World Record | Men's 4X400m | World Athletics Championships Stuttgart 1993

Watch as the USA team of Andrew Valmon, Quincy Watts, Butch Reynolds and Michael Johnson run the fastest 4x400m race in history!
#WorldChampionships #AndrewValmon #QuincyWatts #ButchReynolds #MichaelJohnson #USA #UnitedStates #WorldAthletics #400m #4x400m #WorldRecord #Athletics
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[@kingjahk1]

Reynolds to Johnson. Best handoff in relay history. 43.3 to 42.9 calls for a speeding ticket 🥂

[@richardgallimore5976]

And 43.5 to 43.3 before that. At the time it was the 3rd fastest all time handing to fastest, then Butch handing it to who would later break his WR! This is a VERY strong record.

[@aaronkoeppe9057]

Imagine if watts split 43.1 like he did in '92 that record would have been 2:53.8

[@kingjahk1]

@@aaronkoeppe9057 you definitely study the history. Sometimes it's downhill after a personal best yet he nearly duplicated his. Amazing stuff.💪

[@aaronkoeppe9057]

@@kingjahk1 thank you much appreciated.very true after a pr like that you do go downhill. Sadly 4 years after this championship (1997) watts wasn't the same and retired at 27.

[@kingjahk1]

@@aaronkoeppe9057 you are welcome. I remember Watts. Once those hammies get you, that 400 becomes an albatross. This 4×400 team was unbeatable. It would be great to see such prominence again.

[@russhartman4927]

That's an average split of 43.572!!!!!! Beyond stunning!

[@frederickweeksjr.1189]

REAL TALK.

[@thehumanracehasfailed]

The statistical probability of having four runners like this on one team who were all at or near the peak of their careers, as well as healthy and uninjured, is almost impossible. You'd be lucky to have even just two of them on one team, but four??? Almost impossible. This was a very, very special thing to watch.

[@freedomajp]

I agree. And the fact that they ran that fast alone is mind boggling. Each runner left it all on the track.

[@jasonlommen4769]

I truly don’t think this record will be broken in our lifetime. The average lap was 43.57. That’s insane. Anything under 44 is incredible. 4 guys all running lights out is truly remarkable.

[@jasonlommen4769]

@@orangescout1967 Agreed 100%. I’m 50. Ran track at an all state level. Been a fan my whole life and know the sport well. I’ll be dead before this record falls!

[@alexarihani2902]

It was almost broken last week in Paris. Maybe if they have a healthy quartet at worlds they can break it

[@johnhealey6455]

This record is 30 years old this month. Truly incredible performance.

[@morrisparrish76]

It’s gonna get a lot older…….42.9 remember it!

[@crabb9966]

​@@morrisparrish76 Tebogo moght have other plans

[@morrisparrish76]

Planning something is one thing……doing it is another!

[@ViggoBauman]

This was the real dream team of the 90s. WOW.

[@pamela7651]

Boom ikr. Butch and Quincy I love to see them run

[@ISTAYSEXYAF9393]

YAAAAAAASSSSSS 💪🏾🥰

[@robertridley9279]

True. I'd never heard of the first one, but the other three were the reigning Olympic champion, the then world record holder, and the future world record holder.

[@blaakcoffee]

And today!!!!

[@nuffsedd2006]

Do you think the record will be broken with Rai & Norman?

[@thomasmckenzie4584]

Quincy Watts runs 43.5 and is the 3rd fastest on the team. This US team had the greatest leadoff runner in history, passing the Olympic champion and Olympic record holder, passing to the world record holder, passing to the future world record holder and 2 time Olympic 400m champion. Not fair!!!

[@socman3988]

Tj Mckenzie hahaha no wonder they broke the record by that much and still is the WR in 2020!! Don’t see them breaking it anytime soon. It’s not easy to have such incredible 400m sprinters all running in the same era in the same country and team !!

