Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay
| Men's 4 × 100 metres relay at the Games of the XXXI Olympiad
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Usain Bolt (JAM) leading during the final leg of the men's 4 × 100 metres relay
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| Venue | Estádio Olímpico João Havelange | ||||||||||||
| Date | 18–19 August 2016 | ||||||||||||
| Teams | 16 | ||||||||||||
| Winning time | 37.27 | ||||||||||||
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Asafa Powell Yohan Blake Nickel Ashmeade Usain Bolt Kemar Bailey-Cole* Jevaughn Minzie* |
 Jamaica
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Ryota Yamagata Shōta Iizuka Yoshihide Kiryū Asuka Cambridge |
 Japan
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Akeem Haynes Aaron Brown Brendon Rodney Andre De Grasse Mobolade Ajomale* * Indicates the sprinter only competed in the preliminary heats. |
 Canada
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The men's 4 × 100 metres relay competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was held at the Estádio Olímpico João Havelange on 18–19 August.
Jamaica entered as the reigning 2015 World Champions and the defending Olympic champions, having set new world and Olympic records at the 2012 London Olympics. The United States were the next strongest team, although the Americans were disqualified from the 2012 Olympics (due to doping) and the 2015 World Championships (due to a failed baton exchange). The 2016 world leading time prior to the event was held by Great Britain, at 37.78 seconds. Other strong entrants were 2012 Olympic silver medallists Trinidad and Tobago and France, who earned bronze, and the 2015 world runners-up, China.
For the third Olympics in a row Usain Bolt had won the 100 metres and 200 metres. In the previous two Olympics the Jamaican team with Bolt had won the gold in the relay. Jamaica with Bolt; his predecessor as world record holder Asafa Powell; and the equal second fastest man in history, Yohan Blake, were favourites. Powell had been on the 2008 winning team, Blake had been on the 2012 winning team. USA were expected to be the strongest opposition with the Olympic 100m silver medalist Gatlin; Tyson Gay tied for second fastest in history; and the World Indoor Champion Trayvon Bromell. At the head of the third zone, Bolt seemed to gain an edge on both Japan and USA, but had to slow as he fumbled to grab the baton. Leaving the zone Bolt only had inches on the other two leaders.
The Asian 4 x 100m record was improved three times at the 2016 games. The record before the Olympics was 37.92, run by China at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing. In the first semi final, with a new lead off leg, China improved the record to 37.82. Japan improved the record twice, to 37.68 in the second semi final and a new record of 37.60 in the final.
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