Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay

The women's 4 x 100 metres relay races at the 2000 Summer Olympics as part of the athletics program were held on Friday, 29 September and Saturday, 30 September.

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in minutes:seconds) prior to the 2000 Summer Olympics.

For a period of 2 years, the Bronze medals won by the United States team were stripped due to doping by Marion Jones. On 23 November 2007, the IAAF recommended to the IOC Executive Board to disqualify the USA women's 4 × 100 m and 4 × 400 m relay teams after Marion Jones admitted to having taken performance-enhancing drugs prior to the Games. On 12 December, the IOC disqualified Jones and stripped her of her relay medals but it did not disqualify the U.S. relay teams. On 10 April 2008, the IOC disqualified both U.S. relay teams and asked for Jones' teammates' medals to be returned.[1]

On 16 July 2010, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled in favor of the non-disqualified American women, who had appealed the International Olympic Committee's decision to disqualify them from the Sydney Games. Nanceen Perry did not join the appeal. The court said that rules in place in 2000 did not allow entire teams to be disqualified because of doping by one athlete. [2]

* Athletes who participated in the heats only, and also received medals.

Bahamas was so enamored by their winning team, they celebrated their "Golden Girls" with a very visible mural at the Nassau airport.

All times shown are in seconds.

First 3 in each heat (Q) and four fastest losers (q) advance to the semi-finals.

First three in each heat (Q) and two fastest losers (q) advance to the final.

The United States originally won bronze, but on 10 April 2008, following Marion Jones's admission that she had used performance-enhancing drugs, the entire team was stripped of their medals. However, Jones's teammates appealed that decision by taking the case to the Court of Arbitration. On July 16, 2010, CAS ruled in the athletes favor and both American women relay squads had their medals reallocated.

Source: Official Report of the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics available at https://web.archive.org/web/20080522105330/http://www.la84foundation.org/5va/reports_frmst.htm

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