# Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 400 metres relay

The women's 4 × 400 metres relay event at the 2008 Olympic Games took place on 22 and 23 August at the Beijing Olympic Stadium.
There were only 16 NOCs competing at this event. These 16 NOCs were selected by the average of the two best marks at the qualifying period.
In 2016, it was announced that a reanalysis of samples from the 2008 Summer Olympics resulted in a doping violation by Tatyana Firova. Accordingly, the Russian team was disqualified, and the Russian team were stripped of their 4 × 400 m relay silver medals. 4th placed Belarus was also disqualified due to a doping violation by anchor runner Sviatlana Usovich. Medals of the other teams have been reallocated by the IAAF.

## Records

Prior to this competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows.
| World record | Soviet Union (URS) (Tatyana Ledovskaya, Olga Nazarova, Mariya Pinigina, Olga Bryzgina) | 3:15.17 | Seoul, South Korea | 1 October 1988 |
| Olympic record | Soviet Union (URS) (Tatyana Ledovskaya, Olga Nazarova, Mariya Pinigina, Olga Bryzgina) | 3:15.17 | Seoul, South Korea | 1 October 1988 |
No new world or Olympic records were set for this event.

## Qualification summary

| Pos | NOC | 2 races | 2 races | 1 | 2 |
| Pos | NOC | Total | Average | 1 | 2 |
| 1 | United States | 6:40.71 | 3:20.35 | 3:18.55 | 3:22.16 |
| 2 | Russia | 6:43.74 | 3:21.87 | 3:20.25 | 3:23.49 |
| 3 | Great Britain | 6:45.49 | 3:22.74 | 3:20.04 | 3:25.45 |
| 4 | Belarus | 6:45.55 | 3:22.77 | 3:21.88 | 3:23.67 |
| 5 | Jamaica | 6:45.87 | 3:22.93 | 3:19.73 | 3:26.14 |
| 6 | Poland | 6:52.81 | 3:26.41 | 3:26.36 | 3:26.45 |
| 7 | Cuba | 6:54.09 | 3:27.04 | 3:27.04 | 3:27.05 |
| 8 | Mexico | 6:54.89 | 3:27.44 | 3:27.14 | 3:27.75 |
| 9 | France | 6:55.25 | 3:27.62 | 3:26.63 | 3:28.62 |
| 10 | Ukraine | 6:55.82 | 3:27.91 | 3:27.15 | 3:28.67 |
| 11 | Germany | 6:56.83 | 3:28.41 | 3:27.31 | 3:29.52 |
| 12 | Nigeria | 6:57.71 | 3:28.85 | 3:27.97 | 3:29.74 |
| 13 | Brazil | 6:58.00 | 3:29.00 | 3:28.89 | 3:29.11 |
| 14 | Japan | 7:00.70 | 3:30.35 | 3:30.17 | 3:30.53 |
| 15 | India | 7:00.84 | 3:30.42 | 3:28.29 | 3:32.55 |
| 16 | China | 7:01.89 | 3:30.95 | 3:29.75 | 3:32.14 |
| Reserves ||||||
| 17 | Italy | 7:01.96 | 3:30.98 | 3:30.89 | 3:31.07 |
| 18 | Canada | 7:02.71 | 3:31.35 | 3:30.34 | 3:32.37 |
| 19 | Greece | 7:03.27 | 3:31.64 | 3:30.20 | 3:33.07 |
| 20 | Romania | 7:05.79 | 3:32.90 | 3:30.22 | 3:35.57 |

## Results

All times shown are in seconds.
* Q denotes automatic qualification.
* q denotes fastest losers.
* DNS denotes did not start.
* DNF denotes did not finish.
* DQ denotes disqualified
* AR denotes area record.
* NR denotes national record.
* PB denotes personal best.
* SB denotes season's best.

