| | Event type

4 x 400 metres Relay, Women

Date	2 – 3 August 1996
Status	Olympic
Location	Centennial Olympic Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Participants	59 from 14 countries

The United States had won the 1993 and 1995 World Championships, Russia placing second both times. The final saw Nigeria take the lead on the opening lead and Fatima Yusuf opened up on the second leg to give them an eight-metre lead on the US at the halfway point. Kim Graham ran 49.49 on the third leg for the US to close that gap and give the baton to Jearl Miles with a slight lead on Nigeria. Miles opened the lead on the backstretch, but Nigeria’s anchor runner, 400 bronze medalist Falilat Ogunkoya, closed on the final turn and entered the homestretch right on Miles back. But she could never get to her shoulder and though both runners were almost stumbling in the final 30 metres, Miles held on to give the US the gold medal, Nigeria winning an unexpected silver.

Pos	Nr	Team	NOC	R1	Final
1	–	United States	USA	3:22.71 (1 h1)	3:20.91 (1)	Gold
		Rochelle Stevens • Maicel Malone • Kim Graham • Jearl Miles • Linetta Wilson
2	–	Nigeria	NGR	3:23.24 (2 h1)	3:21.04 (2)	Silver
		Bisi Afolabi • Fatima Yusuf • Charity Opara • Falilat Ogunkoya
3	–	Germany	GER	3:24.08 (1 h2)	3:21.14 (3)	Bronze
		Uta Rohländer • Linda Kisabaka • Anja Rücker • Grit Breuer
4	–	Jamaica	JAM	3:25.33 (4 h2)	3:21.69 (4)
		Merlene Frazer • Sandie Richards • Juliet Campbell • Deon Hemmings • Tracey Ann Barnes • Inez Turner
5	–	Russian Federation	RUS	3:24.86 (3 h2)	3:22.22 (5)
		Tatyana Chebykina • Svetlana Goncharenko • Yekaterina Kulikova • Olga Kotlyarova
6	–	Cuba	CUB	3:24.23 (2 h2)	3:25.85 (6)
		Idalmis Bonne • Daysi Duporty • Surella Morales • Ana Fidelia Quirós
7	–	Czech Republic	CZE	3:26.82 (5 h2)	3:26.99 (7)
		Naděžda Koštovalová • Ludmila Formanová • Helena Fuchsová • Hana Benešová
8	–	France	FRA	3:28.07 (3 h1)	3:28.46 (8)
		Francine Landre • Viviane Dorsile • Évelyne Élien • Elsa Devassoigne
4 h1 r1/2	–	Great Britain	GBR	3:28.13 (4 h1)	–
		Phylis Smith • Allison Curbishley • Donna Fraser • Georgina Oladapo
5 h1 r1/2	–	Ukraine	UKR	3:28.16 (5 h1)	–
		Viktoriya Fomenko • Liudmyla Koshchei • Yana Manuylova • Olha Moroz
6 h1 r1/2	–	Antigua and Barbuda	ANT	3:44.98 (6 h1)	–
		Dine Potter • Sonia Williams • Charmaine Thomas • Heather Samuel
6 h2 r1/2	–	Australia	AUS	3:33.78 (6 h2)	–
		Lee Naylor • Kylie Hanigan • Melinda Gainsford-Taylor • Renée Poetschka
7 h2 r1/2	–	Saint Kitts and Nevis	SKN	3:35.12 (7 h2)	–
		Bernadeth Prentice • Diane Francis • Valma Bass • Tamara Wigley
AC h1 r1/2	–	India	IND	– (DQ h1)	–
		K. M. Beenamol • Rosa Kutty • Jyotirmoyee Sikdar • Shiny Wilson
DNS	–	United States Virgin Islands	ISV	– (DNS h1)	–

Round One (2 August 1996)

Top three in each heat and next two fastest advanced to the final.

Heat One (20:30)

Pos	Nr	Team	NOC	Time (A)	Split (Pos)	Reaction Time
1	–	United States	USA	3:22.71		0.297	Q
	–	Rochelle Stevens		51.53	51.53 (3)
	–	Linetta Wilson		51.22	1:42.75 (2)
	3836	Kim Graham		49.99	2:32.74 (1)
	3856	Maicel Malone		49.97	3:22.71 (1)
2	–	Nigeria	NGR	3:23.24		0.321	Q
	3587	Bisi Afolabi		51.09	51.09 (1)
	3603	Fatima Yusuf		50.29	1:41.38 (1)
	–	Charity Opara		52.06	2:33.44 (2)
	3595	Falilat Ogunkoya		49.80	3:23.24 (2)
3	–	France	FRA	3:28.07		0.513	Q
	–	Francine Landre		51.80	51.80 (4)
	3291	Viviane Dorsile		52.90	1:44.70 (5)
	–	Évelyne Élien		51.45	2:36.15 (4)
	–	Elsa Devassoigne		51.92	3:28.07 (3)
4	–	Great Britain	GBR	3:28.13		0.287
	3333	Phylis Smith		51.47	51.47 (2)
	–	Allison Curbishley		52.16	1:43.63 (3)
	3307	Donna Fraser		51.98	2:35.61 (3)
	–	Georgina Oladapo		52.52	3:28.13 (4)
5	–	Ukraine	UKR	3:28.16		0.266
	3793	Viktoriya Fomenko		53.23	53.23 (5)
	–	Liudmyla Koshchei		51.36	1:44.59 (4)
	3801	Yana Manuylova		52.67	2:37.26 (5)
	–	Olha Moroz		50.90	3:28.16 (5)
6	–	Antigua and Barbuda	ANT	3:44.98		0.268
	–	Dine Potter		56.44	56.44 (6)
	–	Sonia Williams		56.99	1:53.43 (6)
	–	Charmaine Thomas		56.45	2:49.88 (6)
	3009	Heather Samuel		55.10	3:44.98 (6)
DQ	–	India	IND	–		[0.386]
	–	K. M. Beenamol		54.79	54.79 (6)
	–	Rosa Kutty		53.64	1:48.43 (6)
	–	Jyotirmoyee Sikdar		54.86	2:43.29 (6)
	–	Shiny Wilson		–	– (–)
DNS	–	United States Virgin Islands	ISV	–		–

