| | Event type

4 x 400 metres Relay, Women

Date	27 – 28 August 2004
Status	Olympic
Location	Olympiako Stadio, Olympiako Athletiko Kentro Athinon Spiros Loues, Maroussi
Participants	71 from 16 countries

The last three World Championships had been won by Russia (1999), Jamaica (2001), and the United States (2003). And the three dominant nations remained so in Athina. In the final the United States opened a big lead when DeeDee Trotter ran 49.8 on the opener. Given that lead the US was never headed, with all four US runners breaking 50 seconds, the lead increasing to the anchor leg, on which Monique Hennagan eased slightly to win by 10 metres. Russia ran second throughout the race, with their anchor, Nataliya Antyukh, running the fastest leg of the race, 49.43. Jamaica was well clear of Great Britain for the bronze medal.

In 2010 Crystal Cox, of the gold-medal winning USA team, admitting to doping with anabolic steroids. She was given a four-year suspension and disqualification of her results from 2001-04, including the Olympics and her gold medal. Cox ran only in the heats in Athina. However, in 2013 the IOC and IAAF (later World Athletics) ruled that the USA would keep their gold medal overall and the other runners would keep the gold medal.

Pos	Nr	Team	NOC	R1	Final
1	–	United States	USA	3:23.79 (1 h2)	3:19.01 (1)	Gold	1
		DeeDee Trotter • Monique Henderson • Sanya Richards • Monique Hennagan • Moushaumi Robinson • Crystal Cox
2	–	Russian Federation	RUS	3:23.52 (1 h1)	3:20.16 (2)	Silver
		Olesya Krasnomovets • Nataliya Nazarova • Olesya Zykina • Nataliya Antyukh • Nataliya Ivanova • Tatyana Firova • Olga Kotlyarova (DNS)
3	–	Jamaica	JAM	3:24.92 (2 h1)	3:22.00 (3)	Bronze
		Novlene Williams • Michelle Burgher • Nadia Davy • Sandie Richards • Ronetta Smith • Allison Beckford (DNS)
4	–	Great Britain	GBR	3:26.99 (4 h1)	3:25.12 (4)
		Donna Fraser • Catherine Murphy • Christine Ohuruogu • Lee McConnell • Helen Karagounis • Carey Marshall (DNS)
5	–	Poland	POL	3:25.05 (3 h1)	3:25.22 (5)
		Zuzanna Radecka • Monika Bejnar • Małgorzata Pskit • Grażyna Prokopek-Janacek • Anna Jesień (DNS) • Anna Pacholak (DNS)
6	–	Romania	ROU	3:27.36 (5 h1)	3:26.81 (6)
		Angela Moroșanu • Alina Rîpanu • Maria Rus • Ionela Târlea-Manolache • Elena Iagăr (DNS) • Otilia Ruicu (DNS)
7	–	India	IND	3:26.89 (3 h2)	3:28.51 (7)
		Sathi Geetha • K. M. Beenamol • Chitra Soman • Rajwinder Kaur • Manjit Kaur • Sagardeep Kaur (DNS)
8	–	Greece	GRE	3:26.70 (2 h2)	3:45.70 (8)
		Chara Bouda • Chrysoula Gountenoudi • Dimitra Ntova • Fani Chalkia • Olga Kaidantzi (DNS) • Georgia Koumnaki (DNS)
3 h2 r1/2	–	Germany	GER	3:27.75 (4 h2)	–
		Claudia Hoffmann • Claudia Marx • Jana Neubert • Grit Breuer • Anke Feller (DNS)
4 h2 r1/2	–	Mexico	MEX	3:27.88 (5 h2)	–
		Liliana Allen • Magali Yáñez • Ana Guevara • Mayra Marcela González • Ruth Grajeda (DNS)
5 h2 r1/2	–	Brazil	BRA	3:28.43 (6 h2)	–
		Maria Laura Almirão • Josiane Tito • Geisa Coutinho • Lucimar Teodoro • Magnólia Figueiredo (DNS) • Luciana Mendes (DNS)
6 h1 r1/2	–	Belarus	BLR	3:27.38 (6 h1)	–
		Natallia Salahub • Iryna Khliustava • Ilona Usovich • Sviatlana Vusovich • Hanna Kazak (DNS) • Katsiaryna Stankevich (DNS)
6 h2 r1/2	–	Ukraine	UKR	3:28.62 (7 h2)	–
		Oleksandra Ryzhkova • Oksana Illiushkina • Antonina Yefremova • Nataliya Pyhyda • Nataliya Zhuravlyova-Vdovychenko (DNS)
7 h1 r1/2	–	Cameroon	CMR	3:29.93 (7 h1)	–
		Mireille Nguimgo • Clementine Béwouda • Carole Kaboud Mebam • Muriel Noah Ahanda • Delphine Atangana (DNS) • Nathalie Itok (DNS)
7 h2 r1/2	–	Senegal	SEN	3:35.18 (8 h2)	–
		Aïda Diop • Mame Tacko Diouf • Aminata Diouf • Fatou Bintou Fall • Aminata Sylla (DNS) • Amy Mbacké Thiam (DNS)
8 h1 r1/2	–	Nigeria	NGR	3:30.78 (8 h1)	–
		Ngozi Nwokocha • Gloria Amuche Nwosu • Halimat Ismaila • Christy Ekpukhon • Lade Akinremi (DNS) • Mabel Madojemu (DNS)

