Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay

Men's 4 × 400 metres relay at the Games of the XXXI Olympiad
Verburg (USA) leading from Francis (JAM) during the heats of the men's 4 × 400 metres relay
Venue	Estádio Olímpico João Havelange
Date	19–20 August 2016
Competitors	from 16 nations
Teams	16
Winning time	2:58.16
Medalists
01 ! Arman Hall Tony McQuay Gil Roberts LaShawn Merritt Kyle Clemons* David Verburg*  United States 02 ! Peter Matthews Nathon Allen Fitzroy Dunkley Javon Francis Rusheen McDonald*  Jamaica 03 ! Alonzo Russell Michael Mathieu Steven Gardiner Chris Brown Demetrius Pinder* Stephen Newbold*  Bahamas
←2012 2020→

01 !		Arman Hall Tony McQuay Gil Roberts LaShawn Merritt Kyle Clemons* David Verburg*	United States
02 !		Peter Matthews Nathon Allen Fitzroy Dunkley Javon Francis Rusheen McDonald*	Jamaica
03 !		Alonzo Russell Michael Mathieu Steven Gardiner Chris Brown Demetrius Pinder* Stephen Newbold*	Bahamas

The men's 4 × 400 metres relay competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was held at the Estádio Olímpico João Havelange on 19–20 August.

The Bahamas entered as the defending Olympic champions while United States had won both the 2013 and 2015 World Championships since then. Louisiana State University held the world leading time of 3:00.38 minutes prior to the event. The American college team was anchored by Fitzroy Dunkley who ran for Jamaica here. Trinidad and Tobago, medallists at the both last Olympics and World Championships, were the next strongest team. Other teams entering with fast quartets were Jamaica, Great Britain and 2016 European champions Belgium.

As in 2012, the heats produced some drama. During the first handoff, in lanes, Trinidad and Tobago leadoff leg, Jarrin Solomon stepped inside of the lane line. He had already let go of the baton to Lalonde Gordon but the team was disqualified. In the second semi-final both Great Britain and India were disqualified for starting their leg with a foot outside of the passing zone.

The final began with Botswana's Isaac Makwala, the seventh fastest man in history and Jamaica's Peter Matthews taking it out hard. Matthews had passed Belgium's Julien Watrin at the head of the stretch, but Watrin pulled it back as Matthews slowed. Botswana made the handoff first. USA's Arman Hall also pulled back some ground from Matthews as USA exchanged even with Jamaica. Tony McQuay ran the turn hard to get the jump on Botswana's fifth place open sprinter, 18 year old Karabo Sibanda at the break. Michael Mathieu also put Bahamas ahead of Jamaica's Nathon Allen who was in a battle with Jonathan Borlée, the first of three successive Borlée brothers for Belgium.