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

Women's 4 × 100 metres relay at the Games of the XXX Olympiad
Venue	Olympic Stadium
Date	9 August 2012 (2012-08-09) (heats) 10 August 2012 (2012-08-10) (final)
Teams	16
Winning time	40.82 WR
Medalists
01 !  United States (USA) Tianna Madison Allyson Felix Bianca Knight Carmelita Jeter Jeneba Tarmoh* Lauryn Williams* 02 !  Jamaica (JAM) Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Sherone Simpson Veronica Campbell-Brown Kerron Stewart Samantha Henry-Robinson* Schillonie Calvert* 03 !  Ukraine (UKR) Olesya Povh Hrystyna Stuy Mariya Ryemyen Elyzaveta Bryzgina
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01 !		United States (USA) Tianna Madison Allyson Felix Bianca Knight Carmelita Jeter Jeneba Tarmoh* Lauryn Williams*
02 !		Jamaica (JAM) Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Sherone Simpson Veronica Campbell-Brown Kerron Stewart Samantha Henry-Robinson* Schillonie Calvert*
03 !		Ukraine (UKR) Olesya Povh Hrystyna Stuy Mariya Ryemyen Elyzaveta Bryzgina

The women's 4 × 100 metres relay competition at the 2012 Olympic Games in London took place on 9–10 August at the Olympic Stadium. The victorious United States team broke the world record by over half a second. The previous record had been set 27 years previously by East Germany, a result that was widely considered suspicious due to East Germany's record of doping. The Jamaican team, 6 metres back, missed the previous world record by .04, but set a new national record. Another 7 metres back, Ukraine took the bronze, also setting a new national record.

Prior to the competition^[update], the existing World and Olympic records were as follows.

The following records were established during the competition:

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

The American team had an often repeated history of relay failures, so most of the pre-race discussion focused on whether it could successfully get the baton around the track. At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, both the men's and women's 4 x 100 metres teams had dropped the baton, leading one reporter to call it the "nadir in US relay history".

On the first leg of the final, Tianna Madison was able to hold her own against the double 100 metre gold medalist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. Allyson Felix put the USA into the lead, extended by Bianca Knight around the turn. At the final handoff to individual 100 metre silver medalist Carmelita Jeter, the team enjoyed a 3-metre lead. Secure in the handoffs, Jeter sped to the finish, noticing the time and pointing at the clock before the finish line.