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| Event type

4 x 400 metres Relay, Men

Date22 – 23 August 2008
StatusOlympic
LocationBeijing Guojia Tiyuchang, Beijing Aolinpike Gongyuan, Beijing
Participants70 from 16 countries

The United States had swept the medals in the 400 metre flat race and had by far the fastest team. With hand-offs less critical than in the 4x100 relay, there seemed no way for them to lose the gold medal. In the final, they used their 400 medalists, LaShawn Merritt, Jeremy Wariner, and David Neville, with 400 hurdle gold medalist Angelo Taylor running the second leg. Merritt led off with a 44.35 leg that put the US in the lead by over a second on Belgium. Taylor took over and maintained that lead, Belgium still in second at the second hand-off. Neville ran the third leg for the Americans and increased the lead over Belgium slightly to 1.28 seconds as he handed the baton to Wariner. Wariner ran 43.18 on the anchor to win the gold medal for the Americans by over 25 metres. Belgium was still in second at the bell, but they had placed their three best runners up front and they were passed by four teams on the final lap, eventually finishing fifth. The Bahamas and Russia closed quickly on the final leg to get the silver and bronze medals, respectively.

That was how the event and the results seemed to have ended. In 2015, however, the IOC began re-testing samples from the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics, using newer, more advanced testing techniques, in an effort to find those who had used performance enhancing drugs (PEDs), but in whom it could not be detected at the time of those Olympics. This was one of the many events affected.

In September 2016 Russian Denis Alekseyev was disqualified for a positive re-test for turinabol (dehydrochloromethyltestosterone). Alekseyev had also competed in the 400 metres but did not advance out of the first round. In the relay, his positive test caused the Russian team to be disqualified, with the bronze medal re-assigned to Great Britain.

PosNrTeamNOCR1Final
1United StatesUSA2:59.98 (1 h1)2:55.39 (1)Gold
LaShawn MerrittAngelo TaylorDavid NevilleJeremy WarinerKerron ClementReggie WitherspoonCalvin Smith (DNS)Darold Williamson (DNS)
2The BahamasBAH2:59.88 (2 h2)2:58.03 (2)Silver
Andretti BainMichael MathieuAndrae WilliamsChris BrownAvard MoncurRamon Miller
3Great BritainGBR2:59.33 (1 h2)2:58.81 (3)Bronze
Andrew SteeleRob TobinMichael BinghamMartyn RooneyRichard Buck (DNS)Dale Garland (DNS)
4BelgiumBEL3:00.67 (2 h1)2:59.37 (4)
Kévin BorléeJonathan BorléeCédric Van BranteghemArnaud GhislainNils Duerinck (DNS)
5AustraliaAUS3:00.68 (3 h1)3:00.02 (5)
Sean WroeJohn SteffensenClinton HillJoel MilburnMark OrmrodDylan Grant (DNS)
6PolandPOL3:00.74 (4 h1)3:00.32 (6)
Rafał WieruszewskiPiotr KlimczakPiotr KędziaMarek PlawgoKacper Kozłowski (DNS)Piotr Wiaderek (DNS)
7JamaicaJAM3:00.09 (3 h2)3:01.45 (7)
Michael BlackwoodRicardo ChambersSanjay AyreLansford SpenceAllodin FothergillMarvin Essor (DNS)
4 h2 r1/2GermanyGER3:03.49 (4 h2)
Simon KirchKamghe GabaRuwen FallerBastian SwillimsFlorian Seitz (DNS)
5 h2 r1/2Trinidad and TobagoTTO3:04.12 (5 h2)
Ato ModiboJovon ToppinCowin MillsStann WaitheZwede Hewitt (DNS)
6 h1 r1/2South AfricaRSA3:01.26 (5 h1)
Pieter SmithOfentse MogawaneAlwyn MyburghL. J. van ZylSibusiso Sishi (DNS)
6 h2 r1/2JapanJPN3:04.18 (6 h2)
Mitsuhiro AbikoDai TamesueYoshihiro HorigomeKenji NarisakoHitoshi Saito (DNS)
7 h1 r1/2CubaCUB3:02.24 (6 h1)
Yunier PérezYúnior DíazWilliam CollazoOmar CisnerosYasmani Copello (DNS)
7 h2 r1/2GreeceGRE3:04.30 (7 h2)
Stelios DimotsiosDimitrios GravalosPantelis MelachroinoudisKostas AnastasiouGiorgios Ntoupis (DNS)
8 h1 r1/2FranceFRA3:03.19 (7 h1)
Teddy VenelYdrissa M'BarkéBrice PanelRichard MaunierNicolas Fillon (DNS)
8 h2 r1/2Dominican RepublicDOM3:04.31 (8 h2)
Carlos SantaArismendy PegueroPedro MejíaYoel TapiaYon Soriano (DNS)
DQRussian FederationRUS[3:00.14] (DQ h1)[2:58.06] (DQ)1
Maksim DyldinVladislav FrolovAnton KokorinDenis Alekseyev 2Konstantin Svechkar (DNS)Ivan Buzolin (DNS)

