World Athletics Championships 2015/4 × 400 m men

World Athletics Championships 2015
discipline	Men's 4 x 400 meter relay
city	Beijing
place	Beijing National Stadium
Attendees	16 relay teams with 70 runners
Competition phase	August 29, 2015 (preliminary round) August 30, 2015 (final)
Medalist
gold	United States
silver	Trinidad and Tobago
bronze	Great Britain

LaShawn Merritt leads the winning US season to the finish

The men's 4-by-400-meter relay at the 2015 World Athletics Championships took place on August 29 and 30, 2015 in Beijing , People's Republic of China .

The season of the USA with David Verburg , Tony McQuay , Bryshon Nellum and LaShawn Merritt as well as Kyle Clemons and Vernon Norwood also used in the run-up became world champions .

The team from Trinidad and Tobago won the silver medal in the line-up of Renny Quow , Lalonde Gordon , Deon Lendore and Machel Cedenio as well as Jarrin Solomon, who was also used in the run-up .

Bronze went to Great Britain ( Rabah Yousif , Delano Williams , Jarryd Dunn , Martyn Rooney ).

The runners from the USA and Jamaica used in the preliminary round were also entitled to the corresponding precious metal.

Records

World record championship record

USA ( Andrew Valmon , Quincy Watts , Harry Reynolds , Michael Johnson )

2: 54.29 min

World Cup in Stuttgart , Germany

22nd August 1993

Prelims

From two preliminary runs, the first three of each run - highlighted in light blue - and the two fastest times - highlighted in light green - qualified for the semifinals.

Run 1

August 29, 2015, 10:40 am (4:40 am CEST )

space	train	Surname	country	Time (min)
1	8th	Great Britain	Rabah Yousif Delano Williams Jarryd Dunn Martyn Rooney	2: 59.05 SB
2	2	Belgium	Dylan Borlée Jonathan Borlée Antoine Gillet Kevin Borlée	2: 59.28 NO
3	7th	France	Mame-Ibra Anne Teddy Atine-Venel Mamoudou Hanne Thomas Jordier	2: 59.42 SB
4th	7th	Russia	Artyom Denmuchametow Pavel Trenichin Denis Kudrjawzew Pawel Ivaschko	2: 59.45 SB
5	9	Poland	Łukasz Krawczuk Michał Pietrzak Rafał Omelko Jakub Krzewina	3: 00.72 SB
6th	4th	Venezuela	Alberth Bravo José Meléndez Arturo Ramírez Freddy Mezones	3: 02.96 SB
7th	4th	Japan	Tomoya Tamura Yūzō Kanemaru Naoki Kobayashi Takamasa Kitagawa	3: 02.97 SB
DSQ	6th	Bahamas	Steven Gardiner Michael Mathieu Alonzo Russell Ramon Miller	IAAF Rule 163.3a - Rail violation

Run 2

August 29, 2015, 10:50 am (4:50 am CEST )

space	train	Surname	country	Time (min)
1	6th	United States	Kyle Clemons Tony McQuay Bryshon Nellum Vernon Norwood	2: 58.13 WL
2	2	Trinidad and Tobago	Renny Quow Jarrin Solomon Deon Lendore Lalonde Gordon	2: 58.67 SB
3	8th	Jamaica	Peter Matthews Ricardo Chambers Dane Hyatt Javon Francis	2: 58.69 SB
4th	7th	Cuba	William Collazo Raidel Acea Adrian Chacón Yoandys Lescay	2: 59.80 SB
5	5	Botswana	Onkabetse Nkobolo Nijel Amos Leaname Maotoanong Isaac Makwala	2: 59.95 NO
6th	5	Dominican Republic	Gustavo Cuesta Yon Soriano Juander Santos Luguelin Santos	3: 00.15 NO
7th	4th	Brazil	Pedro Luiz de Oliveira Wagner Cardoso Hederson Estefani Hugo de Sousa	3: 01.05
8th	9	Ireland	Brian Gregan Brian Murphy Thomas Barr Mark English	3: 01.26 NO

final

August 30, 2015, 8:45 p.m. (2:25 p.m. CEST )

