4 × 400 metres Relay, Women

The United States did not necessarily have the best squad of 400 metre runners but they were the heavy favorites, pulling in Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Shamier Little from the 400 hurdles, and Gabby Thomas from the 200 metres, where she won gold. The Netherlands was expected to challenge them, led by Femke Bol and Lieke Klaver, and surprising Ireland, led by Rhasidat Adeleke, was looking for a spot on the podium. The only surprise of the heats was that Poland, runner-up to the USA at the 2024 World Athletics Relay, finished sixth in heat two and did not advance.

The final was, to be charitable, not close. Little opened in 49.48 to put the USA over ¾-of-a-second ahead of Klaver and the Netherlands, as she handed the baton to McLaughlin-Levrone. SML then ran 47.71, the fastest leg of the event by almost a full second, and the USA now could only lose by dropping the baton. They did not. Thomas ran the third leg in 49.30, handing off to Alexis Holmes, who finished in 48.78 to give the USA gold in 3:15.27, an American record, and the second fastest time ever run, trailing only the Soviet Union’s world record from the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

The other race, for the silver and bronze medals, went to the Netherlands, who were only fourth at the final exchange, but Femke Bol brought them home in 48.62 to move them ahead of Great Britain. Ireland had been third starting the final leg, but Amber Anning passed Sharlene Mawdsley to bring Great Britain the bronze medal. Ireland crossed in 3:19.90, as this was the first time that four teams broke 3:20 in one race. The United States’s gold medal was their eighth consecutive in this event, winning every time from 1996-2024, which is the longest national winning streak at the Olympics in any women’s athletics event.