Events in Sport
- 1918-04-15 22nd Boston Marathon won by Camp Devens relay team; race run as relay for 10-man military teams
- 1936-08-09 Helen Stephens claims the women's sprint double at the Berlin Olympics having won the 100m and as part of the victorious American 4 x 100m relay team
World Record
1936-08-09 Jesse Owens is part of the American 4 x 100m relay team that wins gold in world record (39.8) at the Berlin Olympics; his 4th gold medal of the Games
- 1948-08-07 Fanny Blankers-Koen of the Netherlands wins her 4th track & field gold medal of the London Olympics as part of the Dutch 4 x 100m relay team in 47.5
World Record
1956-12-01 Australian women's 4 x 100m relay team of Norma Croker, Betty Cuthbert, Fleur Mellor & Shirley Strickland de la Hunty run world record 44.65 to win the gold medal at the Melbourne Olympics; Cuthbert's 3rd gold of the Games
- 1956-12-01 US men's 4 x 100m relay team of Thane Baker, Leamon King, Bobby Morrow & Ira Murchison sets world record 39.60s to win the gold medal at the Melbourne Olympics; Morrow's 3rd gold medal of the Games
Sports History
1960-09-08 American sprinter Wilma Rudolph wins her third gold medal of the Rome Olympics anchoring the US 4 x 100m relay team; earlier won 100/200m double
- 1960-09-08 German 4 x 100m relay team equal world record 39.5 to win the gold medal at the Rome Olympics; Bernd Cullmann, Armin Hary, Walter Mahlendorf & Martin Lauer
- 1960-09-08 US 4 x 400m relay team of Jack Yerman, Earl Young, Glenn Davis & Otis Davis run a world record 3:02.2 to win the gold medal at the Rome Olympics
- 1964-10-21 American men's 4×400m relay team beats Great Britain by 0.9s to set world record 3:00.7 and win the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics; Ollan Cassell, Mike Larrabee, Ulis Williams & Henry Carr
- 1964-10-21 Polish 4×100m women's relay team runs a world record 43.6 to beat the US by 0.3s and win the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics; Teresa Ciepły, Irena Kirszenstein, Halina Górecka & Ewa Kłobukowska
- 1964-10-21 US 4 x 100m men's relay team of Paul Drayton, Gerry Ashworth, Richard Stebbins & Bob Hayes run world record 39.0s to beat Poland by 0.3s and win the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics
World Record
1968-10-20 American sprinter Jim Hines anchors US men's 4 x 100m relay team to win his second gold medal at the Mexico City Olympics; with teammates Charles Greene, Mel Pender & Ronnie Ray Smith sets world record 38.24s
- 1968-10-20 US men's 4 x 400m relay team of Vincent Matthews, Ron Freeman, Larry James & Lee Evans runs world record 2:56.16; easily beats Kenya & West Germany into the minor medals at the Mexico City Olympics
- 1968-10-20 US women's 4 x 100m relay team sets world record 42.88s to win the gold medal at the Mexico City Olympics; Margaret Bailes, Barbara Ferrell, Mildrette Netter & Wyomia Tyus
- 1968-10-26 Charlie Hickcox wins his 3rd gold medal of the Mexico City Olympics when he leads the US men's 4 x 100m medley relay team with teammates Don McKenzie, Doug Russell & Ken Walsh to world record 3:54.9
World Record
1972-09-04 US 4 x 100m medley relay team of Mike Stamm, Tom Bruce, Mark Spitz & Jerry Heidenreich sets world record 3:48.16 to win gold at the Munich Olympics; Mark Spitz becomes 1st athlete to win 7 Olympic gold medals at a single Games
- 1972-09-10 American men's 4 x 100m relay team of Larry Black, Robert Taylor, Gerald Tinker & Eddie Hart combine for a world record 38.19 to beat the Soviet Union for the gold medal at the Munich Olympics
- 1972-09-10 East v West in a women's 4 x 100m relay at the Munich Olympics; West Germany beats East Germany by 0.13 seconds for the gold medal
World Record
