# 2023 World Athletics Championships – Women's 4 × 400 metres relay

The women's 4 × 400 metres relay was a two-round track event of the 2023 World Athletics Championships held at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest. Seventeen national relay teams participated in the two heats that took place on 26 August 2023. Nine teams qualified for the final, the last track race of the championships, on 27 August 2023. The final was won by the Dutch team consisting of Eveline Saalberg, Lieke Klaver, Cathelijn Peeters, and Femke Bol in 3:20.72 minutes, which was a world-leading time and a national record. In second place finished the Jamaican team with Candice McLeod, Janieve Russell, Nickisha Pryce, and Stacey-Ann Williams in 3:20.88 minutes and third was Great Britain and Northern Ireland with Laviai Nielsen, Amber Anning, Ama Pipi, and Nicole Yeargin in 3:21.04 minutes.

## Background

Before the competition records were as follows:
Records before the 2023 World Championships :
| Record | Athlete & Nat. | Perf. | Location | Date |
| World record | Soviet Union Tatyana Ledovskaya, Olga Nazarova, Mariya Pinigina, Olga Bryzgina | 3:15.17 | Seoul, South Korea | 1 October 1988 |
| Championship record | United States Gwen Torrence, Maicel Malone, Natasha Kaiser, Jearl Miles Clark | 3:16.71 | Stuttgart, Germany | 22 August 1993 |
| World leading | University of Texas Lanae-Tava Thomas, Kennedy Simon, Julien Alfred, Rhasidat Adeleke | 3:23.27 | Austin, United States | 1 April 2023 |
| African record | Nigeria Olabisi Afolabi, Fatimat Yusuf, Charity Opara, Falilat Ogunkoya | 3:21.04 | Atlanta, United States | 3 August 1996 |
| Asian record | Hebei Bai Xiaoyun, Cao Chunying, Ma Yuqin, An Xiaohong | 3:24.28 | Beijing, China | 13 September 1993 |
| North, Central American and Caribbean record | United States Denean Howard, Diane Dixon, Valerie Brisco-Hooks, Florence Griffith Joyner | 3:15.51 | Seoul, South Korea | 1 October 1988 |
| South American record | BM&F Bovespa Geisa Coutinho, Bárbara Farias de Oliveira, Joelma Sousa, Jailma de Lima | 3:26.68 | São Paulo, Brazil | 7 August 2011 |
| European record | Soviet Union Tatyana Ledovskaya, Olga Nazarova, Mariya Pinigina, Olga Bryzgina | 3:15.17 | Seoul, South Korea | 1 October 1988 |
| Oceanian record | Australia Nova Peris-Kneebone, Tamsyn Manou, Melinda Gainsford-Taylor, Cathy Freeman | 3:23.81 | Sydney, Australia | 30 September 2000 |

## Qualification

After the postponement for COVID-19 pandemic reasons of the 2023 World Relays to 2024 Nassau, the modified system to qualify automatically is to have finished in the first eight (finalists) at 2022 World Championships, in Eugene, completed by eight more 2022-2023 top lists' teams. Additionally, host country Hungary received a bye for the event.
The top 8 from the 2022 World Athletics Championships:
* United States (USA) (1st)
* Jamaica (JAM) (2nd)
* Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) (3rd)
* Canada (CAN) (4th)
* France (FRA) (5th)
* Belgium (BEL) (6th)
* Italy (ITA) (7th)
* Switzerland (SUI) (8th)
Top list before 30 July 2023:
* 3:20.87 Netherlands (NED) Olympiastadion, München (GER) - 20 August 2022
* 3:21.68 Poland (POL) Olympiastadion, München (GER) - 20 August 2022
* 3:26.06 Ireland (IRL) Olympiastadion, München (GER) - 19 August 2022
* 3:26.08 Cuba (CUB) San Salvador (ESA) - 7 July 2023
* 3:26.09 Germany (GER) Olympiastadion, München (GER) - 20 August 2022
* 3:27.60 Nigeria (NGR) Yabatech Sport Complex, Lagos (NGR) - 14 July 2023
* 3:27.76 Spain (ESP) Olympiastadion, München (GER) - 19 August 2022
* 3:27.84 Dominican Republic (DOM) San Salvador (ESA) - 7 July 2023 Not entered (was Next best by Top List)
* 3:28.79 Botswana (BOT) Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi (KEN) - 24 June 2023

## Schedule

The event schedule, in local time (UTC+2), was as follows:
Schedule of the women's 4 × 400 m relay :
| Date | Time | Round |
| 26 August | 19:55 | Heats |
| 27 August | 21:50 | Final |

