In the countdown to Beijing, our series on the history of the World Championships concludes with the women’s relay events

The inaugural relay final in Helsinki in 1983 saw an easy win for an East German team starring Marita Koch and Marlies Gohr in a top-class 41.76. It was a time that would have comfortably won a medal in every championships since.

With USA not negotiating the heats, Britain s Shirley Thomas narrowly held off Jamaica s Merlene Ottey to finisher runner-up a second behind.

Koch, who had not run a 400m all year was then brought into the 4x400m team for the final and in her 11th race of the championships, she produced a 48.55 third leg to give her team a big lead. It was only just enough, though, as 400m champion Jarmila Kratochvilova s 47.75 took three seconds off the lead.

Although only fifth after leg one, the East Germans successfully defended in Rome in 1987 as 400m hurdles champion Sabine Busch repelled Russia s individual champion Olga Bryzgina.

The Germans could not retain their sprint relay title, though, as they were well beaten by the USA thanks to a strong bend by Florence Griffith and then Pam Marshall running away from Gohr on the final leg.

After missing out on individual sprint titles after being a big pre-race favourite in Tokyo in 1991, Merlene Ottey gained some consolation with a relay gold. USA dropped the baton in the heats while a poor changeover cost the unified Germany.

The Soviets won the 4x400m in Japan when a decisive 48.67 by Olympic champion Olga Bryzgina gave them a clear win.

Britain, who had not entered a team before, were a close fourth behind Germany, who surprisingly included double sprint champion Katrin Krabbe in their team.

Britain advanced to third in Stuttgart in 1993 with 400m hurdles champion Sally Gunnell anchoring them with a 49.90.

The clear winners, though, were USA, who won in a still-standing championship record 3:16.71, aided by a notable 49.0 lead-off by multiple sprint medallist Gwen Torrence s rare one-lap showing.

In the 4x100m, Russia were surprise winners in 41.49 as Irina Privalova got the better in a photofinish with USA s Gail Devers. Ottey, who had lost to Devers by a thousandth of a second in the 100m, won her tenth world medal by taking bronze.

Two years later in Gothenburg, Ottey won a record 13th medal, but it was silver as the 200m champion couldn t pass USA s 100m champion, Torrence, who had been disqualified in the longer event for a late infringement after seemingly easily beating the Jamaican.

The USA also won the 4x400m easily with Cathy Freeman bringing Australia from sixth to third on the last leg as original second-place team Jamaica were disqualified.

USA just lost out on retaining their title in Athens in 1997 in an exciting four-way battle for gold with Germany s Grit Breuer s 48.69 anchor giving them to gold.

The USA won the sprint relay title and a 41.52 heat and then 41.47 final came close to the 41.37 world record from 1985. Devers’ anchor leg was timed at 9.86.

There was a change in Seville 1999 when the first two gained their first medals at the event. Bahamas won in a Commonwealth record 41.92, with France snatching second due to Christine Arron s remarkable anchor.

The 4x400m in Spain was a straightforward Russia-USA battle narrowly won by the Europeans as Jearl Miles-Clark won her fifth successive medal for the Americans.

This was the only championships for which Britain has entered a team and not finished in the top six as they rested their top star, 400m finalist, Katharine Merry in the heats and then didn t make the final.

In Edmonton in 2001, Miles Clark looked to be on her way to a sixth medal as she unusually led off and gave USA a clear lead and they led into the final leg, but relatively inexperienced Suzann Reid dropped the baton and her 57.01 dropped them to fourth as Jamaica won clearly.

The USA fared better in the 4x100m as they came home six metres clear in 41.71, but three years later lost gold due to Kelli White s doping violation and a well-drilled Germany ultimately became champions. Britain ran their fastest times for decades with a 42.60 in fifth.

The 2003 race in Paris saw another great anchor by Arron delight the French crowd and deny USA the gold.

The Americans did win the longer relay though as Miles-Clark won her sixth 4×400 medal and ninth overall though it was 18 year-old Sanya Richards anchor leg that proved decisive.