[@aaronkoeppe9057]

The closest team was 2008 with Jeremy Warner just 1 second off. It's funny I feel that in 2021 with Rai Benjamin Michael Norman Fred kerley and wil London they could get close as well

[@thomasmckenzie4584]

@Wally Andrew Valmon also ran 44.0 to lead off. Although Everett was a better overall 400 runner, Valmon ran leadoff on many US teams and was always around 44 flat. He was always the forgotten man running with those other speed demons.

[@Mighty-ue7bt]

@@thomasmckenzie4584 so forgotten that his performance here was not mentioned in his Wikipedia!!!!🤣

[@GeoAce777]

🇰🇪 decades later I forget they took 2nd

[@neilmcguinness4422]

This must stand as one of the toughest records to beat in athletics. These guys were each brilliant one lap runners and each gave their absolute all.

[@alexarihani2902]

Yes it likely is along with the women’s 400 and 800m WR. I hope the women’s 4x4 has a shot too. They have a lot of talented runners now

[@nightman333]

Think about it... A 42.9...that's a good time, for a decent high school 4x100 Relay Team.... Geez

[@socman3988]

nightman333 lmao 😂 you are absolutely right !!

[@6SE1SD9]

That is so true my best ever ran in a 4x100 relay was 41.8 so he would've still been on our heels.. We also ran 42.3 my senior year and made it to state championships

[@jamesphillips531]

Thats insane. Especially since my schools best last year was 50 flat. Yeah you read that right. We could run a 8:15 4x8, a 3:30 4x4, and the difference between our slowest and fastest runner in cross country was less than a minute(18:04-17:10). But our 4x1 couldnt go sub 50. Meanwhile one of the other schools in my area did a 44.1 and went to states for there division. My school sucks at sprinting.

[@austinmolitor7283]

@@jamesphillips531 Bro, you are definitely right on that one. We had two juniors at 48 for the open and our relay was 3:17, and our school isn't even that good at sprinting. Distance is usually our holdback though. Between our top 5 guys we had 1:40, but that was only bc our top ran 14:30.

[@newgenerationtechnology2930]

My team had the fastest ever in my state of MS we did a 40.82

[@frederickweeksjr.1189]

WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! THAT TEAM WAS BEASTING BIG TIME! 42.9 SPLIT???? CRAZINESS!

[@kanyinginjoroge]

I need to pay a special tribute to Kenya's anchor the Late Samson Kitur. What a race he had gaining ground to clinch the silver medal for us on the home stretch. He was the African champion in 1991, won the bronze medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics behind Quincy Watts, won bronze at the 1993 World Championships in Stuttgart and the silver in this race. He is the most decorated 400m athlete in Kenya. He was born on February 26, 1966 and died on April 25, 2003 at only 37 years of age. Rest in Peace Samson Kitur.

[@emmanuelkurgat3999]

Stole silver for us at the death. Forever a legend.

[@JohnDoe-yi4xd]

How did he die. I'm an American and he was definitely noticed in America.

[@kanyinginjoroge]

@@JohnDoe-yi4xd He was sick

[@ticharribetikymo257]

@@JohnDoe-yi4xd who cares

[@ticharribetikymo257]

@@kanyinginjoroge AIDS?

[@TrevorFitz]

I laughed out loud at that camera-angle change from 4:34 to 4:35. It looks like a really close race until this cut away.

[@alexarihani2902]

It’s like the genius in high school who is thrown out of the grading curve LOL

[@jguerra1793]

I remember watching this at home in '93 and standing and cheering the whole way. Absolutely Incredible breaking the World Record by 1.5 seconds.

[@KwenaMatjekana]

That's a dream team. I can't stop watching this

[@socman3988]

Damn !! I remember watching this !! 42·90 is just sick ! That record will be around for quite some time!

[@blaakcoffee]

Yep!!!!

[@viralviruz8694]

It's broken now

[@socman3988]

@@viralviruz8694 it has? by whom?