Round One (27 August 2004 — 20:35-20:48)

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

Heat One (20:35)

Pos	Nr	Team	NOC	Time (A)	Split (Pos)	Reaction Time
1	–	Russian Federation	RUS	3:23.52		0.207	Q
	2970	Olesya Krasnomovets		50.71	50.71 (1)
	2886	Nataliya Ivanova		51.41	1:42.12 (1)
	2872	Tatyana Firova		50.94	2:33.06 (1)
	2966	Olesya Zykina		50.46	3:23.52 (1)
2	–	Jamaica	JAM	3:24.92		0.306	Q
	2246	Ronetta Smith		51.60	51.60 (4)
	2221	Michelle Burgher		51.49	1:43.09 (3)
	2225	Nadia Davy		51.09	2:34.18 (3)
	2242	Sandie Richards		50.74	3:24.92 (2)
3	–	Poland	POL	3:25.05		0.275	Q
	2694	Zuzanna Radecka		51.03	51.03 (2)
	2663	Monika Bejnar		52.04	1:43.07 (2)
	2692	Małgorzata Pskit		51.02	2:34.09 (2)
	2691	Grażyna Prokopek-Janacek		50.96	3:25.05 (3)
4	–	Great Britain	GBR	3:26.99		0.387	q
	1828	Christine Ohuruogu		52.29	52.29 (7)
	1823	Catherine Murphy		51.92	1:44.21 (5)
	1812	Helen Karagounis		52.19	2:36.40 (4)
	1821	Lee McConnell		50.59	3:26.99 (4)
5	–	Romania	ROU	3:27.36		0.335	q
	2790	Angela Moroșanu		51.74	51.74 (5)
	2794	Alina Rîpanu		53.35	1:45.09 (8)
	2796	Maria Rus		52.25	2:37.34 (7)
	2801	Ionela Târlea-Manolache		50.02	3:27.36 (5)
6	–	Belarus	BLR	3:27.38		0.219
	1197	Natallia Salahub		51.93	51.93 (6)
	1177	Iryna Khliustava		52.63	1:44.56 (6)
	1207	Ilona Usovich		51.94	2:36.50 (5)
	1208	Sviatlana Vusovich		50.88	3:27.38 (6)
7	–	Cameroon	CMR	3:29.93		0.365
	1404	Mireille Nguimgo		51.40	51.40 (3)
	1400	Clementine Béwouda		52.59	1:43.99 (4)
	1402	Carole Kaboud Mebam		53.12	2:37.11 (6)
	1405	Muriel Noah Ahanda		52.82	3:29.93 (7)
8	–	Nigeria	NGR	3:30.78		0.242
	2605	Ngozi Nwokocha		52.57	52.57 (8)
	2606	Gloria Amuche Nwosu		52.36	1:44.93 (7)
	2600	Halimat Ismaila		53.17	2:38.10 (8)
	2595	Christy Ekpukhon		52.68	3:30.78 (8)

Heat Two (20:44)

