# 2024 European Athletics Championships – Women's 4 × 400 metres relay

The women's 4 × 400 metres relay at the 2024 European Athletics Championships took place in two rounds at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy, on 11 and 12 June 2024. It was the eighteenth time the women's 4 × 400 metres relay was contested at the European Athletics Championships. Relay teams of sixteen nations competed.
The two heats of round 1 were held on 11 June. The fastest three teams in each heat and the two fastest of the rest qualified for the final. The team of Spain advanced with a national record of 3:25.25 minutes. Also setting national records but not making the final were the Swedish team in 3:26.05 minutes and the Norwegian team in 3:29.84 minutes. The team of the Czech Republic was disqualified for a fault after dropping the baton.
The final was held on 12 June. The race was won by the team of the Netherlands in 3:22.39 minutes, followed by the team of Ireland in a national record of 3:25.25 minutes and the team of Belgium in 3:22.95 minutes. Outside the medals, the Italian team set a national record of 3:23.40 minutes.

## Background

The women's 4 × 400 metres relay was introduced at the 1969 European Athletics Championships and had been contested seventeen times before 2024, whereas the men's 4 × 400 metres relay had already been around since the 1934 European Athletics Championships. The 2024 edition was held at the 400-metres track of the Olympic Stadium in Rome, Italy, where the 1974 edition had also taken place.
Before the championships, the world and European record was 3:15.17 min, set by the Soviet team in 1988, and the championship record was 3:16.87 min, set by the East German team in 1986. The world leading time was 3:21.70 min, set by the team of the United States on 5 May 2024, and the European leading time was 3:24.38 min, set by the team of Ireland on 4 May 2024, both during the 2024 World Athletics Relays in Nassau, Bahamas. The defending champion was the team of the Netherlands, who had won the 2022 title in this event.
Records before the 2024 European Athletics Championships :
| Record | Nation (athletes) | Time | Location | Date |
| World record | Soviet Union (Tatyana Ledovskaya, Olga Nazarova, Mariya Pinigina, Olga Bryzgina) | 3:15.17 | Seoul, South Korea | 1 October 1988 |
| European record | Soviet Union (Tatyana Ledovskaya, Olga Nazarova, Mariya Pinigina, Olga Bryzgina) | 3:15.17 | Seoul, South Korea | 1 October 1988 |
| Championship record | East Germany (Kirsten Emmelmann, Sabine Busch, Petra Müller, Marita Koch) | 3:16.87 | Stuttgart, West Germany | 31 August 1986 |
| World Leading | United States (Quanera Hayes, Gabrielle Thomas, Bailey Lear, Alexis Holmes) | 3:21.70 | Nassau, Bahamas | 5 May 2024 |
| Europe Leading | Ireland (Sophie Becker, Rhasidat Adeleke, Phil Healy, Sharlene Mawsdley) | 3:24.38 | Nassau, Bahamas | 4 May 2024 |

## Qualification

Sixteen national teams could qualify for the women's 4 × 400 metres relay. The Italian team qualified automatically, because Italy was the host nation. The other fifteen teams qualified by their ranking based on the aggregate of their two fastest times during the qualification period from 1 January 2023 to 26 May 2024.