[@rhymetimeuk]

@@viralviruz8694 no it hasn't been!

[@Theanswer0000]

@@viralviruz8694 42.91 Michael Johnson USA 4 Stuttgart 1993 42.93 Jeremy Wariner USA 4 Osaka 2007 43.1 Quincy Watts USA 2 Barcelona 1992

[@intldawn]

Took 31 years for anyone else to run 2:54 clean in this. Finally saw the great USA and Botswana teams make a helluva challenge to that record at the Olympics this month. Incredible athleticism. Considering how many incredible 400 meter runners we’ve seen in that time, some of which were in the same relay team, it’s crazy how much this record and this team were ahead of their time.

[@71chillin]

Andrew valmon was the best leadoff Runner the United States ever had in the 4 by 4

[@bysonchi]

USA team was on a different level , unstoppable forces of nature ; but great run by the Kenyan to get 2nd place , WOW.

[@kennethreichelt]

I got him with a 43.7 while running most of the lap in the second lane.

[@michaelolande8763]

Samson Kitur was another great runner. He took the button amongst the last

[@kithakamuchiri4037]

that come back by kenyans was also very great

[@josephoneil3093]

Talk about a dream team. Lucky to have witnessed it live. Didn’t look real in person, it looked like they were gliding not running.

[@misspiggie7100]

Butch says in an immediate interview that he wants to put it out there a record that will stand 10 years, 20 years from now (1993). 31 years later, it's still stands ... as I watch the 4x400m Olympics. This team is still unbeatable!!!

[@ranhill62]

4:50 great technique by the Frenchman in blue/white with the way he gave his baton to the official, 😂

[@cosmicwarlord2002]

It only just missed the German athlete .. could have been nasty if it had hit him in the face / eye .. Sheer frustration from Stéphane Diagana

[@Gsydney83]

😂😂🤣🤣🤣...

[@MatthewKizzie]

1992 Olympics 4x400 final, Michael Johnson ran 3rd leg at 44.70 (per the commentary) and in this 1993 4x400 he runs the last leg at 42.9. Almost a 2-second improvement, that is awesome!

[@thomasmckenzie4584]

In all fairness, Johnson got food poisoning in Barcelona and didn't even make the 200 final. He gutted it out in the 4x4 just to run a 44.7. He was the #1 ranked 400 runner in 92, but only ran the 200 in the Olympics, not the 400.

[@Carlos-vw7xk]

@@thomasmckenzie4584 Plus you're also going to run slower on 3rd leg vs anchor because anchor doesn't have to reduce speed in anyway for a baron exchange.

[@jeaneunia1178]

@@thomasmckenzie4584reminder: 1992 OG , MJ was sick and messed up on 200m. MJ already run 43.98 in 1992.

[@fender1000100]

Since Karsten Warholm broke Kevin Youngs 29 year old 400M hurdles record this month. This is now the longest standing Mens track record. 28 years. It was incredible. Butch Reynolds ran 43.36. Then superman Michael Johson became the first human being recorded at sub 43 seconds with an incredible 42 91 for the final leg. This record may stand for more than 50 years.

[@blaakcoffee]

It will!!!👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿

[@henneseslimify]

As will Karsten Warholms record. I'm still in awe of that 400h race.

[@jasonlommen4769]

@@henneseslimify I agree. I don’t think enough people realize how incredible his 45.94 really is. I don’t think it’ll be broken in our lifetime. Nor will this 4x400. Crazy times.

[@henneseslimify]

@@jasonlommen4769 add in the almost freakish levels that on the women's side in the 400h with Sydney McLaughlin. The battles between her and Lilah Muhammad. That phenomenon is also once in a lifetime. And a sub 51.

[@KennethBishop]

I remember watching this and saying, "Damn". Thanks to KZbin I get to watch it again.