1984-08-11 Carl Lewis duplicates Jesse Owens' 1936 feat, winning his 4th Olympic gold medal as part of the US 4 x 100m relay team; world record (37.83)
Olympic Gold
1988-10-01 Flamboyant American sprinter Florence Griffith Joyner wins her third gold medal of the Seoul Olympics anchoring the victorious US 4 x 100m relay team
- 1988-10-01 The Soviet women's 4 x 400m relay team runs world record 3:15.17 to beat a star-studded US team and win the Olympic gold medal in Seoul; Tatyana Ledovskaya, Olga Nazarova, Mariya Pinigina & Olga Bryzgina
- 1990-04-27 Villanova's women set a 6,000 m relay world record of 17:18:10
- 1991-08-07 American team of Carl Lewis, Mike Marsh, Leroy Burrell & Dennis Mitchell set 4 x 100m relay world record of 37.67 seconds in Zürich, Switzerland
- 2004-08-21 The Australian women's 4 x 100m medley relay team of Giaan Rooney, Leisel Jones, Petria Thomas & Jodie Henry smashes the world record to take gold in 3:57.32 at the Athens Olympics
- 2004-08-28 A huge upset at the Athens Olympic Stadium in the men's 4×100m relay; Great Britain 38.07 edges the United States 38.08 to take the gold medal
- 2007-09-01 Tyson Gay helps US win the men's 4 x 100m relay at the world track & field championships in Osaka, Japan to join Carl Lewis and Maurice Greene as the only men to win 3 gold medals at one world meet
- 2008-08-17 Australian women's 4 x 100m medley relay team of Emily Seebohm, Leisel Jones, Jessicah Schipper & Libby Trickett upset the United States to win the gold medal in world record 3:52.69 at the Beijing Olympics
World Record
2008-08-17 US team Michael Phelps, Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen & Jason Lezak wins 4 x 100m medley relay at the Beijing Olympics in world record 3:29.34; Phelps' 8th gold medal of Games breaks Mark Spitz's 1972 record (7)
- 2008-08-22 Russia wins the women's 4 × 100 m relay ahead of Belgium & Nigeria at the Beijing Olympics; disqualified in 2016 when reanalysis of Yulia Chermoshanskaya’s samples result in positive test for prohibited substances
Olympic Games
2008-08-22 The Jamaican team led by Usain Bolt smashes the world 4 x 100m relay record in the final at the Beijing Olympics; disqualified in 2017 as Nesta Carter tests positive for prohibited substance
- 2012-08-04 US takes the 4 x 100m medley relay double at the London Olympics with Michael Phelps collecting his 18th Olympic gold medal; women's team sets world record 3:52.05
- 2017-08-12 Usain Bolt injures himself in his very last race, the men's 4x100m relay, Jamaica misses gold at world championships
Olympic Games
2021-07-25 Australia wins women's 4 x 100m relay for third straight Olympics as Bronte Campbell, Meg Harris, Emma McKeon, Cate Campbell set new WR 3:29.69 in Tokyo
Olympic Gold
2021-08-06 Jamaican 100/200m champion Elaine Thompson-Herah claims her third track gold medal of the Tokyo Olympics as part of the winning Jamaican 4x100m relay team
- 2021-08-07 As part of the winning American 4×400m relay team in Tokyo, Allyson Felix takes her total to 11 Olympic medals; becomes the most decorated female Olympian in track and field history
Birthdays in Sport
- 1883-09-05 Mel Sheppard, American athlete (Olympic gold 800m, 1,500m, medley relay 1908; 4x400 metre relay 1912), born in Deptford Township, New Jersey (d. 1942)
- 1889-09-20 Charles Reidpath, American athlete (Olympic gold 400m, 4×400m relay 1912), born in Buffalo, New York (d. 1975)
- 1905-06-12 Ray Barbuti, American athlete (Olympic gold 400m, 400m relay 1928), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1988)
- 1907-10-09 Klaes Karppinen, Finnish athlete, 4 X 10K relay (Olympic gold 1936), born in Iisalmi, Finland (d. 1992)
- 1907-12-01 Alex Wilson, Canadian athlete (Olympic silver 800m, 2 x bronze 400m, 4x400m relay 1932), born in Montreal, Quebec (d. 1994)
