WCH Tokyo 25 facts and figures: men's 4x400m

Last three sets of World Athletics Championships medallists

2023 – United States (USA) 2:57.31, France (FRA) 2:58.45, Great Britain (GBR) 2:58.71
2022 – United States (USA) 2:56.17, Jamaica (JAM) 2:58.58, Belgium (BEL) 2:58.72
2019 – United States (USA) 2:56.69, Jamaica (JAM) 2:57.90, Belgium (BEL) 2:58.78

Last two sets of Olympic medallists

Fastest winning times in World Athletics Championships history

United States – 2:54.29 (1993)
Great Britain - 2:56.65 (1997)
Trinidad & Tobago – 2:58.12 (2007)

Slowest winning time in World Athletics Championships history

Soviet Union – 3:00.79 (1983)

Best marks on Japanese soil

2:55.56 1 United States - Osaka (World Championships) 02.09.2007
2:55.70 1 United States -  Tokyo (Olympics) 07.08.2021
2:57.18 2 Netherlands - Tokyo (Olympics) 07.08.2021

Best marks on Asian soil

2:55.39 1 United States - Beijing (Olympics) 23.08.2008
2:55.56 1 United States - Osaka (World Championships) 02.09.2007
2:55.70 1 United States -  Tokyo (Olympics) 07.08.2021

Biggest winning margins

5.53s 1993 – 2:54.29 United States (USA), 2:59.82 Kenya (KEN)
3.62s 2007 – 2:55.56 United States (USA), 2:59.18 Bahamas (BAH)
2.67s 2009 – 2:57.86 United States (USA), 3:00.53 Great Britain & NI (GBR)

​​Smallest winning margins

0.04s  1991 – 2:57.53 Great Britain (GBR), 2:57.57 United States (USA)
0.10s 1997 – 2:56.65 Great Britain (GBR), 2:56.75 Jamaica (JAM)
0.20s 2001 – 2:58.19 Bahamas (BAH), 2:58.39 Jamaica (JAM)

Best mark by round

Heat — 2:58.13 United States (USA), 2015
Semifinal — 2:58.23 United States (USA), 1995
Final — 2:54.29 United States (USA), 1993

Multiple winners

1987/93/95/05/07/09/11/13/15/19/22/23 - United States (USA)
1987/97 - Great Britain & NI (GBR)

Winners by country

12 - United States
2 - Great Britain
1 - Soviet Union
1 - Poland
1 - Bahamas
1 - France
1 - Trinidad & Tobago

Five historic facts

• United States have won 12 of the 19 4x100m titles in World Championships history
• Their winning time of 2:54.29 which dates back to Stuttgart in 1993 remains the world record.
• The last time the United States didn't win this title was in 2017 when Trinidad & Tobago shocked the United States in London, 2:58.12 to 2:58.61 
• Great Britain also famously upset the United States in Tokyo at the 1991 World Championships, 2:57.53 to 2:57.57, the closest 4x400m in championship history
• The last time Africa won a medal was in 2011 when South Africa won silver in Daegu in 2011

Potential storylines

• Can Botswana win gold for the first time in the 4x400m? They only finished 0.1 behind the United States at the 2024 Olympic Games last year
• Can Trinidad & Tobago win their first medal in this event since winning gold in 2017?
• Can the United States win a record-extending 13th title in the event?
• Daniel Segers (BEL) ran the fastest leg in the heats with 43.71 on leg three for Belgium. Charlie Dobson (GBR) closed with a 43.78 anchor for Great Britain
• Portugal (2:59.70) and Qatar (3:00.15) both set national records in the heats
• The United States qualified this morning on a re-run in 2:58.48. They have been drawn in lane one