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.
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.
On 23 November 2007, the IAAF recommended to the IOC Executive Board to disqualify the USA women's 4 × 100 m and 4 × 400 m relay teams after Marion Jones admitted to having taken performance-enhancing drugs prior to the Games.
[1] France (Linda Ferga, Muriel Hurtis, Fabe Dia, Christine Arron, Sandra Citte*) finished fourth in the 4 × 100 m relay in a time of 42.42, and Nigeria (Olabisi Afolabi, Opara Charity, Rosemary Okafor, Falilat Ogunkoya-Osheku, Doris Jacob*) finished fourth in the 4 × 400 m relay in a time of 3:23.80.
[2] Their medals were then restored to them because the penalty was based on a policy imposed ex post facto, which is prohibited by the CAS.