[@BBEDrummerAK]

Butch Reynolds & Michael Johnson as your 3rd and anchor legs is absolutely stone cold. Goddamn

[@rickygranderson9625]

When the roster has Watts, Reynolds and Michael Johnson I would say the World record was in jeopardy. Great job by these four men.

[@austinchang5039]

Here in 24’ , this is such a special world record that will stand for decades

[@kanyinginjoroge]

I am a proud Kenyan. We won a silver medal against a great American team. Respect to Abednego Matilu, Kennedy Ochieng, Simon Kemboi and the legendary Samson Kitur.

[@demariosreefaquarium7475]

That's my 1st cousin Andrew. Always outstanding dude specifically when he came to bklyn to stay with us .Mario Valmon signing off.

[@bartonfunk6478]

Haters want to claim that the USA team was on drugs...if they were I'm sure that everybody else was as well....and they still handed out a beatdown of epic proportion in this race. THAT was an ass kicking!!!

[@pondguard22]

Claim? Reynolds had literally just came back from a drug ban when they ran this! What planet are you on?!

[@kolplako4525]

GabrielSamurganov *one

[@pondguard22]

One team member on drugs = Whole team is tainted & should be DQ'd. Happens to every country who falls foul of the rule. America have the worst history when it comes to drug offences & they still parade around like kings.

[@kolplako4525]

pondguard22 Was replying to the first gentleman who said they were all on drugs, not they all should be disqualified

[@kolplako4525]

pondguard22 And America doesn’t have the worst history with doping lol, not even close, Russia is way way way ahead for that, USA is around fourth worst I believe, but the difference between fourth and 40th is so nominal it really doesn’t matter once you get down there - only a few athletes.

[@caddymarie1410]

This line up is an absolute Dream Team! Breaking the WR when they're basically running alone (that gap is HUGE)...that was something special.

[@CanadaMMA]

2024 and this record still stands

[@bjf5027]

I think this is the last record that Johnson still holds. The relay and the split time.

[@Keys7]

Yes. You are correct.

[@isaz597]

3.30 "... look at the determination on his face.." was anyone else not looking at his face & looking somewhere else lol? If you've seen it it can't be unseen hahaha 🤣😂

[@rvborgh]

42.9... oh my goodness. mind numbingly fast.

[@kanyinginjoroge]

Kennedy Ochieng (46.15) Simon Kemboi (45.35) Abednego Matilu (44.63) Samson Kitur (43.69). Team Kenya 2:59:82

[@elliebellie7816]

This is by far my most favorite sporting event.

[@timn4481]

for those playing at home the numbers are: 44.43s Valmon, 43.59s Watts, 43.36 seconds Reynolds, 42.91 seconds Johnson .

[@mf5202]

I don't think they ever imagined their record would last this long. However, I doubt there will be ever a combination a 4 400 meter runners of this caliber. Reynolds, Johnson and Watts were the most dominating 400 M runners of the era.

[@domskillet5744]

Johnson's final sprint was insanely fast, he looked like someone finishing a 200 lol

[@dunemetal67]

About 5.5 second margin of victory. Holy buckets.

[@basehead617]

Stellar camera work and direction to present this race!

[@stringsforwings]

Indeed! And a million miles ahead of the silly stuff that present day wouldbe entertainers are wasting my time with. Just try to find a decent video of last week's men's 400m final... and good luck!

[@casino9039]

The second Kenyan leg was amazing

[@rhymetimeuk]

this has lasted 30 years so far, dream team!!

[@deadtolive7073]

You need 4 "once in a generation man" to realize such a perfomance. That's why we'll have to wait some time before we see it again.

[@zxtenn]

I worked with Stan from then Bulgaria, he lives and works in NY now--amazing to get to that level win or lose

[@db5038]

Only one word for that performance ...... EPIC! or should it be, SICK?

[@kevincross4302]

Toss out the US time and that was an extremely close race as the next 5 teams finished within a second of each other. That's a VERY close for a mile relay. Incredible really.

[@richardgallimore5976]

Is 42.9 still the best ever 400m split? Edit: Yup it is!

