Can India win their first medal in the 4x400m relay? Previous Olympic medal timings, top medal contenders, season best times

Here are the winning times from the last three 4x400m events at the Olympic Games, and the top eight season best timings.

FILE PHOTO: Rajesh Ramesh, Muhammed Ajmal Variyathodi, Amoj Jacob, and Muhammed Anas Yahiya of Team India pose for a photo after the Men’s 4x400m Relay Heats during day eight of the World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

On August 9, India will attempt to make a new headway in athletics by securing a medal in the men’s and women’s 4x400m relay events.

Amoj Jacob, Rajesh Ramesh, Santhosh Kumar Tamilarasan, Muhammed Ajmal Variyathodi, and Muhammed Anas Yahiya will be competing for the men’s team, while Jyothika Sri Dandi, Kiran Pahal, MR Poovamma, Vithya Ramraj, and Subha Venkatesan will take to the track for the women’s team. 

Here are the winning times from the last three 4x400m events, and the top eight according to season best: 

Previous medal timings in 4x400m relay

Tokyo 2020 (men’s)

Gold - USA - 2:55.70

Silver - Netherlands - 2:57.18

Bronze - Botswana - 2:57.27 

Tokyo 2020 (women’s)

Gold - USA - 3:16.85

Silver - Poland - 3:20.53

Bronze - Jamaica - 3:21.24

Rio 2016 (men’s)

Gold - USA - 2:57.30

Silver - Jamaica - 2:58.16

Bronze - Bahamas - 2:58.49 

Rio 2016 (women’s)

Gold - USA - 3:19.06

Silver - Jamaica - 3:20.34

Bronze - Great Britain - 3:25.88

London 2012 (men’s)

Gold - Bahamas - 2:56.72

Silver - USA - 2:57.05

Bronze - Trinidad and Tobago - 2:59.40

London 2012 (women’s)

Gold - USA - 3:16.87

Silver - Jamaica - 3:20.95

Bronze - Ukraine - 3:23.57

The men’s team comes into the Olympics with a season best of 3:03.23, and the women’s team have a season best of 3:28.64. The men’s team have the lowest season best of the 18 teams competing, while the women’s team have the 16th best of the 18.

Here are the top 8 season bests for both events:

Top 8 season best timings in both events

Men’s

USA - 2:58.83

Botswana - 2:59.11

South Africa - 2:59.76

Belgium - 2:59.84

France - 3:00.77

Italy - 3:00.81

Germany - 3:00.82

Japan - 3:00.98

Women’s

USA - 3:21.70

Netherlands - 3:22.39

Ireland - 3:22.71

Belgium - 3:22.95

Italy - 3:23.40

Poland - 3:23.91

Great Britain - 3:24.89

Canada - 3:25.17

The current world record in men’s 4x400m relay of 2:54.29 was set by the USA in 1993. They also hold the Olympic record of 2:55.39, set at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The world and Olympic record in the women’s 4x400m of 3:15.17 was set by the Soviet Union in the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Therefore, it will take an exemplary effort from both teams to take home the medal in either event.