## Rounds
### Round 1

The two heats of round 1 were held on 11 June, starting at 11:15 (UTC+2) in the morning. The first three teams in each heat (Q) and the next two fastest teams (q) qualified for the final. In the first heat, the teams of Poland, Germany, and the Netherlands directly qualified for the final, the team of Norway set a national record (NR) of 3:29.84 minutes, and the team of the Czech Republic was disqualified (DQ) for a fault with the recovery of a dropped baton (TR24.6). In the second heat, which was the faster race of the two, the teams of Ireland, France, and Belgium directly qualified for the final, the Spanish team set a national record (NR) of 3:25.25 minutes qualifying as next fastest together with the Italian team, and the Swedish team set a national record (NR) of 3:26.05 minutes.
Results of round 1 :
| Rank | Heat | Lane | Nation | Athletes | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 2 | 6 | Ireland | Sophie Becker, Phil Healy, Lauren Cadden, Sharlene Mawdsley | 3:24.81 | Q |
| 2 | 2 | 4 | France | Sounkamba Sylla, Alexe Deau, Marjorie Veyssiere, Amandine Brossier | 3:25.15 | Q, SB |
| 3 | 2 | 9 | Belgium | Naomi Van den Broeck, Imke Vervaet, Cynthia Bolingo, Camille Laus | 3:25.16 | Q, SB |
| 4 | 2 | 8 | Spain | Carmen Avilés, Berta Segura, Eva Santidrián, Blanca Hervas | 3:25.25 | q, NR |
| 5 | 2 | 7 | Italy | Ilaria Elvira Accame, Giancarla Trevisan, Rebecca Borga, Anna Polinari | 3:25.28 | q, SB |
| 6 | 1 | 6 | Poland | Kinga Gacka, Marika Popowicz-Drapała, Iga Baumgart-Witan, Justyna Święty-Ersetic | 3:25.59 | Q |
| 7 | 1 | 8 | Germany | Skadi Schier, Alica Schmidt, Luna Bulmahn, Eileen Demes | 3:25.90 | Q, SB |
| 8 | 1 | 4 | Netherlands | Eveline Saalberg, Anne van de Wiel, Myrte van der Schoot, Lisanne de Witte | 3:25.99 | Q |
| 9 | 1 | 2 | Norway | Josefine Tomine Eriksen, Astri Ertzgaard, Elisabeth Slettum, Amalie Iuel | 3:26.05 | NR |
| 10 | 1 | 7 | Finland | Milja Thureson, Aino Pulkkinen, Katriina Wright, Mette Baas | 3:26.51 | SB |
| 11 | 2 | 3 | Switzerland | Lena Wernli, Julia Niederberger, Annina Fahr, Yasmin Giger | 3:27.48 | SB |
| 12 | 2 | 5 | Ukraine | Maryana Shostak, Kateryna Karpiuk, Tetiana Kharashcuk, Anna Ryzhykova | 3:27.69 | SB |
| 13 | 1 | 9 | Portugal | Carina Vanessa, Cátia Azevedo, Sofia Lavreshina, Vera Barbosa | 3:29.50 | SB |
| 14 | 1 | 3 | Sweden | Lisa Lilja, Moa Granat, Jonna Claesson, Marie Kimumba | 3:29.84 | NR |
| 15 | 2 | 2 | Hungary | Sarolta Kriszt, Sára Mátó, Bianka Kéri, Virág Simon | 3:31.28 | SB |
| | 1 | 5 | Czech Republic | Marcela Pírková, Tereza Petržilková, Barbora Veselá, Barbora Malíková | DQ | TR24.6 |

### Final

The final was held on 12 June, starting at 21:05 (UTC+2) in the evening. Lieke Klaver was the first leg runner for the Netherlands and the first to hand over the baton after one round, followed by Sophie Becker of Ireland, Kinga Gacka of Poland, and Naomi Van den Broeck of Belgium. In the second leg, Cathelijn Peeters of the Netherlands was passed by Rhasidat Adeleke of Ireland, while Marika Popowicz-Drapała of Poland was passed by Imke Vervaet of Belgium. In the third leg, Phil Healy of Ireland started in the lead, Lisanne de Witte of the Netherlands held off Cynthia Bolingo of Belgium and was able to pass Healy shortly before the final handover. In the anchor leg, Femke Bol was in the lead from handover to finish, and Sharlene Mawdsley of Ireland and Helena Ponette of Belgium were not able to pass her and maintained their relative positions. The Dutch team finished first in a European leading time (EL) of 3:22.39 minutes, successfully defending their 2022 title, followed by the Irish team in second place in a national record (NR) of 3:22.71 minutes and the Belgian team in third place in 3:22.95 minutes. In fourth place, the Italian team set a new national record (NR) of 3:23.40 minutes.
Results of the final :
| Rank | Lane | Nation | Athletes | Time | Notes |
| | 9 | Netherlands | Lieke Klaver, Cathelijn Peeters, Lisanne de Witte, Femke Bol | 3:22.39 | EL |
| | 6 | Ireland | Sophie Becker, Rhasidat Adeleke, Phil Healy, Sharlene Mawdsley | 3:22.71 | NR |
| | 4 | Belgium | Naomi Van den Broeck, Imke Vervaet, Cynthia Bolingo, Helena Ponette | 3:22.95 | SB |
| 4 | 3 | Italy | Ilaria Elvira Accame, Giancarla Trevisan, Anna Polinari, Alice Mangione | 3:23.40 | NR |
| 5 | 7 | France | Sounkamba Sylla, Louise Maraval, Alexe Deau, Amandine Brossier | 3:23.77 | SB |
| 6 | 8 | Poland | Kinga Gacka, Marika Popowicz-Drapała, Iga Baumgart-Witan, Natalia Kaczmarek | 3:23.91 | SB |
| 7 | 2 | Spain | Carmen Avilés, Berta Segura, Eva Santidrián, Blanca Hervas | 3:26.94 | |
| 8 | 5 | Germany | Skadi Schier, Alica Schmidt, Luna Bulmahn, Eileen Demes | 3:27.11 | |