4X400 Relay Olympics Rules

Although the concept can be traced back to ancient Greece, where a «message stick» was delivered via a series of couriers, modern squadrons mimic the charity races organized by the New York City Fire Department in the 1880s, in which red pennants were delivered every 300 meters. There are also other types of relays, such as sprint medley relays (where each runner runs more and more long distances such as 200 m, 400 m, 800 m, etc.), long distance relays (which have more than five stages) and cross-country relays. However, they are not part of the Olympic or world athletics events. In most 4×400-metre relay scenarios, an official coordinates the transfers of the 3rd and 4th stages and sets up the athletes in descending order, with the leading team being the closest to the inside of track 1. For the discount between the 1st and the 2nd. Stage, the stick is replaced in the specially designated track – the 2nd stage retaining its position in this lane until the cut. According to IAAF rules, world records can only be set in relay if all team members are of the same nationality. Any athlete who participates in the Olympic Games can participate in a country`s relay. However, as soon as a relay starts competition, only two other athletes can be used as substitutes in subsequent rounds or in the final. For practical reasons, a relay consists of a maximum of six riders – the four who run in the first round and a maximum of two substitutes. The 4×400-metre relay follows a «3-lap stacker» when it comes to cutting into the indoor track.

The 1st stage will run the entire first stage of 400 meters on a certain track and the 2. The scene is cut after the third curve after some marking – usually marked by cones or a painted line. When training a relay team and instructing an individual athlete when, where and how to cut, it is important to consider and explain these key points – the stick is a smooth, hollow, one-piece pipe made of wood, metal or other rigid material. It is between 28 and 30 centimeters long and between 12 and 13 centimeters in circumference. The stick should weigh at least 50 grams. Based on simple geometric principles, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. In a 4×400 meters relay, the 2nd stage rider cuts once beyond the marked area. Once this mark is crossed, the 2nd stage must cut along a straight line from the current track inside the first lane to the mark of 200 meters.

The rider of the 2nd stage should not cut directly into the indoor track as quickly as possible – this is a common mistake that costs extra energy and can affect the overall position of the race. The 4×400 metres relay at the Summer Olympics is the longest track relay held in multisport. The men`s relay has been on the Olympic track and field programme since 1912 and the women`s competition has been held continuously since the 1972 Olympic Games. The first and so far only mixed relay of 4 × 400 metres took place at the 2020 Olympic Games. It is the most prestigious 4×400 metre relay race at the elite level. At the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, a precursor to this competition took place – the 1600-metre medley relay. This event, with two stages of 200 m, one of 400 m and a final stage of 800 m, was the first track relay in Olympic history. [1] All Olympic sprint and relay competitions include eight riders or eight teams in the final. Depending on the number of entries, individual sprint events consist of two to three preliminary rounds before the final.

In 2004, the 100- and 200-metre races included a series of rounds, followed by quarter-finals and semi-finals before the final. The 400-metre sprint included a round of rounds and a semi-final. Relay runners usually carry a stick that they have to transfer between teammates. Runners have a 20-meter box (usually marked with blue lines) where they can relay the stick. The first transfer takes place within the staggered road lines; For the second and third transfers, runners usually line up on the course, although runners usually run in rows inside the course. This avoids confusion and collisions during transmission. Unlike the 4 × 100m relay, runners in the 4 × 400 relay usually look back and grab the stick of the incoming runner due to the fatigue of the runner who arrives and the larger edges made possible by the longer distance of the race. Therefore, disqualification is rare. In the 200 and 400-metre races, as well as in the 4 x 100-metre relay, participants must stay in their lanes again, but the starting line is shifted to adapt to the curvature of the track. The 4× 400 metre mixed relays were introduced at the 2017 IAAF World Relays, with the IAAF recognising a world record in the event for the first time at the 2019 World Championships in Athletics. In March 2022, the World Athletics Council decided on a fixed order – men, women, men, women – for future championships. [1] Sixteen teams qualified for the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 Olympic relays.

Eight teams were eliminated in the first round playoffs, while the other eight advanced to the final. The United States dominated the men`s and women`s 4x400m at the Olympics. The first Olympic relay was held in 1908 but was divided into two stages over 200 m, followed by one over 400 m and another over 800 m. India qualified for the 4x400m team relay at the Tokyo Olympics, where Mohammad Anas Yahiya, Revathi Veeramani, Subha Venkatesan and Arokia Rajiv were eliminated after the rounds. 1st Leg Runner – The 1st stage of the 4×400 meters relay starts in the starting blocks. Therefore, the 1st step of the relay must be your best starter or very proficient in block starts and be able to show the right mechanics of non-alignment and acceleration. The 4 x 100 metres relay was introduced at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm as an all-male relay, while the women`s relay was first held at the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam. Step 3 – This stage often consists of the fourth best or most inexperienced athlete in the relay. Although this designation may change due to control patterns, this leg is still responsible for receiving and handing over the relay. Due to the general transfer overload in all stick changes, the athlete on this leg must be able to maintain mental and physical calm during the exchange and have the ability to accelerate strongly out of the exchange area. The two relay races at the Olympic Games are the 4x100m and the 4x400m for men and women and mixed. The rules for the 4x400m relay are largely similar to the 4x100m relays.

The 4×400-metre relay should be composed of the best and fastest athletes who, preferably in a competition scenario rather than a training scenario, have demonstrated their ability to run a 400-metre strong race. As a rule, 4×400-meter relays are made up of athletes who specialize in the 200-meter, 400-meter and 400-meter hurdles, but who often see the inclusion of specialists in the 100-meter, 100-meter hurdles and 800-meter. Most importantly, it is important to select relay runners who, in high-stress situations, have demonstrated their ability to maintain their composure and a high degree of competitiveness. The delivery of the 4×400 meters relay takes place in a strict exchange zone of 20 meters. This exchange zone is characterized by two large triangles – one at the beginning of the exchange zone and the other at the end of the exchange zone. In this area, a legal exchange must take place, in which the stick changes hands. Each stage of the 4×400-metre relay consists of four 400 metres of equal length – each athlete running the same distance. Parallel to the 4×100 meters relay, starting blocks are used at the start or at the 1st stage of the 4×400 meters relay to take the start of the race.