Pos	Nr	Team	NOC	Time (A)	Split (Pos)	Reaction Time
1	–	United States	USA	3:23.79		0.240	Q	2
	3245	Crystal Cox		[51.82]	[51.82] ([2])
	3334	Moushaumi Robinson		51.99	1:43.81 (1)
	3278	Monique Henderson		49.64	2:33.45 (1)
	3329	Sanya Richards		50.34	3:23.79 (1)
2	–	Greece	GRE	3:26.70		0.235	Q
	1968	Chara Bouda		51.66	51.66 (1)
	1977	Chrysoula Gountenoudi		53.54	1:45.20 (6)
	1973	Dimitra Ntova		51.10	2:36.30 (3)
	1980	Fani Chalkia		50.40	3:26.70 (2)
3	–	India	IND	3:26.89		–	Q
	2111	Rajwinder Kaur		51.86	51.86 (2)
	2105	K. M. Beenamol		52.67	1:44.53 (2)
	2121	Chitra Soman		52.51	2:37.04 (4)
	2110	Manjit Kaur		49.85	3:26.89 (3)
4	–	Germany	GER	3:27.75		0.255
	1895	Claudia Hoffmann		52.49	52.49 (5)
	1909	Claudia Marx		52.33	1:44.82 (4)
	1916	Jana Neubert		52.73	2:37.55 (=6)
	1865	Grit Breuer		50.20	3:27.75 (4)
5	–	Mexico	MEX	3:27.88		0.203
	2508	Liliana Allen		52.63	52.63 (7)
	2535	Magali Yáñez		52.82	1:45.45 (7)
	2517	Ana Guevara		50.27	2:35.72 (2)
	2515	Mayra Marcela González		52.16	3:27.88 (5)
6	–	Brazil	BRA	3:28.43		–
	1227	Maria Laura Almirão		52.56	52.56 (6)
	1262	Josiane Tito		52.44	1:45.00 (5)
	1231	Geisa Coutinho		52.09	2:37.09 (5)
	1261	Lucimar Teodoro		51.34	3:28.43 (6)
7	–	Ukraine	UKR	3:28.62		0.335
	3192	Oleksandra Ryzhkova		52.24	52.24 (4)
	3174	Oksana Illiushkina		52.55	1:44.79 (3)
	3206	Antonina Yefremova		52.76	2:37.55 (=6)
	3190	Nataliya Pyhyda		51.07	3:28.62 (7)
8	–	Senegal	SEN	3:35.18		0.443
	2990	Aïda Diop		52.14	52.14 (3)
	2992	Mame Tacko Diouf		54.01	1:46.15 (8)
	2991	Aminata Diouf		54.68	2:40.83 (8)
	2993	Fatou Bintou Fall		54.35	3:35.18 (8)

Final (28 August 2004 — 22:00)

Pos	Nr	Team	NOC	Time (A)	Split (Pos)	Reaction Time
1	–	United States	USA	3:19.01		0.337	3
	3354	DeeDee Trotter		49.19	49.19 (1)
	3278	Monique Henderson		50.28	1:39.47 (1)
	3329	Sanya Richards		49.81	2:29.28 (1)
	3279	Monique Hennagan		49.73	3:19.01 (1)
2	–	Russian Federation	RUS	3:20.16		0.352
	2970	Olesya Krasnomovets		49.73	49.73 (2)
	2915	Nataliya Nazarova		50.91	1:40.64 (2)
	2966	Olesya Zykina		50.09	2:30.73 (2)
	2851	Nataliya Antyukh		49.43	3:20.16 (2)
3	–	Jamaica	JAM	3:22.00		0.312
	2256	Novlene Williams		50.37	50.37 (4)
	2221	Michelle Burgher		50.83	1:41.20 (3)
	2225	Nadia Davy		50.25	2:31.45 (3)
	2242	Sandie Richards		50.55	3:22.00 (3)
4	–	Great Britain	GBR	3:25.12		0.180
	1805	Donna Fraser		50.08	50.08 (3)
	1823	Catherine Murphy		54.20	1:44.28 (5)
	1828	Christine Ohuruogu		50.53	2:34.81 (5)
	1821	Lee McConnell		50.31	3:25.12 (4)
5	–	Poland	POL	3:25.22		0.299
	2694	Zuzanna Radecka		51.08	51.08 (5)
	2663	Monika Bejnar		51.81	1:42.89 (4)
	2692	Małgorzata Pskit		51.49	2:34.38 (4)
	2691	Grażyna Prokopek-Janacek		50.84	3:25.22 (5)
6	–	Romania	ROU	3:26.81		0.232
	2790	Angela Moroșanu		52.81	52.81 (7)
	2794	Alina Rîpanu		52.76	1:45.57 (8)
	2796	Maria Rus		53.29	2:38.86 (7)
	2801	Ionela Târlea-Manolache		47.95	3:26.81 (6)
7	–	India	IND	3:28.51		0.244
	2115	Sathi Geetha		52.91	52.91 (8)
	2105	K. M. Beenamol		51.52	1:44.43 (6)
	2121	Chitra Soman		52.55	2:36.98 (6)
	2111	Rajwinder Kaur		51.53	3:28.51 (7)
8	–	Greece	GRE	3:45.70		0.270
	1968	Chara Bouda		52.51	52.51 (6)
	1977	Chrysoula Gountenoudi		52.46	1:44.97 (7)
	1973	Dimitra Ntova		1:07.41	2:52.38 (8)
	1980	Fani Chalkia		53.32	3:45.70 (8)