4 x 400 metres Relay, Women

Germany and Russia had won the last two World Championships, with the USA second both times. Jamaica was also a challenger, having won bronze at the 1997 Worlds. The US and not advanced any runners to the 400 final, but the team was strengthened by the addition of Marion Jones, who had won the 100 and 200. The US led from the start although Catherine Pomales-Scott pulled Jamaica even at the halfway mark. Jones ran the third for the US in 49.46 and put the US ahead for good, with anchor runner LaTasha Colander-Richardson winning by five metres. Jamaica, Russia, Nigeria, and Australia fought it out for the other medals, with only a few metres separating them, Jamaica getting silver, and Russia the bronze. In 2007 Marion Jones admitted to having used performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) at the time of the 2000 Olympics and her records and performances from that year were stricken by the IAAF. The IOC moved to remove the USA as gold medalists as well, but after a protest and a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which was announced in July 2010, the USA kept their gold medals, except for Jones.