| Date | 18 – 19 August 2016 |
|---|---|
| Status | Olympic |
| Location | Estádio Olímpico João Havelange, Engenho de Dentro, Rio de Janeiro |
| Participants | 67 from 16 countries |
This was expected to be a battle between the Jamaicans and the Americans, with Jamaica, led by 100-200 winner Elaine Thompson, favored for the gold. They won heat one easily and their task seemed easier when the US team botched the second exchange between Allyson Felix and English Gardner. The veteran Felix made Gardner retrieve the baton and finish the race, but the US finished sixth and seemingly out of the final. The US protested, howeer, that the adjacent Brazilian runner had moved out of her lane and interfered with the Americans and the protest was upheld. The US team was allowed to run a time trial later that evening and attempt to qualify on time, requiring them to use the same lane and the same team, and the US ran 41.77 to move into the final.
The unusual circumstances forced the US out of the prime inner lanes and they had to run in lane one. Tianna Bartoletta put the Americans in the lead on the opening leg and Felix held off Thompson on the backstretch, giving Gardner a tenuous lead. Gardner pulled the US ahead with a scorching turn run, allowing 100 metre silver medallist Tori Bowie to win easily, as she pulled away from 100 bronze medallist, and 2008-12 100 gold medallist, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. The US foursome ran 41.01, the second fastest time ever.
| Date | 18 August 2016 |
|---|---|
| Format | Top three in each heat and next two fastest advanced to the final. |
| Pos | Team | NOC | Time (automatic) | Reaction Time | Original Heat Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | USA | 41.77 | 0.146 | 1:06.71 | 3 | |
| 2 | Jamaica | JAM | 41.79 | 0.165 | – | ||
| 3 | Great Britain | GBR | 41.93 | 0.133 | – | ||
| 4 | Germany | GER | 42.18 | 0.158 | – | ||
| 5 | Nigeria | NGR | 42.55 | 0.144 | – | ||
| 6 | Trinidad and Tobago | TTO | 42.62 | 0.149 | – | ||
| 7 | Canada | CAN | 42.70 | 0.141 | – | ||
| 8 | People's Republic of China | CHN | 42.70 | 0.165 | – | ||
| 9 | Netherlands | NED | 42.88 | 0.177 | – | ||
| 10 | France | FRA | 43.07 | 0.141 | – | ||
| 11 | Switzerland | SUI | 43.12 | 0.165 | – | ||
| 12 | Poland | POL | 43.33 | 0.146 | – | ||
| 13 | Ghana | GHA | 43.37 | 0.134 | – | ||
| Ukraine | UKR | [42.49] | [0.151] | – | 4 | ||
| Kazakhstan | KAZ | – | [0.161] | – | 5 | ||
| Brazil | BRA | – | [0.160] | – | 6 |
| Time | 11:20 |
|---|
| Pos | Lane | Competitors | NOC | Time (Automatic) | Reaction Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Jamaica | JAM | 41.79 | 0.165 | ||
| Lead-Off | – | Simone Facey | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | – | Shashalee Forbes | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | – | Veronica Campbell-Brown | – | – | |||
| Anchor | – | Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce | – | – | |||
| 2 | – | Great Britain | GBR | 41.93 | 0.133 | ||
| Lead-Off | – | Asha Philip | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | – | Desirèe Henry | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | – | Dina Asher-Smith | – | – | |||
| Anchor | – | Daryll Neita | – | – | |||
| 3 | – | Canada | CAN | 42.70 | 0.141 | ||
| Lead-Off | – | Farah Jacques | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | – | Crystal Emmanuel-Ahye | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | – | Phylicia George | – | – | |||
| Anchor | – | Khamica Bingham | – | – | |||
| 4 | – | People's Republic of China | CHN | 42.70 | 0.165 | ||
| Lead-Off | – | Yuan Qiqi | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | – | Wei Yongli | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | – | Ge Manqi | – | – | |||
| Anchor | – | Liang Xiaojing | – | – | |||
| 5 | – | Netherlands | NED | 42.88 | 0.177 | ||
| Lead-Off | – | Jamile Samuel | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | – | Dafne Schippers | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | – | Tessa van Schagen | – | – | |||
| Anchor | – | Naomi Sedney | – | – | |||
| 6 | – | Poland | POL | 43.33 | 0.146 | ||
| Lead-Off | – | Ewa Swoboda | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | – | Marika Popowicz-Drapała | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | – | Klaudia Konopko | – | – | |||
| Anchor | – | Anna Kiełbasińska | – | – | |||
| 7 | – | Ghana | GHA | 43.37 | 0.134 | ||
| Lead-Off | – | Flings Owusu-Agyapong | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | – | Gemma Acheampong | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | – | Beatrice Gyaman | – | – | |||
| Anchor | – | Janet Amponsah | – | – | |||
| – | Ukraine | UKR | [42.49] | [0.151] | 7 | ||
| Lead-Off | – | Olesia Povkh | – | – | 8 | ||
| 2nd Leg | – | Nataliya Pohrebniak | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | – | Mariya Riemien | – | – | |||
| Anchor | – | Yelyzaveta Bryzhina | – | – |
| Time | 11:28 |
|---|
| Pos | Lane | Competitors | NOC | Time (Automatic) | Reaction Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | Germany | GER | 42.18 | 0.158 | ||