Round One (22 August 2008)

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

Heat One (20:10)

PosNrTeamNOCTime (A)Split (Pos)Reaction Time
1United StatesUSA2:59.980.184Q
3209David Neville44.9244.92 (1)
3149Kerron Clement44.501:29.42 (1)
3261Reggie Witherspoon44.632:14.05 (1)
3239Angelo Taylor45.932:59.98 (1)
2BelgiumBEL3:00.670.264Q
1134Cédric Van Branteghem45.5245.52 (3)
1123Jonathan Borlée44.741:30.26 (2)
1133Arnaud Ghislain46.162:16.42 (5)
1124Kévin Borlée44.253:00.67 (3)
3AustraliaAUS3:00.680.165q
1049Joel Milburn44.9644.96 (2)
1072Mark Ormrod45.391:30.35 (3)
1054John Steffensen45.462:15.81 (2)
1043Clinton Hill44.873:00.68 (4)
4PolandPOL3:00.740.240q
2605Marek Plawgo45.9045.90 (6)
2590Piotr Klimczak44.471:30.37 (4)
2589Piotr Kędzia45.952:16.32 (4)
2626Rafał Wieruszewski44.423:00.74 (5)
5South AfricaRSA3:01.260.268
2724Pieter Smith45.7445.74 (5)
2721Ofentse Mogawane45.121:30.86 (6)
2733Alwyn Myburgh46.052:16.91 (6)
2734L. J. van Zyl44.353:01.26 (6)
6CubaCUB3:02.240.266
1499Yunier Pérez45.9545.95 (7)
1450Yúnior Díaz45.921:31.87 (7)
1486William Collazo46.012:17.88 (8)
1452Omar Cisneros44.363:02.24 (7)
7FranceFRA3:03.190.183
1769Teddy Venel46.3846.38 (8)
1751Ydrissa M'Barké45.691:32.07 (8)
1759Brice Panel45.592:17.66 (7)
1750Richard Maunier45.533:03.19 (8)
DQRussian FederationRUS[3:00.14][0.187]Q3
2770Maksim Dyldin45.5845.58 (4)
2804Vladislav Frolov44.881:30.46 (5)
2812Anton Kokorin45.422:15.88 (3)
2768Denis Alekseyev[44.26][3:00.14] ([2])4

Heat Two (20:22)

