# Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay

The men's 4 × 100 metres relay competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom, was held at the Olympic Stadium on 10–11 August.

## Overview

On 11 August, the Jamaican national team, led by Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Yohan Blake and Usain Bolt, won the gold medal and broke their own world record of 37.04 set at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics, with a time of 36.84.
Carter did not start well, and Trell Kimmons of the United States led the first 100 metres. Kimmons handed the baton to former world champion and Olympic champion Justin Gatlin, who was in the lead. By the third changeover, America had a slight lead over the Jamaicans, but when Michael Frater handed over to Yohan Blake, Blake took the final bend and made up ground and overtook Tyson Gay of the US. Blake then passed the baton to Bolt slightly ahead of Gay's pass to Ryan Bailey. In the final 100 metres, Bolt extended that lead to a few metres and crossed the line in a new world-record time for his country for the second consecutive Olympics, with the US finishing second. Although the Canadian team finished third, they were disqualified after third leg runner Jared Connaughton stepped on a line, and the bronze medal went to Trinidad and Tobago.
While the Jamaican team were breaking the world record, the American team crossed the line in exactly the same time as the previous record of 37.04 seconds, setting a new national record.
In May 2014, the United States Anti-Doping Agency imposed a one-year suspension on a 4 × 100 m relay team member Tyson Gay. In May 2015, the International Olympic Committee formally requested the United States Olympic Committee to collect the medals from teammates Trell Kimmons, Justin Gatlin, Ryan Bailey, Jeffery Demps and Darvis Patton. The medals were reallocated, with Trinidad and Tobago awarded silver, and France the bronze.

## Records

Prior to the competition, the existing World and Olympic records were as follows.
| World record | Jamaica (Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Yohan Blake, Usain Bolt) | 37.04 | Daegu, South Korea | 4 September 2011 |
| Olympic record | United States (USA) (Michael Marsh, Leroy Burrell, Dennis Mitchell, Carl Lewis) | 37.40 | Barcelona, Spain | 8 August 1992 |
| 2012 world leading | Racers Track Club (Mario Forsythe, Yohan Blake, Kimmari Roach, Usain Bolt) | 37.82 | Kingston, Jamaica | 14 April 2012 |
The following records were established during the competition:
| Date | Event | Name | Nationality | Time | Record |
| 11 August | Final | Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Yohan Blake, Usain Bolt | Jamaica | 36.84 | WR, OR |
| 10 August | Round 1 | Brian Mariano, Churandy Martina, Giovanni Codrington, Patrick van Luijk | Netherlands | 38.29 | NR |
| 10 August | Round 1 | Guo Fan, Liang Jiahong, Su Bingtian, Zhang Peimeng | China | 38.38 | NR |
| 10 August | Round 1 | Lestrod Roland, Jason Rogers, Antoine Adams, Brijesh Lawrence | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 38.41 | NR |
| 10 August | Round 1 | Anthony Alozie, Isaac Ntiamoah, Andrew McCabe, Josh Ross | Australia | 38.17 | =AR |
| 10 August | Round 1 | Kamil Masztak, Dariusz Kuć, Robert Kubaczyk, Kamil Kryński | Poland | 38.31 | NR |

## Schedule

All times are British Summer Time (UTC+1)
| Date | Time | Round |
| Friday, 10 August 2012 | 19:45 | Round 1 |
| Saturday, 11 August 2012 | 21:00 | Finals |

## Result
### Round 1

Qual. rule: first 3 of each heat (Q) plus the 2 fastest times (q) qualified.

#### Heat 1

| Rank | Lane | Nation | Competitors | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 6 | Jamaica | Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Yohan Blake, Kemar Bailey-Cole | 37.39 | Q, SB |
| 2 | 3 | Canada | Gavin Smellie, Oluseyi Smith, Jared Connaughton, Justyn Warner | 38.05 | Q, SB |
| 3 | 7 | Netherlands | Brian Mariano, Churandy Martina, Giovanni Codrington, Patrick van Luijk | 38.29 | Q, NR |
| 4 | 8 | Brazil | Aldemir da Silva Junior, Sandro Viana, Nilson Andre, Bruno de Barros | 38.35 | SB |
| 5 | 5 | China | Guo Fan, Liang Jiahong, Su Bingtian, Zhang Peimeng | 38.38 | NR |
| 6 | 4 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | Lestrod Roland, Jason Rogers, Antoine Adams, Brijesh Lawrence | 38.41 | NR |
| 7 | 9 | Italy | Simone Collio, Jacques Riparelli, Davide Manenti, Fabio Cerutti | 38.58 | SB |
| | 2 | Great Britain | Christian Malcolm, Dwain Chambers, Danny Talbot, Adam Gemili | DQ (37.93) | |

#### Heat 2

| Rank | Lane | Nation | Competitors | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 7 | United States | Jeff Demps, Darvis Patton, Trell Kimmons, Justin Gatlin | 37.38 | Q, NR |
| 2 | 9 | Japan | Ryota Yamagata, Masashi Eriguchi, Shinji Takahira, Shota Iizuka | 38.07 | Q, SB |
| 3 | 4 | Trinidad and Tobago | Richard Thompson, Marc Burns, Emmanuel Callender, Keston Bledman | 38.10 | Q, SB |
| 4 | 5 | France | Jimmy Vicaut, Christophe Lemaitre, Pierre-Alexis Pessonneaux, Ronald Pognon | 38.15 | q |
| 5 | 2 | Australia | Anthony Alozie, Isaac Ntiamoah, Andrew McCabe, Josh Ross | 38.17 | q, =AR |
| 6 | 3 | Poland | Kamil Masztak, Dariusz Kuć, Robert Kubaczyk, Kamil Kryński | 38.31 | NR |
| 7 | 6 | Germany | Julian Reus, Tobias Unger, Alexander Kosenkow, Lucas Jakubczyk | 38.37 | |
| 8 | 8 | Hong Kong | Tang Yik Chun, Lai Chun Ho, Ng Ka Fung, Tsui Chi Ho | 38.61 | |

## Final

Results of the Final:
| Rank | Lane | Nation | Competitors | Time | Notes |
| | 6 | Jamaica | Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Yohan Blake, Usain Bolt | 36.84 | WR, OR |
| | 9 | Trinidad and Tobago | Keston Bledman, Marc Burns, Emmanuel Callender, Richard Thompson | 38.12 | |
| | 3 | France | Jimmy Vicaut, Christophe Lemaitre, Pierre-Alexis Pessonneaux, Ronald Pognon | 38.16 | |
| 4 | 4 | Japan | Ryota Yamagata, Masashi Eriguchi, Shinji Takahira, Shota Iizuka | 38.35 | |
| 5 | 8 | Netherlands | Brian Mariano, Churandy Martina, Giovanni Codrington, Patrick van Luijk | 38.39 | |
| 6 | 2 | Australia | Anthony Alozie, Isaac Ntiamoah, Andrew McCabe, Joshua Ross | 38.43 | |
| | 5 | Canada | Gavin Smellie, Oluseyi Smith, Jared Connaughton, Justyn Warner | DQ (37.89) | R 163.3a |
| | 7 | United States | Trell Kimmons, Justin Gatlin, Tyson Gay, Ryan Bailey | DQ (37.04) | Doping |