- 1909-08-13 Wilhelmina Von Bremen, American 4X100 relay sprinter (Olympic gold 1932), born in San Francisco, California (d. 1976)
- 1909-10-29 Frank Wykoff, American athlete (Olympic gold 4x100m relay 1928, 32, 36), born in Des Moines, Iowa (d. 1980)
- 1910-05-29 Ralph Metcalfe, American athlete, politician (Rep-D-Ill; joint world record 100m, Olympic gold 4x100m relay 1936), born in Atlanta, Georgia (d. 1978)
Jesse Owens (1913-1980)
1913-09-12 American athlete (4 Olympic gold 100/200m, long jump, 4x100m relay 1936), born in Oakville, Alabama
- 1913-10-22 Annette Rogers, American athlete (Olympic gold 4x100m relay 1932, 36), born in Chelsea, Massachusetts (d. 2006)
- 1913-11-26 Foy Draper, American athlete (Olympic gold 4 x 100m relay 1936 WR 39.8s), born in Georgetown, Texas (d. 1943)
- 1918-02-03 Helen Stephens, American athlete (Olympic gold 100m & 4x100m relay 1936), born in Fulton, Missouri (d. 1994)
- 1918-02-25 Barney Ewell, American athlete (Olympic gold 4x100m relay, silver 100m, 200m 1948; equal WR 100m 1948), born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (d. 1996)
- 1918-04-26 Francina "Fanny" Blankers-Koen, Dutch athlete (Olympic gold 100m, 200m, 80m hurdles, 4x100m relay 1948), born in Lage Vuursche, Netherlands (d. 2004)
- 1922-07-10 Herb McKenley, Jamaican athlete (Olympic gold 4 x 400m relay 1952; 3 x silver 1948, 52), born in Pleasant Valley, Clarendon, Jamaica (d. 2007)
- 1923-07-08 Harrison Dillard, American athlete (Olympic gold 100m, 4×100m relay 1948; 110m hurdles, 4×100m relay 1952), born in Cleveland, Ohio (d. 2019)
- 1923-07-22 Netti Witziers-Timmer, Dutch athlete (Olympic gold 4×100m relay 1948), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 2005)
- 1924-11-16 Mel Patton, American athlete (Olympic gold 200m, 4x100m relay 1948; WR 100 yards 9.2s 1948), born in Los Angeles, California, (d. 2014)
- 1925-02-19 Leslie Laing, Jamaican athlete (Olympic gold men's 4x400m relay 1952 WR 3:03.9), born in Linstead, Saint Catherine, Jamaica (d. 2021)
- 1925-07-18 Shirley Strickland, Australian athlete (Olympic gold 80m hurdles 1952, 56; 4 x 100m relay 1956), born in Sydney, Australia (d. 2004)
- 1926-12-13 George Rhoden, Jamaican athlete (Olympic gold 400m, 4 x 400m relay 1952), born in Kingston, Jamaica
- 1927-10-26 Janet Moreau Stone, American athlete (Olympic gold 4x100m relay 1952), born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island (d. 2021)
- 1927-12-29 Andy Stanfield, American athlete (Olympic gold 200m, 4x100m relay 1952, silver 200m 1956; WR 200m: 20.60 1952), born in Washington, D.C. (d. 1985)
- 1931-01-24 Maria Piątkowska, Polish athlete (WR 4 x 100m relay 1964), born in Goleni, Moldova (d. 2020)
- 1932-01-15 Dean Smith, American athlete (Olympic gold 4x100m relay 1952) and actor, rodeo cowboy and stuntman, born in Emporia, Kansas (d. 2023)
- 1932-01-15 Lou Jones, American athlete (Olympic gold 4x400m relay 1956), born in New Rochelle, New York (d. 2006)
- 1932-07-12 Otis Davis, American athlete (Olympic gold 400m [WR 44.9], 4x400m relay [WR 3:02.2] 1960), born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- 1933-04-15 Vera Krepkina, Russian athlete (Olympic gold USSR long jump 1960; WR 4×100m relay 1956, tied WR 100m 11.3s 1958), born in Kotelnich, Russia (d. 2023)
- 1933-08-17 Tom Courtney, American athlete (Olympic gold 800m, 4x400m relay 1956), born in Newark, New Jersey (d. 2023)
- 1933-12-02 Michael Larrabee, American athlete (Olympic gold 400m, 4x400m relay 1964), born in Hollywood, California (d. 2003)
- 1934-01-07 Charles Jenkins Snr., American athlete (Olympic gold 400m, 4x400m relay 1956), born in New York City
- 1935-10-15 Bobby Morrow, American athlete (Olympic gold 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay 1956), born in Brownsville, Texas (d. 2020)