PosNrTeamNOCTime (A)Split (Pos)Reaction Time
1Great BritainGBR2:59.330.250Q
1838Andrew Steele45.2845.28 (2)
1839Rob Tobin45.081:30.36 (1)
1789Michael Bingham44.502:14.86 (1)
1830Martyn Rooney44.472:59.33 (1)
2The BahamasBAH2:59.880.172Q
1096Michael Mathieu45.5945.59 (4)
1087Avard Moncur44.941:30.53 (3)
1088Ramon Miller45.102:15.63 (3)
1101Andrae Williams44.252:59.88 (2)
3JamaicaJAM3:00.090.241Q
2149Michael Blackwood45.3445.34 (3)
2147Allodin Fothergill45.141:30.48 (2)
2179Sanjay Ayre45.012:15.49 (2)
2166Ricardo Chambers44.603:00.09 (3)
4GermanyGER3:03.490.186
1882Simon Kirch46.8546.85 (7)
1884Kamghe Gaba44.411:31.26 (5)
1864Ruwen Faller45.612:16.87 (4)
1904Bastian Swillims46.623:03.49 (4)
5Trinidad and TobagoTTO3:04.120.196
3022Ato Modibo45.1745.17 (1)
3014Jovon Toppin45.921:31.09 (4)
3003Cowin Mills46.602:17.69 (6)
3026Stann Waithe46.433:04.12 (5)
6JapanJPN3:04.180.195
2221Mitsuhiro Abiko46.7046.70 (6)
2192Dai Tamesue46.531:33.23 (8)
2187Yoshihiro Horigome45.332:18.56 (8)
2217Kenji Narisako45.623:04.18 (6)
7GreeceGRE3:04.300.160
1961Stelios Dimotsios46.8646.86 (8)
1958Dimitrios Gravalos45.661:32.52 (7)
1959Pantelis Melachroinoudis45.152:17.67 (5)
1964Kostas Anastasiou46.633:04.30 (7)
8Dominican RepublicDOM3:04.310.176
1550Carlos Santa46.5046.50 (5)
1546Arismendy Peguero45.711:32.21 (6)
1547Pedro Mejía46.312:18.52 (7)
1548Yoel Tapia45.793:04.31 (8)

Final (23 August 2008 — 21:05)

PosNrTeamNOCTime (A)Split (Pos)Reaction Time
1United StatesUSA2:55.390.336OR
3205LaShawn Merritt44.3544.35 (1)
3239Angelo Taylor43.701:28.05 (1)
3209David Neville44.162:12.21 (1)
3253Jeremy Wariner43.182:55.39 (1)
2The BahamasBAH2:58.030.297
1098Andretti Bain45.9245.92 (6)
1096Michael Mathieu44.041:29.96 (3)
1101Andrae Williams44.022:13.98 (3)
1095Chris Brown44.052:58.03 (2)
3Great BritainGBR2:58.810.246
1838Andrew Steele45.6945.69 (5)
1839Rob Tobin44.781:30.47 (6)
1789Michael Bingham44.612:15.08 (6)
1830Martyn Rooney43.732:58.81 (4)
4BelgiumBEL2:59.370.166
1124Kévin Borlée45.4345.43 (2)
1123Jonathan Borlée43.621:29.05 (2)
1134Cédric Van Branteghem44.442:13.49 (2)
1133Arnaud Ghislain45.882:59.37 (5)
5AustraliaAUS3:00.020.212
1059Sean Wroe46.0746.07 (8)
1054John Steffensen45.261:31.33 (8)
1043Clinton Hill44.412:15.74 (8)
1049Joel Milburn44.283:00.02 (6)
6PolandPOL3:00.320.180
2626Rafał Wieruszewski46.0246.02 (7)
2590Piotr Klimczak44.541:30.56 (7)
2589Piotr Kędzia45.102:15.66 (7)
2605Marek Plawgo44.663:00.32 (7)
7JamaicaJAM3:01.450.196
2149Michael Blackwood45.6045.60 (4)
2166Ricardo Chambers44.471:30.07 (4)
2179Sanjay Ayre44.862:14.93 (5)
2164Lansford Spence46.523:01.45 (8)
DQRussian FederationRUS[2:58.06][0.220]5
2770Maksim Dyldin45.5245.52 (3)
2804Vladislav Frolov44.641:30.16 (5)
2812Anton Kokorin44.342:14.50 (4)
2768Denis Alekseyev43.562:58.06 (3)6