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

Women's 4 × 400 metres relay at the Games of the XXXI Olympiad
The United States team leading the heat 1
Venue	Olympic Stadium
Date	19–20 August 2016
Competitors	from 16 nations
Teams	16
Winning time	3:19.06
Medalists
01 ! Allyson Felix Phyllis Francis Natasha Hastings Courtney Okolo Taylor Ellis-Watson* Francena McCorory*  United States 02 ! Stephenie Ann McPherson Anneisha McLaughlin-Whilby Shericka Jackson Novlene Williams-Mills Christine Day* Chrisann Gordon*  Jamaica 03 ! Eilidh Doyle Anyika Onuora Emily Diamond Christine Ohuruogu Kelly Massey*  Great Britain
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01 !		Allyson Felix Phyllis Francis Natasha Hastings Courtney Okolo Taylor Ellis-Watson* Francena McCorory*	United States
02 !		Stephenie Ann McPherson Anneisha McLaughlin-Whilby Shericka Jackson Novlene Williams-Mills Christine Day* Chrisann Gordon*	Jamaica
03 !		Eilidh Doyle Anyika Onuora Emily Diamond Christine Ohuruogu Kelly Massey*	Great Britain

The Women'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 United States entered as the defending Olympic champions while Jamaica were the reigning world champions from 2015, having defeated the Americans there. Great Britain entered with the fastest time recorded that year (3:25.05 minutes), which they had achieved to win the 2016 European title. France and Canada were the next strongest entries.

In the final, Stephenie Ann McPherson went out hard from the gun, chipping into the huge 3 turn stagger gap. By the end of the second turn she was almost side by side to American Courtney Okolo. Down the home stretch, Okolo accelerated and pulled away from McPherson. USA exchanged first, followed closely by Jamaica. Already with a gap back to Eilidh Doyle, Great Britain and Canada were the next to exchange. Natasha Hastings was first to the break and Anneisha McLaughlin-Whilby dropped in about 5 metres behind. Anyika Onuora was more than ten metres behind Jamaica by the time the British broke, Canada was next and a rush around the turn by Patrycja Wyciszkiewicz dropped Poland in behind Canada. Through the turn McLaughlin-Whilby progressively pulled down the gap on Hastings, while the rest of the field fell another ten metres behind the leaders. Onuora slowed further on the home stretch, Canada's Alicia Brown passing her on the outside with Wyciszkiewicz pulling up to her shoulder.