| Lead-Off | – | Tatjana Pinto | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | – | Lisa Mayer | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | – | Gina Lückenkemper | – | – | |||
| Anchor | – | Rebekka Haase | – | – | |||
| 2 | – | Nigeria | NGR | 42.55 | 0.144 | ||
| Lead-Off | – | Gloria Asumnu | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | – | Blessing Okagbare | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | – | Jennifer Madu | – | – | |||
| Anchor | – | Agnes Osazuwa | – | – | |||
| 3 | – | Trinidad and Tobago | TTO | 42.62 | 0.149 | ||
| Lead-Off | – | Semoy Hackett | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | – | Michelle-Lee Ahye | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | – | Kelly-Ann Baptiste | – | – | |||
| Anchor | – | Khalifa St. Fort | – | – | |||
| 4 | – | France | FRA | 43.07 | 0.141 | ||
| Lead-Off | – | Floriane Gnafoua | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | – | Céline Distel-Bonnet | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | – | Jennifer Galais | – | – | |||
| Anchor | – | Stella Akakpo | – | – | |||
| 5 | – | Switzerland | SUI | 43.12 | 0.165 | ||
| Lead-Off | – | Ajla del Ponte | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | – | Sarah Atcho-Jaquier | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | – | Ellen Sprunger | – | – | |||
| Anchor | – | Salomé Kora | – | – | |||
| 6 | – | United States | USA | 1:06.71 | – | 9 | |
| Lead-Off | – | Tianna Madison-Bartoletta | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | – | Allyson Felix | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | – | English Gardner | – | – | |||
| Anchor | – | Morolake Akinosun | – | – | |||
| – | Kazakhstan | KAZ | – | [0.161] | 10 | ||
| Lead-Off | – | Rima Kashafutdinova | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | – | Viktoriya Zyabkina | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | – | Yuliya Rakhmanova | – | – | |||
| Anchor | – | Olga Bludova-Safronova | – | – | |||
| – | Brazil | BRA | – | [0.160] | 11 | ||
| Lead-Off | – | Bruna Farias | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | – | Franciela Krasucki | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | – | Kauiza Venâncio | – | – | |||
| Anchor | – | Rosângela Santos | – | – |
| Time | 19:00 |
|---|
| Pos | Lane | Competitors | NOC | Time (Automatic) | Reaction Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | United States | USA | 41.77 | 0.146 | ||
| Lead-Off | – | Tianna Madison-Bartoletta | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | – | Allyson Felix | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | – | English Gardner | – | – | |||
| Anchor | – | Morolake Akinosun | – | – |
| Date | 19 August 2016 — 22:15 |
|---|
| Pos | Lane | Competitors | NOC | Time (Automatic) | Reaction Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | United States | USA | 41.01 | 0.158 | ||
| Lead-Off | – | Tianna Madison-Bartoletta | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | – | Allyson Felix | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | – | English Gardner | – | – | |||
| Anchor | – | Tori Bowie | – | – | |||
| 2 | – | Jamaica | JAM | 41.36 | 0.158 | ||
| Lead-Off | – | Christania Williams | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | – | Elaine Thompson-Herah | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | – | Veronica Campbell-Brown | – | – | |||
| Anchor | – | Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce | – | – | |||
| 3 | – | Great Britain | GBR | 41.77 | 0.113 | ||
| Lead-Off | – | Asha Philip | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | – | Desirèe Henry | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | – | Dina Asher-Smith | – | – | |||
| Anchor | – | Daryll Neita | – | – | |||
| 4 | – | Germany | GER | 42.10 | 0.171 | ||
| Lead-Off | – | Tatjana Pinto | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | – | Lisa Mayer | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | – | Gina Lückenkemper | – | – | |||
| Anchor | – | Rebekka Haase | – | – | |||
| 5 | – | Trinidad and Tobago | TTO | 42.12 | 0.158 | ||
| Lead-Off | – | Semoy Hackett | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | – | Michelle-Lee Ahye | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | – | Kelly-Ann Baptiste | – | – | |||
| Anchor | – | Khalifa St. Fort | – | – | |||
| 7 | – | Canada | CAN | 43.15 | 0.144 | ||
| Lead-Off | – | Farah Jacques | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | – | Crystal Emmanuel-Ahye | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | – | Phylicia George | – | – | |||
| Anchor | – | Khamica Bingham | – | – | |||
| 8 | – | Nigeria | NGR | 43.21 | 0.153 | ||
| Lead-Off | – | Gloria Asumnu | – | – | |||
| 2nd Leg | – | Blessing Okagbare | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | – | Jennifer Madu | – | – | |||
| Anchor | – | Agnes Osazuwa | – | – | |||
| – | Ukraine | UKR | [42.36] | [0.130] | 12 | ||
| Lead-Off | – | Olesia Povkh | – | – | 13 | ||
| 2nd Leg | – | Nataliya Pohrebniak | – | – | |||
| 3rd Leg | – | Mariya Riemien | – | – | |||
| Anchor | – | Yelyzaveta Bryzhina | – | – |