The USA though didn t get through to the final in 2005 in Helsinki as the hapless Reid ran out of her lane and Russia won easily as Britain snatched a bronze through Christine Ohuruogu.

However, the Americans won the 4x100m in Finland with Jamaica their nearest challengers and it was even closer in Osaka in 2007 as Veronica Campbell again just fell short. Britain just lost out on a medal when Belgium s Kim Gevaert overhauled Joice Maduaka,

Britain had big hopes of even 4x400m gold in South Korea after gaining a one-two in the individual event, but 400m champion Ohuruogu only came in second on leg one and it took a 48.76 anchor from Nicola Sanders just to snatch a bronze, though their 3:20.04 remains a British record. USA won with a 48.0 second leg by Allyson Felix giving them the edge.

In Berlin in 2009, USA won even more easily as Felix and Richards were again outstanding, with Britain an isolated fourth.

The Americans suffered a heat disqualification in the heats and gold went to Jamaica, who were faster in the heat with 41.88 to their 42.06 in the final.

The USA were back on top in Daegu in 2011 and Felix won a record eighth gold and her tenth medal as Jamaica were second.

A day earlier Felix had been in the winning 4x400m team as the whole squad ran sub-50 legs. Britain, for whom Ohuruogu ran a poor 51.98, were an isolated fourth.

In Moscow in 2013, the Russians brought an end to the American dominance as USA were without an injured Felix.

Britain were third with 400m world champion Ohuruogu running her first sub-50 relay leg.

The Olympic champions USA were well beaten in the 4x100m as Jamaica stormed to a championship record 41.29 with Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce completing the sprint triple. Britain were third in 42.87 after France were disqualified, although they didn t find out until after the medal ceremony.

4x100m relay

Year | Winner | Time | GB position and mark
1983 GDR 41.76 2 GBR 42.71
1987 GDR 41.58 5 ht GBR 44.21
1991 JAM 41.94 6 ht GBR 43.43
1993 RUS 41.49 8 GBR 43.86 (43.65 ht)
1995 USA 42.12 5 ht 43.90
1997 USA 41.47 did not compete
1999 BAH 41.92 8 GBR 43.52 (43.31 ht)
2001 GER 42.32 5 GBR 42.60
2003 FRA 41.78 did not compete
2005 USA 41.78 4 ht GBR 43.83
2007 USA 41.98 4 GBR 42.87 (42.82 ht)
2009 JAM 42.06 (41.88 ht) 6 GBR 43.16
2011 USA 41.56 4 ht GBR 43.95
2013 JAM 41.29 3 GBR 42.87 (42.75 ht)

Points (8 for 1st etc)
1 JAM 83
2 USA 74
3 GER 69
4 FRA 55
5 RUS 37
7 GBR 27
6 BAH 23
8 NGR 17
9 URS 16
10= UKR 11
10= BLR 11
12= BUL 10
12= CAN 10
12= BRA 10

4x400m relay

Year | Winner | Time | GB position and mark
1983 GDR 3:19.73 did not compete
1987 GDR 3:18.63 did not compete
1991 URS 3:18.43 4 GBR 3:22.01
1993 USA 3:16.71 3 GBR 3:23.41
1995 USA 3:22.39 5 GBR 3:26.89
1997 GER 3:20.92 6 GBR 3:26.27
1999 RUS 3:21.98 4 ht GBR 3:27.99
2001 JAM 3:20.65 5 GBR 3:26.94
2003 USA 3:22.63 6 GBR 3:26.67
2005 RUS 3:20.95 3 GBR 3:24.44
2007 USA 3:18.55 3 GBR 3:20.04
2009 USA 3:17.83 4 GBR 3:25.16
2011 USA 3:18.09 4 GBR 3:23.63
2013 RUS 3:20.19 3 GBR 3:22.61

Points (8 for 1st etc)
1 USA 91
2 GER 71
3 RUS 73
4 JAM 60
5 GBR 53
6 URS 21
7 NGR 17
8 FRA 15
9= CAN 14
9= CZE 14
9= POL 14
12 AUS 9

Find other event-by-event history features here

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