# Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay

The women's 4 × 100 metres relay event at the 2020 Summer Olympics took place on 5 and 6 August 2021 at the Japan National Stadium. There were 16 competing relay teams, with each team having 5 members from which 4 were selected in each round.

## Background

This was the 22nd appearance of the event, having appeared at every Olympics since women's athletics was introduced in 1928.

## Qualification

A National Olympic Committee (NOC) could qualify a relay team of 5 athletes in one of three ways. A total of 16 NOCs qualified.
* The top 8 NOCs at the 2019 World Athletics Championships qualified a relay team.
* The top 8 NOCs at the 2021 World Athletics Relays qualified a relay team.
* Where an NOC placed in the top 8 at both the 2019 World Championships and the 2021 World Relays, the quota place was allocated to the world ranking list as of 29 June 2021. In this case, 2 teams did so, so there are 2 places available through the world rankings.
The qualifying period was originally from 1 May 2019 to 29 June 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the period was suspended from 6 April 2020 to 30 November 2020, with the end date extended to 29 June 2021. The qualifying time standards could be obtained in various meets during the given period that have the approval of the IAAF. Both indoor and outdoor meets are eligible. The most recent Area Championships may be counted in the ranking, even if not during the qualifying period.

## Competition format

The event continued to use the two-round format introduced in 2012.

## Records

Prior to this competition, the existing world, Olympic, and area records were as follows.
| World record | Tianna Madison, Allyson Felix, Bianca Knight, Carmelita Jeter (USA) | 40.82 | London, United Kingdom | 10 August 2012 |
| Olympic record | Tianna Madison, Allyson Felix, Bianca Knight, Carmelita Jeter (USA) | 40.82 | London, United Kingdom | 10 August 2012 |
| Area | Time (s) | Athletes | Nation |
| Africa (records) | 42.39 | Beatrice UtonduFaith IdehenChristy Opara-ThompsonMary Onyali-Omagbemi | Nigeria |
| Asia (records) | 42.23 | Xiao LinLi YaliLiu XiaomeiLi Xuemei | China |
| Europe (records) | 41.37 | Silke GladischSabine RiegerIngrid AuerswaldMarlies Göhr | East Germany |
| North, Central America and Caribbean (records) | 40.82 WR | Tianna MadisonAllyson FelixBianca KnightCarmelita Jeter | United States |
| Oceania (records) | 42.99 | Rachael MasseySuzanne BroadrickJodi LambertMelinda Gainsford-Taylor | Australia |
| South America (records) | 42.29 | Evelyn dos SantosAna Claudia SilvaFranciela KrasuckiRosângela Santos | Brazil |
The following national records were established during the competition:
| Country | Athlete | Round | Time |
| Great Britain | Asha Philip, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Dina Asher-Smith, Daryll Neita | Heats | 41.55 |
| Italy | Irene Siragusa, Gloria Hooper, Anna Bongiorni, Vittoria Fontana | Heats | 42.84 |
| Ecuador | Marizol Landázuri, Anahí Suárez, Yuliana Angulo, Ángela Tenorio | Heats | 43.69 |
| Switzerland | Riccarda Dietsche, Ajla Del Ponte, Mujinga Kambundji, Salomé Kora | Heats | 42.05 |
| Denmark | Mathilde Kramer, Astrid Glenner-Frandsen, Emma Beiter Bomme, Ida Karstoft | Heats | 43.51 |
| Jamaica | Briana Williams, Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson | Final | 41.02 |

## Schedule

All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
The women's 4 × 100 metres relay took place over two consecutive days.
| Date | Time | Round |
| Thursday, 5 August 2021 | 9:00 | Round 1 |
| Friday, 6 August 2021 | 19:50 | Final |

## Results
### Heats

Qualification Rules: First 3 in each heat (Q) and the next 2 fastest (q) advance to the Final