[@zebman9228]

How do they accurately measure splits? Mid point of the zone? What if it is a late exchange, etc. Seems difficut.

[@dustinleonard7355]

Zebman by the time they leave the exchange zone. It doesn’t matter when they actually handed it off it just starts right when they cross the end of the zone

[@blaakcoffee]

Yup!!!!💪🏿💪🏿💪🏿💪🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿

[@GotYourWallet]

Look at that lead. Incredible.

[@JosefLawakeli]

THIS IS THE 4X4 DREAM TEAM...

[@kimchee94112]

World record still standing after 29 years!

[@andys2856]

I remember watching this, so much for all the science, gadgets, diet nowadays.

[@peterk3474]

Reminds me of Secretariat at Belmont Stakes. Tremendous.

[@br0wnskiin22]

Shoutout to the Kenyan to get second place !!

[@williambaptista8985]

Was looking for this record performance. Wow!

[@UTubePhoenix]

Quincy Watts @ 2nd leg ran the longest leg, Michael Johnson ran the shortest (you see Butch waiting at the end of the passing zone because they wanted Watts running all the way through). Quincy Watts 2nd leg 43.1 @ the ‘92 Olympics was just as fast or faster than Johnson’s 42.9 last leg in this race.

[@muha8598]

Samson Kutir on that last leg for Kenya 🔥

[@davidgikonyo2508]

Since fallen in eternal sleep early 2000's

[@kanyinginjoroge]

@@davidgikonyo2508. True, in 2003. He is a legend.

[@joew.6836]

Anchor leg from France was pissed!

[@channel395jfjsifkf]

Absolutely breathtaking.

[@lamster70]

That gap is like 70m at the last leg. It's ridiculous.

[@pamela7651]

Kudos to that anchor from Kenya. He really ran his socks of

[@davidgikonyo2508]

Samson Kitur died sometimes back in 2003

[@uriellevelupriley684]

MJ ran a 42.9 400m split... Let that sink in...💯💯💯💖💙💓💜💕👀👑👑👑👑👑👑👑🌟🌟🌟🌟

[@buliaoqing]

Like to see Reynolds running. Gracefully.

[@wesw7241]

USA: Andrew Valmon to the Olympics champion to the world record holder to the world champion.😅

[@PhillyFitClub]

France was salty. That's that 4th-place salt. Throwing down the baton (or, as they say in Britain, 'the batten') and havin' bounce like a super ball. You ain't tough.

[@basehead617]

what a lineup !!

[@ernestomoya150]

The Fab four

[@possumj7307]

“Look how far the US is ahead of the rest of the world.” USA owns the 4x4

[@bones10145]

That French dude was PISSED.

[@RedDiamondXYZ]

2:54:29 and 9.58. I'm 44 and I dont foresee these two WRs getting broken in my life.

[@cosmicwarlord2002]

Very very special time Red. I never thought in my liftime I'd see a 9.58 but in recent years the introduction of these "new" spike shoe with carbon soles are a game changer and iseem to be giing an legal advantage that wasnt around when this record ws set and Usain's other Worldly 9.58. It will be interesting to watch . I wonder what these guys would have run with the lastest shoe technology !!

[@RedDiamondXYZ]

@@cosmicwarlord2002 never knew that. Thanks for sharing.

[@cosmicwarlord2002]

@@RedDiamondXYZComing back to Usain and the 4x400m guys of 1993. All super talented and at the top of their game . In the 4x400, crazy to think 3 guys ran sub 44 (and this was almost 30 years ago .. ) AMAZING .. here;s to the athetics in 2023 :) .

[@madhubanimusings8506]

Michael Johnson was the Michael Jordan of track

[@gezzarandom]

Such depth of talent, not even Kevin Young the 400 hurdles gold medalist and world record holder couldn’t get make the team.

[@annudalal9032]

Till date its a record Wow unbelievable 🎉

[@magnanova]

This record may never be broken.

