| | Event type

4 x 400 metres Relay, Men

Date	19 – 20 August 2016
Status	Olympic
Location	Estádio Olímpico João Havelange, Engenho de Dentro, Rio de Janeiro
Participants	68 from 16 countries

The United States was favored, with the other medals expected to be contested by Jamica, the Bahamas, and Belgium, who ran three Borlée brothers. All four teams made the final, as expected. Isaac Makwala put Botswana into a surprising lead, with the US second on the first leg. Tony McQuay ran 43.5 on the second leg to move the US into the lead, which they would not relinquish. Botswana remained in a surprising second through three legs, but struggled on the final leg, and finished fifth. The US won gold with LaShawn Merritt running a 43.97 anchor as Jamaica took the silver medal and the Bahamas the bronze, narrowly beating out Belgium.

Pos	Nr	Team	NOC	R1	Final
1	–	United States	USA	2:58.38 (2 h1)	2:57.30 (1)	Gold
		Arman Hall • Tony McQuay • Gil Roberts • LaShawn Merritt • Kyle Clemons • David Verburg
2	–	Jamaica	JAM	2:58.29 (1 h1)	2:58.16 (2)	Silver
		Peter Matthews • Nathon Allen • Fitzroy Dunkley • Javon Francis • Rusheen McDonald
3	–	The Bahamas	BAH	2:59.64 (2 h2)	2:58.49 (3)	Bronze
		Alonzo Russell • Michael Mathieu • Steven Gardiner • Chris Brown • Stephen Newbold
4	–	Belgium	BEL	2:59.25 (1 h2)	2:58.52 (4)
		Julien Watrin • Jonathan Borlée • Dylan Borlée • Kévin Borlée
5	–	Botswana	BOT	2:59.35 (3 h1)	2:59.06 (5)
		Isaac Makwala • Karabo Sibanda • Onkabetse Nkobolo • Leaname Maotoanong
6	–	Cuba	CUB	3:00.16 (3 h2)	2:59.53 (6)
		William Collazo • Adrián Chacón • Osmaidel Pellicier • Yoandys Lescay
7	–	Poland	POL	2:59.58 (4 h1)	3:00.50 (7)
		Łukasz Krawczuk • Michał Pietrzak • Jakub Krzewina • Rafał Omelko
8	–	Brazil	BRA	3:00.43 (4 h2)	3:03.28 (8)
		Pedro Burmann • Alexander Russo • Peterson dos Santos • Hugo Balduíno
5 h1 r1/2	–	France	FRA	3:00.82 (5 h1)	–
		Mame-Ibra Anne • Teddy Atine-Venel • Mamadou Kassé Hanne • Thomas Jordier
5 h2 r1/2	–	Dominican Republic	DOM	3:01.76 (5 h2)	–
		Yon Soriano • Luguelín Santos • Luis Charles • Gustavo Cuesta
6 h2 r1/2	–	Venezuela	VEN	3:02.69 (6 h2)	–
		Arturo Ramírez • Omar Longart • Alberth Bravo • Freddy Mezones
6 h1 r1/2	–	Colombia	COL	3:01.84 (6 h1)	–
		Anthony Zambrano • Diego Palomeque • Carlos Lemos • Jhon Perlaza
7 h1 r1/2	–	Japan	JPN	3:02.95 (7 h1)	–
		Julian Walsh • Tomoya Tamura • Takamasa Kitagawa • Nobuya Kato
AC h1 r1/2	–	Trinidad and Tobago	TTO	– (DQ h1)	–		DQ
		Jarrin Solomon • Lalonde Gordon • Deon Lendore • Machel Cedenio
AC h2 r1/2	–	Great Britain	GBR	[2:58.88] (DQ h2)	–		DQ
		Nigel Levine • Delano Williams • Matt Hudson-Smith • Martyn Rooney
AC h2 r1/2	–	India	IND	[3:02.24] (DQ h2)	–		DQ
		Kunhu Muhammed Puthanpurakkal • Mohammad Anas Yahiya • Ayyasamy Dharun • Arokia Rajiv

Round One (19 August 2016)

Top three in each heat and next two fastest advanced to the final.