Heat Two (20:40)

Pos	Nr	Team	NOC	Time (A)	Split (Pos)	Reaction Time
1	–	Germany	GER	3:24.08		0.328	Q
	–	Uta Rohländer		51.73	51.73 (=1)
	3356	Linda Kisabaka		51.16	1:42.89 (3)
	–	Anja Rücker		51.08	2:33.97 (2)
	3344	Grit Breuer		50.11	3:24.08 (1)
2	–	Cuba	CUB	3:24.23		0.298	Q
	–	Idalmis Bonne		51.91	51.91 (3)
	–	Daysi Duporty		50.92	1:42.83 (2)
	–	Surella Morales		51.31	2:34.14 (3)
	3201	Ana Fidelia Quirós		50.09	3:24.23 (2)
3	–	Russian Federation	RUS	3:24.86		0.275	Q
	–	Tatyana Chebykina		51.73	51.73 (=1)
	3692	Olga Kotlyarova		50.63	1:42.36 (1)
	–	Yekaterina Kulikova		51.50	2:33.86 (1)
	3681	Svetlana Goncharenko		51.00	3:24.86 (3)
4	–	Jamaica	JAM	3:25.33		0.356	q
	3467	Juliet Campbell		52.07	52.07 (4)
	–	Tracey Ann Barnes		51.43	1:43.50 (4)
	3469	Merlene Frazer		50.88	2:34.38 (4)
	3484	Inez Turner		50.95	3:25.33 (4)
5	–	Czech Republic	CZE	3:26.82		0.472	q
	3208	Naděžda Koštovalová		53.70	53.70 (6)
	3205	Ludmila Formanová		51.70	1:45.40 (6)
	3206	Helena Fuchsová		50.58	2:35.98 (6)
	3204	Hana Benešová		50.84	3:26.82 (5)
6	–	Australia	AUS	3:33.78		0.282
	3040	Lee Naylor		52.62	52.62 (5)
	–	Kylie Hanigan		51.21	1:43.83 (5)
	3026	Melinda Gainsford-Taylor		51.88	2:35.71 (5)
	3042	Renée Poetschka		58.07	3:33.78 (6)
7	–	Saint Kitts and Nevis	SKN	3:35.12		0.441
	–	Bernadeth Prentice		54.22	54.22 (7)
	3728	Diane Francis		52.03	1:46.25 (7)
	–	Valma Bass		55.88	2:42.13 (7)
	–	Tamara Wigley		52.99	3:35.12 (7)

Final (3 August 1996 — 21:15)

Pos	Nr	Team	NOC	Time (A)	Split (Pos)	Reaction Time
1	–	United States	USA	3:20.91		0.343
	–	Rochelle Stevens		51.68	51.68 (4)
	3856	Maicel Malone		50.27	1:41.95 (3)
	3836	Kim Graham		49.49	2:31.44 (1)
	3857	Jearl Miles		49.47	3:20.91 (1)
2	–	Nigeria	NGR	3:21.04		0.353
	3587	Bisi Afolabi		51.13	51.13 (1)
	3603	Fatima Yusuf		49.72	1:40.85 (1)
	–	Charity Opara		51.29	2:32.14 (2)
	3595	Falilat Ogunkoya		48.90	3:21.04 (2)
3	–	Germany	GER	3:21.14		0.169
	–	Uta Rohländer		51.72	51.72 (5)
	3356	Linda Kisabaka		50.43	1:42.15 (=5)
	–	Anja Rücker		50.36	2:32.51 (4)
	3344	Grit Breuer		48.63	3:21.14 (3)
4	–	Jamaica	JAM	3:21.69		0.446
	3469	Merlene Frazer		51.42	51.42 (3)
	3480	Sandie Richards		50.72	1:42.14 (4)
	3467	Juliet Campbell		50.21	2:32.35 (3)
	3473	Deon Hemmings		49.34	3:21.69 (4)
5	–	Russian Federation	RUS	3:22.22		0.301
	–	Tatyana Chebykina		51.35	51.35 (2)
	3681	Svetlana Goncharenko		50.43	1:41.78 (2)
	–	Yekaterina Kulikova		50.86	2:32.64 (5)
	3692	Olga Kotlyarova		49.58	3:22.22 (5)
6	–	Cuba	CUB	3:25.85		0.326
	–	Idalmis Bonne		51.94	51.94 (7)
	–	Daysi Duporty		50.21	1:42.15 (=5)
	–	Surella Morales		53.98	2:36.13 (6)
	3201	Ana Fidelia Quirós		49.72	3:25.85 (6)
7	–	Czech Republic	CZE	3:26.99		–
	3208	Naděžda Koštovalová		54.13	54.13 (8)
	3205	Ludmila Formanová		51.46	1:45.59 (8)
	3206	Helena Fuchsová		50.79	2:36.38 (7)
	3204	Hana Benešová		50.61	3:26.99 (7)
8	–	France	FRA	3:28.46		0.249
	–	Francine Landre		51.81	51.81 (6)
	3291	Viviane Dorsile		51.69	1:43.50 (7)
	–	Évelyne Élien		53.16	2:36.66 (8)
	–	Elsa Devassoigne		51.80	3:28.46 (8)