (POL), on 1 May 2021
  5. 39.08 Flag of France.svg  France, 3h3 at Stadion Śląski, Chorzów (POL), on 1 May 2021
  6. 39.63 Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Trinidad and Tobago, 2nd at The Bahamas National Stadium, Nassau (BAH) 28 June 2021

Competition format

The event continued to use the two-round format introduced in 2012. [15]

Records

Prior to this competition, the existing world, Olympic, and area records were as follows.

World recordFlag of Jamaica.svg  Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Yohan Blake, Usain Bolt  (JAM)36.84 London, United Kingdom 11 August 2012
Olympic recordFlag of Jamaica.svg  Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Yohan Blake, Usain Bolt  (JAM)36.84 London, United Kingdom 11 August 2012
AreaTime (s)AthleteNation
Africa ( records )37.65Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa
Asia ( records )37.43Flag of Japan.svg Japan
Europe ( records )37.36Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain
North, Central America
and Caribbean
( records )
36.84 WR Flag of Jamaica.svg Jamaica
Oceania ( records )38.17Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia
South America ( records )37.72Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil

The following national records were established during the competition:

CountryAthleteRoundTimeNotes
Italy Lorenzo Patta, Marcell Jacobs, Fausto Desalu, Filippo Tortu Heats37.95
Final37.50 WL
Ghana Sean Safo-Antwi, Benjamin Azamati-Kwaku, Emmanuel Yeboah, Joseph Amoah Heats38.08
Denmark Simon Hansen, Tazana Kamanga-Dyrbak, Kojo Musah, Frederik Schou-Nielsen Heats38.16
China Tang Xingqiang, Xie Zhenye, Su Bingtian, Wu Zhiqiang Final37.79=NR

Schedule

All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)

The men's 4 × 100 metres relay took place over two consecutive days. [1]

DateTimeRound
Thursday, 5 August 202111:30Heats
Friday, 6 August 202122:50Final

Results

Results are from World Athletics: [16]

Heats

Qualification Rules: First 3 in each heat (Q) and the next 2 fastest (q) advance to the Final

Heat 1

RankLaneNationCompetitorsReactionTimeNotes
15Flag of Jamaica.svg  Jamaica Jevaughn Minzie, Julian Forte, Yohan Blake, Oblique Seville .14637.82 Q, WL
24Flag of Japan.svg  Japan Shuhei Tada, Ryota Yamagata, Yoshihide Kiryū, Yuki Koike .14738.16 Q, SB
39Flag of France.svg  France Mouhamadou Fall, Jimmy Vicaut, Méba-Mickaël Zeze, Ryan Zeze .15638.18 SB
42Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil Rodrigo do Nascimento, Felipe Bardi dos Santos, Derick Silva, Paulo André de Oliveira .14038.34 SB
58Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Trinidad and Tobago Kion Benjamin, Eric Harrison Jr., Akanni Hislop, Richard Thompson .15038.63 SB
6Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Joris van Gool, Taymir Burnet, Chris Garia, Churandy Martina .146 DNF
7Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa Clarence Munyai, Shaun Maswanganyi, Chederick van Wyk, Akani Simbine .150 DNF
3Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain CJ Ujah, Zharnel Hughes, Richard Kilty, Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake .152DQ (38.02)R 41.1

Heat 2

RankLaneNationCompetitorsReactionTimeNotes
14Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China Tang Xingqiang, Xie Zhenye, Su Bingtian, Wu Zhiqiang .15237.92 (37.916) Q, SB
29Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Aaron Brown, Jerome Blake, Brendon Rodney, Andre De Grasse .17737.92 (37.918) Q, SB
35Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Lorenzo Patta, Marcell Jacobs, Fausto Desalu, Filippo Tortu .17037.95 Q, NR
46Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Julian Reus, Joshua Hartmann, Deniz Almas, Lucas Ansah-Peprah .13438.06 q, SB
58Flag of Ghana.svg  Ghana Sean Safo-Antwi, Benjamin Azamati-Kwaku, Emmanuel Yeboah, Joseph Amoah .13738.08 q, NR
63Flag of the United States.svg  United States Trayvon Bromell, Fred Kerley, Ronnie Baker, Cravon Gillespie .14838.10 SB
77Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark Simon Hansen, Tazana Kamanga-Dyrbak, Kojo Musah, Frederik Schou-Nielsen .14338.16 NR
2Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey Ertan Özkan, Jak Ali Harvey, Kayhan Özer, Ramil Guliyev .146 DQ