### Round 1

First 3 in each heat (Q) and the next 2 fastest (q) advance to the Final.
| Heat | Lane | Nation | Competitors | Results | Notes |
| 2 | 7 | United States | Mary Wineberg, Monique Henderson, Natasha Hastings, Sanya Richards | 3:22.45 | Q, SB |
| 2 | 3 | Jamaica | Novelene Williams, Shereefa Lloyd, Bobby-Gaye Wilkins, Shericka Williams | 3:22.60 | Q, SB |
| 2 | 6 | Belarus | Yulyana Yushchanka, Iryna Khliustava, Ilona Usovich, Sviatlana Usovich | 3:22.78 | DQ (Q, SB) |
| 1 | 3 | Russia | Elena Migunova, Tatyana Veshkurova, Lyudmila Litvinova, Tatiana Firova | 3:23.71 | DQ (Q, SB) |
| 2 | 2 | Nigeria | Folashade Abugan, Joy Amechi Eze, Oluoma Nwoke, Ajoke Odumosu | 3:24.10 | q, SB |
| 1 | 7 | Cuba | Roxana Díaz, Zulia Calatayud, Susana Clement, Indira Terrero | 3:25.46 | Q, SB |
| 1 | 5 | Great Britain | Nicola Sanders, Kelly Sotherton, Marilyn Okoro, Christine Ohuruogu | 3:25.48 | Q, SB |
| 1 | 6 | Germany | Jonna Valesca Tilgner, Sorina Nwachukwu, Florence Ekpo-Umoh, Claudia Hoffmann | 3:25.55 | q, SB |
| 2 | 4 | France | Phara Anacharsis, Thelia Sigere, Solen Desert, Virginie Michanol | 3:26.61 | SB |
| 1 | 8 | Ukraine | Oksana Shcherbak, Tetyana Petlyuk, Kseniya Karandyuk, Nataliya Pyhyda | 3:27.44 | |
| 1 | 2 | Poland | Monika Bejnar, Jolanta Wojcik, Anna Jesień, Grażyna Prokopek | 3:28.23 | |
| 1 | 4 | India | Satti Geetha, Manjeet Kaur, Chithra Kulathummuriyil Soman, Mandeep Kaur | 3:28.83 | |
| 2 | 9 | Brazil | Maria Laura Almirao, Josiane Tito, Emmily Pinheiro, Lucimar Teodoro | 3:30.10 | |
| 2 | 5 | Mexico | Ruth Grajeda, Gabriela Medina, Nallely Vela, Zudikey Rodriguez | 3:30.36 | |
| 1 | 9 | Japan | Satomi Kubokura, Asami Tanno, Mayu Kida, Sayaka Aoki | 3:30.52 | SB |
| 2 | 8 | China | Han Ling, Chen Jingwen, Wang Jinping, Tang Xiaoyin | 3:30.77 | |

### Final

| Rank | Lane | Nation | Competitors | Results | Notes |
| | 4 | United States | Mary Wineberg, Allyson Felix, Monique Henderson, Sanya Richards | 3:18.54 | SB |
| | 7 | Jamaica | Shericka Williams, Shereefa Lloyd, Rosemarie Whyte, Novelene Williams | 3:20.40 | SB |
| | 9 | Great Britain | Christine Ohuruogu, Kelly Sotherton, Marilyn Okoro, Nicola Sanders | 3:22.68 | SB |
| 4 | 6 | Cuba | Roxana Díaz, Zulia Calatayud, Susana Clement, Indira Terrero | 3:23.21 | NR |
| 5 | 2 | Nigeria | Joy Amechi Eze, Folashade Abugan, Oluoma Nwoke, Ajoke Odumosu | 3:23.74 | SB |
| 6 | 3 | Germany | Jonna Valesca Tilgner, Sorina Nwachukwu, Florence Ekpo-Umoh, Claudia Hoffmann | 3:28.45 | |
| DSQ (2nd) | 5 | Russia | Yulia Gushchina, Lyudmila Litvinova, Tatyana Firova, Anastasiya Kapachinskaya | DSQ (3:18.82) | Doping |
| DSQ (4th) | 8 | Belarus | Anna Kozak, Iryna Khliustava, Ilona Usovich, Sviatlana Usovich | DSQ (3:21.85) | Doping |