Athletics_at_the_2000_Summer_Olympics_–_Women's_4_×_400_metres_relay
The women's 4 × 400 metres relay races at the 2000 Summer Olympics as part of the athletics program were held on Friday, 29 September and Saturday, 30 September.[1] The first two in each heat and the next 2 fastest overall advanced to the final.
Coming from the gun, Nigeria's Olabisi Afolabi was the first to break from the stagger formation in lane 3, gaining on Australia's Nova Peris-Kneebone to her outside. After the first half lap, Afolabi began to pay for her enthusiasm, tying up through the second turn where American Jearl Miles Clark and then Jamaican Sandie Richards began to assert themselves. The Jamaicans handed off slightly ahead of the Americans, but Monique Hennagan ran a strong turn to give the Americans the edge ahead of Catherine Scott, with the rest of the world, led by Nigeria and Australia, five metres back. Scott kept the gap less than a metre all the way to the home stretch, then moved into lane two to sprint for home, passing off to 400 hurdles silver medalist Deon Hemmings just ahead of Marion Jones. But Hemmings did not charge out ahead, instead allowing Jones to secure the baton. Narrowing the gap, Nigeria, Australia, Great Britain and Russia were all just a few metres back. Hemmings held second place to that same straightaway, but a late rush by Olga Kotlyarova had Russia handing off in second place. With no competitors near her, LaTasha Colander expanded the American lead to almost 20 metres with 100 metres to go before slowing going into the finish. Graham held off Privalova for the entire last lap. Cathy Freeman made a heroic effort to pull Australia back into fourth position, but let off the gas just before the line and was pipped by Falilat Ogunkoya. Australia's time was good enough for the Oceanian record, beating the record they set in the qualifying round.