#### Heat 1

| Rank | Lane | Nation | Competitors | Reaction | Time | Notes |
| 3 | 5 | Great Britain | Asha Philip, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Dina Asher-Smith, Daryll Neita | 0.132 | 41.55 | NR, Q |
| 2 | 4 | United States | Javianne Oliver, Teahna Daniels, English Gardner, Aleia Hobbs | 0.140 | 41.90 | SB, Q |
| 1 | 6 | Jamaica | Briana Williams, Natasha Morrison, Remona Burchell, Shericka Jackson | 0.180 | 42.15 | SB, Q |
| 4 | 3 | France | Carolle Zahi, Orlann Ombissa-Dzangue, Gémima Joseph, Cynthia Leduc | 0.156 | 42.68 | SB, q |
| 5 | 2 | Netherlands | Nadine Visser, Dafne Schippers, Marije van Hunenstijn, Naomi Sedney | 0.151 | 42.81 | SB, q |
| 6 | 9 | Italy | Irene Siragusa, Gloria Hooper, Anna Bongiorni, Vittoria Fontana | 0.143 | 42.84 | NR |
| 7 | 8 | Japan | Hanae Aoyama, Mei Kodama, Ami Saito, Remi Tsuruta | 0.145 | 43.44 | SB |
| 8 | 7 | Ecuador | Marizol Landázuri, Anahí Suárez, Yuliana Angulo, Ángela Tenorio | 0.141 | 43.69 | NR |

#### Heat 2

| Rank | Lane | Nation | Competitors | Reaction | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 7 | Germany | Rebekka Haase, Alexandra Burghardt, Tatjana Pinto, Gina Lückenkemper | 0.216 | 42.00 | SB, Q |
| 2 | 6 | Switzerland | Riccarda Dietsche, Ajla Del Ponte, Mujinga Kambundji, Salomé Kora | 0.166 | 42.05 | NR, Q |
| 3 | 3 | China | Liang Xiaojing, Ge Manqi, Huang Guifen, Wei Yongli | 0.137 | 42.82 | Q |
| 4 | 8 | Poland | Marika Popowicz-Drapała, Klaudia Adamek, Paulina Paluch, Pia Skrzyszowska | 0.156 | 43.09 | SB |
| 5 | 2 | Brazil | Bruna Farias, Ana Cláudia Lemos, Vitória Cristina Rosa, Rosângela Santos | 0.128 | 43.15 | SB |
| 6 | 4 | Nigeria | Oluwatobiloba Amusan, Nzubechi Grace Nwokocha, Patience Okon George, Ese Brume | 0.164 | 43.25 | |
| 7 | 5 | Denmark | Mathilde Kramer, Astrid Glenner-Frandsen, Emma Beiter Bomme, Ida Karstoft | 0.157 | 43.51 | NR |
| 8 | 9 | Trinidad and Tobago | Khalifa St. Fort, Michelle-Lee Ahye, Kai Selvon, Kelly-Ann Baptiste | 0.196 | 43.62 | SB |

### Final

Setting a national record, Jamaica won the gold medal with the third fastest time in history.
| Rank | Lane | Nation | Competitors | Reaction | Time | Notes |
| | 8 | Jamaica | Briana Williams, Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson | 0.188 | 41.02 | NR |
| | 6 | United States | Javianne Oliver, Teahna Daniels, Jenna Prandini, Gabrielle Thomas | 0.132 | 41.45 | SB |
| | 5 | Great Britain | Asha Philip, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Dina Asher-Smith, Daryll Neita | 0.121 | 41.88 | |
| 4 | 7 | Switzerland | Riccarda Dietsche, Ajla Del Ponte, Mujinga Kambundji, Salomé Kora | 0.166 | 42.08 | |
| 5 | 4 | Germany | Rebekka Haase, Alexandra Burghardt, Tatjana Pinto, Gina Lückenkemper | 0.196 | 42.12 | |
| 6 | 9 | China | Liang Xiaojing, Ge Manqi, Huang Guifen, Wei Yongli | 0.160 | 42.71 | SB |
| 7 | 3 | France | Carolle Zahi, Orlann Ombissa-Dzangue, Gémima Joseph, Cynthia Leduc | 0.146 | 42.89 | |
| | 2 | Netherlands | Nadine Visser, Dafne Schippers, Marije van Hunenstijn, Naomi Sedney | 0.148 | DNF | |