Final

RankLaneNationCompetitorsReactionTimeNotes
Gold medal icon.svg8Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Lorenzo Patta, Marcell Jacobs, Fausto Desalu, Filippo Tortu 0.15437.50 WL, NR
Silver medal icon.svg4Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Aaron Brown, Jerome Blake, Brendon Rodney, Andre De Grasse 0.14837.70 SB
Bronze medal icon.svg7Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China Tang Xingqiang, Xie Zhenye, Su Bingtian, Wu Zhiqiang 0.15337.79=NR
45Flag of Jamaica.svg  Jamaica Jevaughn Minzie, Julian Forte, Yohan Blake, Oblique Seville 0.15837.84
53Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Julian Reus, Joshua Hartmann, Deniz Almas, Lucas Ansah-Peprah 0.13638.12
9Flag of Japan.svg  Japan Shuhei Tada, Ryota Yamagata, Yoshihide Kiryū, Yuki Koike 0.139 DNF
2Flag of Ghana.svg  Ghana Sean Safo-Antwi, Benjamin Azamati-Kwaku, Emmanuel Yeboah, Joseph Amoah 0.160DQR 170.7[ citation needed ]
DQ6Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain CJ Ujah, Zharnel Hughes, Richard Kilty, Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake 0.141DQ (37.51)R 41.1

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4 × 100 metres relay</span> Track and field relay event covering 400 metres

The 4 × 100 metres relay or sprint relay is an athletics track event run in lanes over one lap of the track with four runners completing 100 metres each. The first runners must begin in the same stagger as for the individual 400 m race. Each runner carries a relay baton. Before 2018, the baton had to be passed within a 20 m changeover box, preceded by a 10-metre acceleration zone. With a rule change effective November 1, 2017, that zone was modified to include the acceleration zone as part of the passing zone, making the entire zone 30 metres in length. The outgoing runner cannot touch the baton until it has entered the zone, and the incoming runner cannot touch it after it has left the zone. The zone is usually marked in yellow, frequently using lines, triangles or chevrons. While the rule book specifies the exact positioning of the marks, the colours and style are only "recommended". While most legacy tracks will still have the older markings, the rule change still uses existing marks. Not all governing body jurisdictions have adopted the rule change.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silesian Stadium</span> Stadium in Chorzów, Poland

The Silesian Stadium is a sport stadium located on the premises of Silesian Park in Chorzów, Poland. The stadium has a fully covered capacity of 54,378, after a recent refurbishment completed in October 2017. The stadium hosted many Poland national football team matches and for many decades was Poland's national stadium. After the National Stadium in Warsaw was completed, the Silesian Stadium lost that role. The stadium was not in operation between 2009 and 2017 due to its ongoing reconstruction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruno de Barros</span> Brazilian sprinter (born 1987)

Bruno Lins Tenório de Barros is a Brazilian sprinter who specializes in the 200 metres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CJ Ujah</span> British sprinter

Chijindu "CJ" Ujah is a British athlete, specializing as a sprinter. The lead-off runner of the Great Britain 4 × 100 metres relay team that won both the World title in 2017 and the European title in 2016 and 2018, he also won the title in the 100 metres at the 2017 Diamond League final.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zharnel Hughes</span> British sprinter (born 1995)

Zharnel Hughes is an Anguilla-born British sprinter who specialises in the 100 metres and 200 metres. Born and raised in the British Overseas Territory of Anguilla, he has competed internationally for Great Britain in the Olympic Games, World Athletics and European Athletics events, and for England at the Commonwealth Games, since 2015. A double Commonwealth Games, double European Championships gold medalist as part of the 4 x 100 metres relay, Hughes has twice been European champion individually; over 100 metres in 2018, and 200 metres in 2022. In 2023, he broke both British sprint records, before winning his first global individual medal, a bronze in the 100 metres at the 2023 World championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics</span> Olympics event

Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics were held during the last ten days of the Games. They were due to be held from 31 July – 9 August 2020, at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the games were postponed to 2021, with the track and field events set for 30 July – 8 August. The sport of athletics at these Games was split into three distinct sets of events: track and field events, remaining in Tokyo, and road running events and racewalking events, moved to Sapporo. A total of 48 events were held, one more than in 2016, with the addition of a mixed relay event.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake</span> British sprinter (born 1994)

Nethaneel Joseph Mitchell-Blake is a British sprinter who specialises in the 200 metres ad the 4 x 100 metre relay. He was the 2013 European Junior Champion and his personal best of 19.95 seconds ranks him as the second-fastest in Britain of all-time in the individual event. He is only the second Briton, after Adam Gemili to break both 10 seconds for 100 metres and 20 seconds for 200 metres. Part of the Great Britain 4 x 100-metre relay team that won the World title in 2017, he won his first major individual honour, a silver medal, in the individual 200 metres at the 2018 European Athletics Championships before claiming another relay title running for Great Britain, the eventual gold medalists, in the heats of the 4 x 100 metres.On 18 February 2022 it was announced that Nethaneel and his teammates CJ Ujah, Zharnel Hughes and Richard Kilty would be stripped of their 4 × 100 metres relay 2020 Summer Olympics silver medals after the Court of Arbitration for Sport found CJ Ujah guilty of a doping violation. Four years later, Mitchell-Blake won the bronze medal in the same event at the 2024 Summer Olympics, along with Hughes and Kilty, in addition to debutants Jeremiah Azu and Louie Hinchliffe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natalia Kaczmarek</span> Polish sprinter (born 1998)