Heat One (21:10)

Pos	Nr	Team	NOC	Time (A)	Split (Pos)	Reaction Time
1	4	Jamaica	JAM	2:58.29		0.160	Q
	–	Rusheen McDonald		45.8	45.8 (8)
	–	Peter Matthews		44.4	1:30.22 (4)
	–	Nathon Allen		43.52	2:13.74 (1)
	–	Javon Francis		44.55	2:58.29 (1)
2	5	United States	USA	2:58.38		0.142	Q
	–	Arman Hall		45.3	45.3 (3)
	–	Tony McQuay		43.4	1:28.81 (1)
	–	Kyle Clemons		44.98	2:13.79 (2)
	–	David Verburg		44.59	2:58.38 (2)
3	2	Botswana	BOT	2:59.35		0.199	Q
	–	Isaac Makwala		45.0	45.0 (1)
	–	Karabo Sibanda		43.9	1:28.97 (2)
	–	Onkabetse Nkobolo		45.23	2:14.20 (3)
	–	Leaname Maotoanong		45.15	2:59.35 (3)
4	6	Poland	POL	2:59.58		0.140	q
	–	Łukasz Krawczuk		45.7	45.7 (7)
	–	Michał Pietrzak		44.7	1:30.44 (5)
	–	Jakub Krzewina		44.72	2:15.16 (5)
	–	Rafał Omelko		44.42	2:59.58 (4)
5	8	France	FRA	3:00.82		0.161
	–	Mame-Ibra Anne		45.5	45.5 (4)
	–	Teddy Atine-Venel		45.0	1:30.55 (6)
	–	Mamadou Kassé Hanne		45.04	2:15.59 (6)
	–	Thomas Jordier		45.23	3:00.82 (5)
6	1	Colombia	COL	3:01.84		0.167
	–	Anthony Zambrano		45.6	45.6 (5)
	–	Diego Palomeque		45.3	1:30.93 (7)
	–	Carlos Lemos		45.53	2:16.46 (7)
	–	Jhon Perlaza		45.38	3:01.84 (6)
7	3	Japan	JPN	3:02.95		0.148
	–	Julian Walsh		45.7	45.7 (6)
	–	Tomoya Tamura		45.5	1:31.29 (8)
	–	Takamasa Kitagawa		45.36	2:16.65 (8)
	–	Nobuya Kato		46.3	3:02.95 (7)
DQ	7	Trinidad and Tobago	TTO	–		[0.150]		1
	–	Jarrin Solomon		45.0	45.0 (1)
	–	Lalonde Gordon		44.4	1:29.49 (3)
	–	Deon Lendore		44.78	2:14.27 (4)
	–	Machel Cedenio		–	– (–)

Heat Two (21:20)