- 1936-02-13 Leamon King, American athlete, 4X100m relay Olympic gold 1956, born in Tulare California
- 1937-03-22 Armin Hary, German athlete (2 Olympic gold 100m, 4x100m relay 1960), born in Quierschied, Germany
- 1937-03-26 Barbara Jones, American athlete who won Olympic gold 4 x 100m relay 1952, 60), born in Chicago, Illinois
- 1937-07-21 Viktor Mamatov, Russian biathlete (Olympic gold USSR 4 × 7.5k relay 1968, 72; World C'ship gold 20k individual 1967, 4 × 7.5k relay 1969, 70, 71), born in Belovo, Russia (d. 2023)
- 1937-07-31 Isabelle Daniels, American sprinter (Olympic bronze 56), born in Jakin, Georgia (d. 2017)
- 1937-08-10 Lucinda Williams, American sprinter (Olympic gold - 4×100 m relay, 1960), born in Savannah, Georgia
- 1938-08-02 Brunhilde Hendrix, German relay runner (Olympic silver 1960), born in Langenzenn, Germany (d. 1995)
- 1939-03-21 Martha Hudson, American sprinter (Olympic 4X100m gold 1960), born in Eastman, Georgia
- 1939-05-08 Paul Drayton, American athlete (Olympic gold 4x100m relay 1964), born in Glen Cove, New York (d. 2010)
- 1939-12-31 Willye White, American athlete (Olympic silver long jump 1956, 4x100m relay 1964; Sports Illustrated 100 greatest women athletes of 20th century), born in Money, Mississippi (d. 2007)
- 1941-05-09 Dorothy Hyman, English athlete (Olympic silver 100m, bronze 200m 1960; bronze 4×100m relay 1964), born in Cudworth, England
- 1942-09-26 Ingrid Mickler-Becker, German long jumper and relayer (Olympic gold 1972), born in Geseke, North Rhine-Westphalia
- 1942-12-20 Bob Hayes, American athlete (Olympic gold 100m, 4x100m relay 1964) and Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver (3 x Pro Bowl; Dallas Cowboys), born in Jacksonville, Florida (d. 2002)
- 1945-10-10 Yuri Kolmakov, Russian biathlete (World C'ship gold relay 1973, 74), born in Malmyzh Nanayskiy, Russia (d. 2022)
Jim Hines (1946-2023)
1946-09-10 American athlete (Olympic gold 100m, 4x100m relay 1968), born in Dumas, Arkansas
- 1946-10-01 Ewa Klobukowska, Polish athlete (Olympic gold 4x100m relay 1964), born in Warsaw, Poland
- 1947-02-14 Heidemarie Rosendahl, German athlete (Olympic gold FRG long jump, 4×100m relay, silver pentathlon 1972), born in Hückeswagen, Germany
- 1947-02-25 Lee Evans, American athlete (Olympic gold men's 400m, 4x400m relay 1968), born in Madera, California (d. 2021)
- 1947-11-06 Larry James, American track athlete, 4X400m relayer (Olympic gold 1968), born in Mount Pleasant, New York (d. 2008)
- 1948-04-24 Eddie James Hart, American 4x100m relay runner (Olympic gold 1972), born in Martinez, California
- 1949-03-28 Ronnie Ray Smith, American athlete, 4 X 100m relay runner (Olympic gold 1968), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2013)
- 1950-12-31 Inge Helten, German athlete (Olympic silver FRG 4x100m relay, bronze 100m 1976; WR 100m 11.04s 1976), born in Sinzig, Germany
- 1951-11-02 Kathy Hammond, American athlete (Olympic bronze 400m, silver 4x400m relay 1972), born in Sacramento, California
- 1951-12-12 Anatoly Alyabyev, Russian biathlete (Olympic gold USSR 20km individual, 4 × 7.5km relay 1980), born in Danilkovo, Russia (d. 2022)
- 1954-02-15 Pamela Theresa Jiles, American 4X400m relayer (Olympic silver 1976), born in New Orleans, Louisiana
- 1954-11-04 Aleksandr Aksinin, Russian athlete (Olympic gold, 4×100m relay 1980; bronze 1976), born in Saint Petersburg, Russia (d. 2020)
- 1956-03-25 Sonia M Lannaman, England, 4X100m relayer (Olympic bronze 1980)
- 1956-07-08 Millard Hampton, American athlete (Olympic gold 4x100m relay 1976), born in Fresno, California
- 1957-03-23 Sheila Rena Ingram, 4X400m relayer (Olympic silver 1976), born in Washington, D.C.