Natalia Kaczmarek is a Polish sprinter who specialises in the 400 metres. She is the 2024 European champion as well as the European silver medalist from 2022. She also won the bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Kaczmarek earned several global medals as part of 4 x 400 m relays, including gold in the mixed event and silver in the women's event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

For the athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics competitions, the following qualification systems were in place. Qualification ended on 29 June 2021, but for marathon and 50 km race walking, it ended on 31 May 2021. Some 1900 athletes, from 196 countries, competed. 103 countries qualified also through Universality places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Summer Olympics medal table</span> Award

The 2020 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan, from 23 July to 8 August 2021. The Games were postponed by one year as part of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports. However, the Games was referred to by its original date in all medals, uniforms, promotional items, and other related media in order to avoid confusion in future years. A total of 11,417 athletes from 206 nations participated in 339 events in 33 sports across 50 different disciplines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metres</span> Olympic athletics event

The men's 100 metres event at the 2020 Summer Olympics took place on 31 July and 1 August 2021 at the Olympic Stadium. 84 athletes were expected to compete; 27 nations used universality places to enter athletes in addition to the 56 qualifying through standard time or ranking. 78 athletes from 59 nations competed. Marcell Jacobs won the gold medal, establishing twice, semifinal and final, the new European record, as well as collecting Italy's first medal in the men's 100 metres. The United States extended its podium streak in the event to six Games with Fred Kerley's silver - after he placed only third at the U.S. trials. Canadian Andre De Grasse won his second consecutive bronze medal in the 100 metres, while running a personal best. With Usain Bolt retired, Jamaica's three Games gold medal streak ended.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metres</span> Olympic athletics event

The women's 100 metres event at the 2020 Summer Olympics took place on 30 and 31 July 2021 at the Japan National Stadium. 71 athletes from 55 nations competed at the event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay</span> Olympic athletics event

The women's 4 × 100 metres relay event at the 2020 Summer Olympics took place on 5 and 6 August 2021 at the Japan National Stadium. There were 16 competing relay teams, with each team having 5 members from which 4 were selected in each round.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 400 metres relay</span> Olympic athletics event

The women's 4 × 400 metres relay event at the 2020 Summer Olympics took place on 5 and 7 August 2021 at the Japan National Stadium. There were 16 competing relay teams, with each team having at least 5 members from which 4 were selected in each round.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Mixed 4 × 400 metres relay</span> Olympic athletics event

The mixed 4 × 400 metres relay event at the 2020 Summer Olympics took place on 30 and 31 July 2021 at the Japan National Stadium. There were 16 competing relay teams, with each team having four members. It was the first mixed-gender relay in athletics held at the Olympic Games, as part of a larger focus on gender equality by the International Olympic Committee.

The men's 4 × 100 metres relay at the 2021 World Athletics Relays has been held at the Silesian Stadium on 1 and 2 May.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 World Athletics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay</span>

The men's 4 × 100 metres relay at the 2022 World Athletics Championships was held at the Hayward Field in Eugene on 22 and 23 July 2022.

The men's 4 × 100 metres relay at the 2023 World Athletics Championships was held at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest on 25 and 26 August 2023. It was the 19th edition of this relay at the World Athletics Championships since 1983.

References

  1. 1 2 "Athletics Competition Schedule". Tokyo 2020. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "Qualification System – Games of the XXXI Olympiad – Athletics" (PDF). IAAF . Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  3. "Olympic silver medalist Chijindu Ujah provisionally suspended for doping violation".
  4. "GB's Ujah suspended after positive test". BBC Sport.
  5. "Media Release. Decision rendered by the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS ADD). Chijindu Ujah - Athletics" (PDF). TAS / CAS. 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  6. "Britain stripped of Tokyo Olympics 4x100m silver as CAS upholds Ujah doping violation". Reuters. 18 February 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  7. "Great Britain lose Tokyo Olympics relay medal after doping violation". BBC Sport. 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  8. Events from Sochi 2014 and Tokyo 2020 to have medals and diplomas reallocated
  9. "IAAF to follow other sports with world ranking system for athletes". BBC Sport. 7 March 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  10. "Olympic qualification period suspended until 1 December 2020". World Athletics. 6 April 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  11. 37.91 at Khalifa International Stadium, Doha (QAT) - 04 OCT 2019
  12. 38.15 at Khalifa International Stadium, Doha (QAT) - 04 OCT 2019
  13. 38.46 in Lima (PER) - 09 AUG 2019
  14. 38.47 at International, Yokohama (JPN) - 11 MAY 2019
  15. "Athletics Explanatory Guide" (PDF). Tokyo 2020. August 2019.
  16. "World Athletics". www.worldathletics.org. Retrieved 21 March 2022.