Pos	Nr	Team	NOC	Time (A)	Split (Pos)	Reaction Time
1	3	Belgium	BEL	2:59.25		0.207	Q
	–	Julien Watrin		45.7	45.7 (3)
	–	Jonathan Borlée		44.1	1:29.90 (2)
	–	Dylan Borlée		45.2	2:15.10 (2)
	–	Kévin Borlée		44.15	2:59.25 (1)
2	6	The Bahamas	BAH	2:59.64		0.149	Q
	–	Alonzo Russell		45.2	45.2 (1)
	–	Chris Brown		44.6	1:29.91 (3)
	–	Steven Gardiner		44.9	2:14.81 (1)
	–	Stephen Newbold		44.83	3:00.16 (2)
3	7	Cuba	CUB	3:00.16		0.158	Q
	–	William Collazo		46.0	46.0 (6)
	–	Adrián Chacón		44.5	1:30.55 (5)
	–	Osmaidel Pellicier		45.4	2:15.95 (5)
	–	Yoandys Lescay		44.21	3:00.16 (3)
4	4	Brazil	BRA	3:00.43		0.161	q
	–	Pedro Burmann		45.3	45.3 (2)
	–	Alexander Russo		45.0	1:30.45 (4)
	–	Peterson dos Santos		45.02	2:15.47 (4)
	–	Hugo Balduíno		44.96	3:00.43 (4)
5	5	Dominican Republic	DOM	3:01.76		0.206
	–	Yon Soriano		46.3	46.3 (8)
	–	Luguelín Santos		44.4	1:30.83 (6)
	–	Luis Charles		45.92	2:16.75 (7)
	–	Gustavo Cuesta		45.01	3:01.76 (5)
6	8	Venezuela	VEN	3:02.69		0.164
	–	Arturo Ramírez		46.1	46.1 (7)
	–	Omar Longart		45.2	1:31.44 (8)
	–	Alberth Bravo		44.7	2:16.14 (6)
	–	Freddy Mezones		46.55	3:02.69 (6)
DQ	1	Great Britain	GBR	[2:58.88]		[0.164]		2
	–	Nigel Levine		45.7	45.7 (4)
	–	Delano Williams		44.0	1:29.81 (1)
	–	Matt Hudson-Smith		45.32	2:15.13 (3)
	–	Martyn Rooney		43.75	2:58.88 (AC)
DQ	2	India	IND	[3:02.24]		[0.187]		3
	–	Kunhu Muhammed Puthanpurakkal		45.9	45.9 (5)
	–	Mohammad Anas Yahiya		45.1	1:31.03 (7)
	–	Ayyasamy Dharun		46.55	2:17.58 (8)
	–	Arokia Rajiv		44.66	3:02.24 (AC)

Final (20 August 2016 — 22:35)

Pos	Nr	Team	NOC	Time (A)	Split (Pos)	Reaction Time
1	5	United States	USA	2:57.30		0.152
	–	Arman Hall		45.3	45.3 (2)
	–	Tony McQuay		43.2	1:28.54 (1)
	–	Gil Roberts		44.79	2:13.33 (1)
	–	LaShawn Merritt		43.97	2:57.30 (1)
2	3	Jamaica	JAM	2:58.16		0.283
	–	Peter Matthews		45.5	45.5 (4)
	–	Nathon Allen		44.0	1:29.56 (3)
	–	Fitzroy Dunkley		44.82	2:14.38 (4)
	–	Javon Francis		43.78	2:58.16 (2)
3	6	The Bahamas	BAH	2:58.49		0.163
	–	Alonzo Russell		45.3	45.3 (3)
	–	Michael Mathieu		45.1	1:30.50 (5)
	–	Steven Gardiner		43.79	2:14.29 (3)
	–	Chris Brown		44.2	2:58.49 (3)
4	4	Belgium	BEL	2:58.52		0.192
	–	Julien Watrin		46.0	46.0 (8)
	–	Jonathan Borlée		44.1	1:30.14 (4)
	–	Dylan Borlée		44.71	2:14.85 (5)
	–	Kévin Borlée		43.67	2:58.52 (4)
5	7	Botswana	BOT	2:59.06		0.195
	–	Isaac Makwala		44.8	44.8 (1)
	–	Karabo Sibanda		43.9	1:28.84 (2)
	–	Onkabetse Nkobolo		44.94	2:13.78 (2)
	–	Leaname Maotoanong		45.28	2:59.06 (5)
6	8	Cuba	CUB	2:59.53		0.144
	–	William Collazo		45.8	45.8 (6)
	–	Adrián Chacón		44.7	1:30.60 (6)
	–	Osmaidel Pellicier		45.33	2:15.93 (7)
	–	Yoandys Lescay		43.6	2:59.53 (6)
7	2	Poland	POL	3:00.50		0.160
	–	Łukasz Krawczuk		45.9	45.9 (7)
	–	Michał Pietrzak		44.9	1:30.97 (7)
	–	Jakub Krzewina		44.94	2:15.91 (6)
	–	Rafał Omelko		44.59	3:00.50 (7)
8	1	Brazil	BRA	3:03.28		0.172
	–	Pedro Burmann		45.5	45.5 (5)
	–	Alexander Russo		45.4	1:31.00 (8)
	–	Peterson dos Santos		46.18	2:17.18 (8)
	–	Hugo Balduíno		46.1	3:03.28 (8)