- 1957-03-28 Harvey Glance, American athlete (Olympic gold 4x100m relay 1976; World C'ship gold 4x100m relay 1987), born in Phenix City, Alabama (d. 2023)
- 1957-07-31 Irina Nazariva, Sovet sprinter (USSR 4 X 400m relay Olympic gold 1980)
- 1958-03-21 Marlies Göhr, East German sprinter (Olympic gold 100m relay 1976, 80; World Champion 100m 1983), born in Gera, Germany
- 1958-04-04 Lam Jones, American athlete (Olympic gold 4 x 100m relay 1976) and NFL wide receiver (NY Jets 1980-86), born in Lawton, Oklahoma (d. 2019)
- 1958-09-20 Remigijus Valiulis, Lithuanian athlete (Olympic gold USSR 4×400m relay 1980), born in Šilutė, Klaipėda, Lithuania (d. 2023)
- 1958-09-28 Angella Issajenko, Jamaica, 4X100m relayer (Olympic silver 1984)
- 1959-11-16 Bert Cameron, Spanish Town Jamaica, 4X400m relayer (Olympic silver 1988)
Florence Griffith Joyner (1959-1998)
1959-12-21 American athlete (Olympic gold 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay 1988; WR 100m: 10.49; 200m: 21.34 1988), born in Los Angeles, California
- 1960-07-06 Valerie Brisco-Hooks, American athlete (Olympic gold 200m, 400m, 400m relay 1984), born in Greenwood Mississippi
- 1961-04-26 Al Lawrence, Jamaican 4X100m relayer (Olympic silver 1984), born in Jamaica
- 1961-10-31 Alonzo Babers, American track and field athlete, 400m/4X400m relay (Olympic gold 1984), born in Montgomery, Alabama
- 1961-10-31 Sterling Hinds, Canadian 4X100m relayer (Olympic bronze 1984), born in Toronto, Ontario
- 1964-04-09 Charles Jenkins Jr., American athlete (Olympic gold 4x400m relay 1992), born in New York City
- 1964-07-06 Lillie Leatherwood, American 4X400m relayer (Olympic gold 1984), born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- 1964-10-05 Denean Howard, 4X400m relayer (Olympic silver 1988), born in Sherman, Texas
- 1965-01-01 Andrew Valmon, American athlete (Olympic gold 4x400m relay 1988, 92; World C'ship gold 1993), born in Brooklyn, New York
- 1965-06-01 Olga Nazarova, Russian athlete (Olympic gold 4x400m relay 1988, 92; World C'ship gold 4x400m relay 1991), born in Moscow, Russia
- 1966-03-31 Roger Black, English athlete (World C'ships gold 4 x 400m relay 1991, 97), born in Gosport, Hampshire,
- 1966-09-04 Jearl Miles Clark, American athlete (Olympic gold 4x400m relay 1996, 2000; World C'ship gold 400m 1993; 4x400m relay 1993, 95, 2003), born in Gainesville, Florida
- 1966-09-05 Simone Jacobs, British 4X100m relayer (Olympic bronze 1984), born in Reading, Berkshire, England
- 1966-11-01 Danny Everett, American athlete (Olympic gold 4x400m relay 1988), born in Van Alstyne, Texas
- 1967-02-21 Leroy Burrell, American athlete (Olympic gold 4×100m relay 1992 [WR 37.40]; World C'ship gold 1991 [WR 37.50], 93); WR 100m 9.85 1994), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- 1967-07-12 Bruny Surin, Canadian athlete (Olympic gold 4 x 100m relay 1996; World C'ship gold 4 x 100m relay 1995, 97), born in Cap Haitien, Haiti
- 1968-09-04 Carlette Guidry-White, American athlete (Olympic gold 4 x 100m relay 1992, 1996; World C'ships 1995), born in Houston, Texas
- 1969-01-13 Andre Cason, American athlete (World C'ship gold 4 x 100m relay 1991 WR 37.50s, 1993; WR 60m indoor 6.41s 1992), born in Virginia Beach, Virginia
- 1970-06-19 Quincy Dushawn Watts, American athlete (Olympic gold 400m, 4x400m relay 1992), born in Detroit, Michigan
- 1972-07-09 Derek Mills, American athlete (Olympic gold 4x400m relay 1996; World C'ship gold 4x400m relay 1995), born in Washington, D.C.
