2023 World Athletics Championships – Mixed 4 × 400 metres relay

The mixed 4 × 400 metres relay at the 2023 World Athletics Championships was held over two rounds at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, Hungary, on 19 August 2023. It was the third time that this mixed-sex event was contested at the World Athletics Championships. Teams could qualify through their position at the 2022 World Athletics Championships or the World Athletics top list.

Sixteen teams competed in round 1, where the teams of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, France, and Hungary broke national records. Eight teams advanced to the final, that was won by the team of the United States in a world record of 3:08.80 minutes, followed by the team of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in second place in a national record of 3:11.06 min and the team of Czech Republic in third place in a national record of 3:11.98 min. The Netherlands did not finish in the final, after their anchor runner Femke Bol had fallen five metres before the line.

In the mixed 4 × 400 metres relay, a team consists of four competing athletes, two men and two women. An athletes runs one round on a 400-metre track and passes on a baton to the next team member. The mandatory running order is man-woman-man-woman.

This mixed-sex event was introduced at the 2019 World Athletics Championships and had been contested two times before. The 2023 World Athletics Championships were held at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, Hungary.

Before these world championships, the world record and championship record was 3:09.34 min set by the team of the United States at the 2019 World Athletics Championships on 29 September 2019. The world leading performance was 3:12.34 min, run by the team of the Czech Republic in Chorzów, Poland, on 25 June 2023. The defending champion was the team of the Dominican Republic.

Sixteen teams could qualify for this event. The top eight teams from the mixed 4 × 400 metres relay of the 2022 World Athletics Championships would qualify automatically. These teams were the Dominican Republic, the Netherlands, the United States, Poland, Jamaica, Nigeria, Italy, and Ireland. The other eight teams would be the next eight best teams from the World Athletics top list based on results from the qualification period from 31 July 2022 until 20 July 2023.

The two heats of round 1 were held on 19 August, started at 11:05 (UTC+2) in the morning. The first three teams in each heat (Q) and the next two fastest teams overall (q) qualified for the final. In the first heat, the team of the Dominican Republic did not start, the team of Great Britain and Northern Ireland set a national record (NR) of 3:11.19 min. and the team of Hungary set a national record of 3:14.08 min. In the secon heat, the team of France set a national record of 3:12.25 min, and the team of Poland finished last but advanced to the final after a referee decision.

First-leg runners in the final

Third-leg runners in the final

Nine teams competed in the final on 19 August in the evening, starting at 21:49 (UTC+2). In the first leg, Justin Robinson of the United States was the first to hand over the baton, followed by Liemarvin Bonevacia of the Netherlands, and Lewis Davey of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In the second leg, Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands was in the lead position at the second handover, followed by Rosey Effiong of the United States, and Laviai Nielsen of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In the third leg, Isaya Klein Ikkink of the Netherlands was first to hand over the baton, followed by Matthew Boling of the United States, and Rio Mitcham of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In the anchor leg, Femke Bol of the Netherlands was in first position, but fell five metres before the finish line, dropping her baton. As a result the team of the Netherlands did not finish (DNF), and Bol was passed by Alexis Holmes of the United States, Yemi Mary John of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Lada Vondrová of the Czech Republic.

The team of the United States won the race in a new world record (WR) of 3:08.80 min, the team of Great Britain and Northern Ireland finished in second place in a national record (NR) of 3:11.06 min and the team of the Czech Republic finished in third place in a national record of 3:11.98 min. The fastest split time of a male runner was 44.05 s by Téo Andant of France and the fastest split time of a female was 48.82 s by Holmes.

After the race, Bol said in the interview: "I don't know what happened, I cramped towards the finish line, I was pushing, pushing, pushing. I was disappointed that my body did not have it in to finish the race strongly. I'm sorry for my team, I should have finished it off and it sucks big time." Holmes said: "It is amazing. It was definitely tough to run against Femke Bol. She is an amazing athlete but I believed I could run it down because I felt really strong and determined to win and I felt good."

• Mixed 4 × 400 metres relay final on YouTube