Compared to the preliminary rounds, the following line-up changes were made in the final:

• USA - David Verburg ran for Kyle Clemons and LaShawn Merritt for Vernon Norwood
• Trinidad and Tobago - Machel Cedenio replaced Jarrin Solomon
• Jamaica - Rusheen McDonald ran instead of Dane Hyatt
• Belgium - Robin Vanderbemden replaced Dylan Borlée
• Russia - Denis Kudrjawzew has been replaced by Denis Alexejew

The Americans went into this race as defending champions as favorites. But already in the preliminary stages it had become clear that there was strong competition. A total of nine seasons had undercut the three-minute mark, Botswana had even been eliminated in the preliminary round among these teams. Olympic champion Bahamas was also disqualified for a runner breaking the lane in the final. There were numerous other teams with medal chances, including Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, European champions Great Britain and also the Belgians with the Borlée brothers.

After round one, the teams were still very close together. Trinidad and Tobago, Great Britain and the USA initially developed a small lead on the second four hundred meters, but Jamaica, France and Belgium came closer again. On the move, Trinidad and Tobago led the United States. France and Jamaica followed a little further, followed by Great Britain. Belgium was now a bit behind. On the next back straight everything came together again and on the last hundred meters Kevin Borlée even conquered position three for Belgium behind the USA and Trinidad and Tobago. Great Britain was fourth ahead of Jamaica and France. So it went into the final round.

Javon Francis risked a fast pace from the start and brought Jamaica to the top. LaShawn Merritt for the USA and Machel Cedenio for Trinidad and Tobago were on his heels. Martyn Rooney for Great Britain and Antoine Gillet for Belgium followed just behind, while Frenchman Thomas Jordier had to let go a little. In the final corner, the Belgian was also unable to fully follow the four leaders. On the home stretch, the Jamaican ran out of strength. Merritt passed him effortlessly and secured the world title for the Americans. Behind them, Cedenio won the silver medal for his team Trinidad and Tobago. The battle for bronze developed very dramatically. Rooney caught up with Francis with the last few steps, and target photography ultimately tipped the balance for Great Britain. At the same time as Jamaica, the British had won bronze. Behind Jamaica, Belgium finished fifth, ahead of France. Well behind, Cuba and Russia came in seventh and eighth in that order. These two seasons were also at the same time.

space	train	country	Athletes	Time (min)
	7th	United States	David Verburg Tony McQuay Bryshon Nellum LaShawn Merritt in the lead also: Kyle Clemons Vernon Norwood	2: 57.82 WL
	4th	Trinidad and Tobago	Renny Quow Lalonde Gordon Deon Lendore Machel Cedenio in the lead also: Jarrin Solomon	2: 58.20 NO
	6th	Great Britain	Rabah Yousif Delano Williams Jarryd Dunn Martyn Rooney	2: 58.51 SB
4th	9	Jamaica	Peter Matthews Ricardo Chambers Rusheen McDonald Javon Francis in the lead also: Dane Hyatt	2: 58.51 SB
5	5	Belgium	Jonathan Borlée Robin Vanderbemden Kevin Borlée Antoine Gillet in the lead also: Dylan Borlée	3: 00.24
6th	8th	France	Mame-Ibra Anne Teddy Atine-Venel Mamoudou Hanne Thomas Jordier	3: 00.65
7th	3	Cuba	William Collazo Raidel Acea Adrián Chacón Yoandys Lescay	3: 03.05
8th	2	Russia	Artyom Denmuchametow Pawel Trenichin Denis Alexejew Pawel Iwaschko in the run-up also: Denis Kudrjawzew	3: 03.05

Web links and sources

• Homepage for the 2015 World Championships, 4 × 400 m men on the IAAF website (English), accessed on October 28, 2018
• Results of the 2015 World Championships at Leichtathletik.de, accessed on October 28, 2018
• Reports on the 2015 World Championships at Leichtathletik.de, accessed on October 28, 2018

Video

• 4x400m men final 2015 Beijing world championships (French) on youtube.com, published on September 19, 2015, accessed on October 28, 2018

Individual evidence

1. ↑ IAAF competition rules, page 73 (PDF), accessed on October 28, 2018