- 1973-09-12 Darren Campbell, British athlete (Olympic gold 4x100m relay 2004, silver 200m 2000), born in Manchester, England
- 1975-01-25 Tim Montgomery, American athlete (Olympic gold 4x100m relay 2000; BALCO scandal), born in Gaffney, South Carolina
- 1976-06-01 Marlon Devonish, MBE, English athlete (Olympic gold GB 4x100m relay 2004; World Indoor C'ship gold 200m 2003), born in Coventry, England
- 1982-05-15 Veronica Campbell-Brown, Jamaican athlete (Olympic gold 200m 2004, 08; 4×100m relay 2004; silver 4×100m relay 2000, 12, 16; bronze 100m 2004, 12), born in Clarks Town, Jamaica
- 1985-11-18 Allyson Felix, American athlete (7 x Olympic gold 200m/400m/relays 2008, 12, 16, 20), born in Los Angeles, California
- 1990-08-27 Tori Bowie, American athlete (Olympic gold 4×100 m relay, silver 100m, bronze 200m 2016; World C'ship gold 100m, 4x100m relay 2017), born in Sand Hill, Mississippi (d. 2023)
- 1994-09-26 Marcell Jacobs, Italian athlete (Olympic gold men's 100m, 4×100m relay 2020; first Italian to win the event), born in El Paso, Texas
Deaths in Sport
- 1942-01-15 Mel Sheppard, American athlete (Olympic gold 800m, 1,500m, medley relay 1908; 4x400 metre relay 1912), dies at 58
- 1943-02-01 Foy Draper, American athlete (Olympic gold 4 x 100m relay 1936 WR 39.8s), dies in action as a USAF pilot at 31
- 1975-10-21 Charles Reidpath, American athlete (Olympic gold 400m, 4×400m relay 1912), dies at 86
- 1976-07-23 Wilhelmina Von Bremen, American 4X100 relay sprinter (Olympic gold 1932), dies at 64
- 1978-10-10 Ralph Metcalfe, American athlete, politician (Rep-D-Ill; joint world record 100m, Olympic gold 4x100m relay 1936), dies of a heart attack at 68
- 1980-01-01 Frank Wykoff, American athlete (Olympic gold 4x100m relay 1928, 32, 36), dies at 70
Jesse Owens (1913-1980)
1980-03-31 American athlete (4 Olympic gold 100/200m, long jump, 4x100m relay 1936), dies of lung cancer at 66
- 1985-06-15 Andy Stanfield, American athlete (Olympic gold 200m, 4x100m relay 1952, silver 200m 1956; WR 200m: 20.60 1952), dies at 57
- 1988-07-08 Ray Barbuti, American athlete (Olympic gold 400m, 400m relay 1928), dies at 83
- 1994-01-17 Helen Stephens, American athlete (Olympic gold 100m & 4x100m relay 1936), dies at 75
- 1994-12-09 Alex Wilson, Canadian athlete (Olympic silver 800m, 2 x bronze 400m, 4x400m relay 1932), dies at 87
- 1995-11-28 Brunhilde Hendrix, German relay runner (Olympic silver 1960), dies at 57
- 1996-04-04 Barney Ewell, American athlete (Olympic gold 4x100m relay, silver 100m, 200m 1948; equal WR 100m 1948), dies at 78
Florence Griffith Joyner (1959-1998)
1998-09-21 American athlete (Olympic gold 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay 1988; WR 100m: 10.49; 200m: 21.34 1988), dies of an epileptic seizure at 38
- 2002-09-18 Bob Hayes, American athlete (Olympic gold 100m, 4x100m relay 1964) and Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver (3 x Pro Bowl; Dallas Cowboys), dies of kidney failure at 59
- 2003-04-22 Michael Larrabee, American athlete (Olympic gold 400m, 4x400m relay 1964), dies from pancreatic cancer at 69
- 2003-11-15 Ray Lewis, Canadian 4X400 relayer (Olympic bronze 1932), dies at 93
- 2004-01-25 Francina "Fanny" Blankers-Koen, Dutch athlete (Olympic gold 100m, 200m, 80m hurdles, 4x100m relay 1948), dies at 85