## Results
### Heats

The first three in each heat (Q) and the next two fastest (q) qualified for the final. France also advanced to the final by referee's decision (qR).
Results of the heats of the women's 4 x 400 metres relay :
| Rank | Heat | Lane | Nation | Athletes | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 1 | 8 | Jamaica (JAM) | Charokee Young, Nickisha Pryce, Shiann Salmon, Stacey Ann Williams | 3:22.74 | Q, WL |
| 2 | 1 | 6 | Canada (CAN) | Zoe Sherar, Aiyanna Stiverne, Kyra Constantine, Grace Konrad | 3:23.29 | Q, SB |
| 3 | 2 | 3 | Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) | Laviai Nielsen, Amber Anning, Nicole Yeargin, Yemi Mary John | 3:23.33 | Q, SB |
| 4 | 2 | 5 | Belgium (BEL) | Naomi van den Broeck, Imke Vervaet, Hanne Claes, Helena Ponette | 3:23.63 | Q, SB |
| 5 | 1 | 3 | Netherlands (NED) | Eveline Saalberg, Cathelijn Peeters, Lisanne de Witte, Femke Bol | 3:23.75 | Q, SB |
| 6 | 2 | 4 | Italy (ITA) | Alice Mangione, Ayomide Folorunso, Alessandra Bonora, Giancarla Trevisan | 3:23.86 | Q, NR |
| 7 | 1 | 2 | Poland (POL) | Alicja Wrona-Kutrzepa, Marika Popowicz-Drapala, Patrycja Wyciszkiewicz-Zawadzka, Natalia Kaczmarek | 3:24.05 | q, SB |
| 8 | 2 | 6 | Ireland (IRL) | Sophie Becker, Róisín Harrison, Kelly McGrory, Sharlene Mawdsley | 3:26.18 | q, SB |
| 9 | 1 | 5 | France (FRA) | Amandine Brossier, Louise Maraval, Sounkamba Sylla, Camille Seri | 3:27.50 | qR, SB |
| 10 | 1 | 4 | Germany (GER) | Luna Thiel, Alica Schmidt, Mona Mayer, Carolina Krafzik | 3:27.74 | SB |
| 11 | 2 | 2 | Hungary (HUN) | Evelin Nádházy [de], Bianka Kéri, Fanni Rapai, Janka Molnár | 3:27.79 | NR |
| 12 | 2 | 9 | Switzerland (SUI) | Gulia Senn, Julia Niederberger [de], Rachel Pellaud, Catia Gubelmann | 3:29.07 | SB |
| 13 | 2 | 1 | Cuba (CUB) | Zurian Hechavarría, Lisneidy Veitía, Rose Mary Almanza, Roxana Gómez | 3:29.70 | |
| 14 | 2 | 8 | Botswana (BOT) | Lydia Jele, Oratile Nowe, Galefele Moroko, Obakeng Kamberuka | 3:31.85 | |
| 15 | 1 | 9 | Spain (ESP) | Eva Santidrián, Herminia Parra, Laura Bueno, Barbara Camblor [de] | 3:31.91 | |
| | 2 | 7 | United States (USA) | Lynna Irby-Jackson, Rosey Effiong, Quanera Hayes, Alexis Holmes | DQ | TR24.7 |
| | 1 | 7 | Nigeria (NGR) | Ella Onojuvwevwo, Patience Okon George, Opeyemi Deborah Oke [de], Imaobong Nse Uko | DQ | TR24.6 |

### Final

The final was held at 21:50 on 27 August 2023.
Results of the final of the women's 4 x 400 metres relay :
| Rank | Lane | Nation | Athletes | Time | Notes |
| | 9 | Netherlands (NED) | Eveline Saalberg, Lieke Klaver, Cathelijn Peeters, Femke Bol | 3:20.72 | WL NR |
| | 8 | Jamaica (JAM) | Candice McLeod, Janieve Russell, Nickisha Pryce, Stacey Ann Williams | 3:20.88 | SB |
| | 7 | Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) | Laviai Nielsen, Amber Anning, Ama Pipi, Nicole Yeargin | 3:21.04 | SB |
| 4 | 5 | Canada (CAN) | Zoe Sherar, Aiyanna Stiverne, Kyra Constantine, Grace Konrad | 3:22.42 | SB |
| 5 | 6 | Belgium (BEL) | Helena Ponette, Imke Vervaet, Hanne Claes, Camille Laus | 3:22.84 | SB |
| 6 | 2 | Poland (POL) | Alicja Wrona-Kutrzepa, Marika Popowicz-Drapała, Patrycja Wyciszkiewicz-Zawadzka, Natalia Kaczmarek | 3:24.93 | |
| 7 | 4 | Italy (ITA) | Alice Mangione, Anna Polinari, Alessandra Bonora, Giancarla Trevisan | 3:24.98 | |
| 8 | 3 | Ireland (IRL) | Sophie Becker, Róisín Harrison, Kelly McGrory, Sharlene Mawdsley | 3:27.08 | |
| 9 | 1 | France (FRA) | Amandine Brossier, Louise Maraval, Marjorie Veyssiere [fr], Camille Seri | 3:28.35 | |