- 2004-02-17 Shirley Strickland, Australian athlete (Olympic gold 80m hurdles 1952, 56; 4 x 100m relay 1956), dies at 78
- 2005-01-25 Netti Witziers-Timmer, Dutch athlete (Olympic gold 4×100m relay 1948), dies at 81
- 2006-02-03 Lou Jones, American athlete (Olympic gold 4x400m relay 1956), dies at 74
- 2006-11-08 Annette Rogers, American athlete (Olympic gold 4x100m relay 1932, 36), dies at 93
- 2007-02-06 Willye White, American athlete (Olympic silver long jump 1956, 4x100m relay 1964; Sports Illustrated 100 greatest women athletes of 20th century), dies of pancreatic cancer at 67
- 2007-11-26 Herb McKenley, Jamaican athlete (Olympic gold 4 x 400m relay 1952; 3 x silver 1948, 52), dies at 85
- 2010-03-02 Paul Drayton, American athlete (Olympic gold 4x100m relay 1964), dies from a pulmonary embolism at 70
- 2014-05-09 Mel Patton, American athlete (Olympic gold 200m, 4x100m relay 1948; WR 100 yards 9.2s 1948), dies at 89
- 2015-02-07 Dean Smith, American actor and relay runner (Olympic gold 1952), dies at 83
- 2015-05-29 Henry Carr, American athlete (Olympic gold 200m, 4x400m 1964) and football safety (NY Giants), dies at 72
- 2019-03-15 Lam Jones, American athlete (Olympic gold 4 x 100m relay 1976) and NFL wide receiver (NY Jets 1980-86), dies of myeloma at 60
- 2019-11-15 Harrison Dillard, American athlete (Olympic gold 100m, 4×100m relay 1948; 110m hurdles, 4×100m relay 1952), dies at 96
- 2020-05-30 Bobby Morrow, American athlete (Olympic gold 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay 1956), dies at 84
- 2020-07-28 Aleksandr Aksinin, Russian athlete (Olympic gold, 4×100m relay 1980; bronze 1976), dies at 65
- 2020-12-19 Maria Piątkowska, Polish athlete (WR 4 x 100m relay 1964), dies at 89
- 2021-02-07 Leslie Laing, Jamaican athlete (Olympic gold men's 4x400m relay 1952 WR 3:03.9), dies at 91
- 2021-05-19 Lee Evans, American athlete (Olympic gold men's 400m, 4x400m relay 1968), dies from stroke complications at 74
- 2021-06-30 Janet Moreau Stone, American athlete (Olympic gold 4x100m relay 1952), dies at 93
- 2022-01-11 Anatoly Alyabyev, Russian biathlete (Olympic gold USSR 20km individual, 4 × 7.5km relay 1980), dies from COVID-19 at 70
- 2022-07-24 Yuri Kolmakov, Russian biathlete (World C'ship gold relay 1973, 74), dies at 76
- 2023-04-25 Vera Krepkina, Russian athlete (Olympic gold USSR long jump 1960; WR 4×100m relay 1956, tied WR 100m 11.3s 1958), dies at 90
- 2023-05-02 Tori Bowie, American athlete (Olympic gold 4×100 m relay, silver 100m, bronze 200m 2016; World C'ship gold 100m, 4x100m relay 2017), dies at 32
Jim Hines (1946-2023)
2023-06-03 American athlete (Olympic gold 100m, 4x100m relay 1968), dies at 76
- 2023-06-12 Harvey Glance, American athlete (Olympic gold 4x100m relay 1976; World C'ship gold 4x100m relay 1987), dies of a heart attack at 66
- 2023-06-24 Dean Smith, American athlete (Olympic gold 4x100m relay 1952) and actor, rodeo cowboy and stuntman, dies at 91
- 2023-07-19 Remigijus Valiulis, Lithuanian athlete (Olympic gold USSR 4×400m relay 1980), dies at 64
- 2023-08-22 Tom Courtney, American athlete (Olympic gold 800m, 4x400m relay 1956), dies of amyloidosis at 90
- 2023-10-27 Viktor Mamatov, Russian biathlete (Olympic gold USSR 4 × 7.5k relay 1968, 72; World C'ship gold 20k individual 1967, 4 × 7.5k relay 1969, 70, 71), dies at 86