[@qsm.a.kiragu682]

Kenyan last runner really took the bend well

[@davidgikonyo2508]

Samson Kitur died around 2003😥

[@Imslightlyobnoxious]

You gotta love how there are 2 races here: 1) USA VS time 2) rest of the field for 2nd place 😅

[@TSUTENKAKU007]

This USA quartet was some thing else.

[@basehead617]

1:28 at 800m in a relay is unbelievable

[@sharonvizcarrondo5847]

Wow everybody ran sub 45 at least. Good Lord. And that was the 90's. To boot Michael Johnson ran 42.9 ? My God!

[@oldchannel987]

The Germans were the HAPPIEST with a sub-3 3rd place by only 1/100th of a second

[@alexarihani2902]

I love seeing estatic bronze place winners

[@brandonbandstra226]

Cool Runnings

[@evanskorir3583]

Kenyans did so well here. But after that they didn't specialize in relays again. Wish they could come back again

[@granvillewalkerjr.8394]

At time index 4:52 you'll notice the French anchor leg throw the baton down in disgust. My best guess is that he was upset his team finished outside the medal group by a painfully close margin.

[@cosmicwarlord2002]

Yeah I thought that too .. I think possibly he was so annoyed that he got a bit boxed in at the start of the straight when Samson Kitur was on his outside. He lost some momentum and maybe with a clear run in the straight he (France) might have medalled ?

[@granvillewalkerjr.8394]

@@cosmicwarlord2002 we see the race identically. A closer look of that last straightaway shows that in order for the Frenchman to have had a chance at the medal podium, he would've had to seperate from the pack in the turn. Had he fallen behind the Kenyan and drafted him for about 50 meters, he would've had a shot. But in all fairness to the French runner, it is difficult to strategize when your lungs are on fire and that lactic acid buildup in your legs is creating havoc with your muscles.

[@cosmicwarlord2002]

@@granvillewalkerjr.8394 We do indeed see the race the same :) .. For what its worth, the French athlete was Stéphane Diagana the who was an amazing 400m hurdles runner. Factoring his 400m hurdler strength, I'd bet he thought he was in with a good chance .. He had to chop his stride as he was closing in on Germany because Kitur (Kenya) was making his perfectly time run .. hard to believe this was over 25 years ago .... Ive watched this race many times and was so impressed with Kitur's anchor leg as well as the astonishing performance by the USA ... what a race ... BRILLIANT (as was your analysis ) :)

[@granvillewalkerjr.8394]

@@cosmicwarlord2002 I await the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo with an even greater degree of eagerness now. We'll have fresh international events to compare commentary over. But we do wholeheartedly agree on one thing for certain, and that is the USA performance was astounding! (thank you for the kudos) :0)

[@cosmicwarlord2002]

@@granvillewalkerjr.8394 Here;s to Tokyo ... Im sure it will be a fantastic games ... The 1993 team was very special indeed and possibly a once in a lifetime team .. Everyone got it right that day ... Quincy Watts ran 3rd fastest that day for USA and still did a 43.5 spilt ...How unbelievable and amazing is that ! :) .. All the best ... Tokyo here we come :)

[@buliaoqing]

Reynolds's running posture is elegant.

[@tooneov]

42.9 split? Jesus

[@JohnHoulgate]

Do I have this right, every single American runner clocked under 44 seconds?

[@wesw7241]

8:45 OMG 4 big ball.

[@kellycoleman715]

The 42.9 leg that Michael Johnson ran in this race thirty years ago is .04 faster than the current world record.

[@bertrandsanchez5018]

great team

[@morrisparrish76]

The only things faster than Michael Johnson’s 42.9 400meters are running on 4 legs or 4 wheels!

[@mediacare6744]

You beat the Kenyans, you create a new world record

[@theuninspiredlife657]

This team was absolute...

[@blktgr1]

DANG!!!! Nice!

[@jacksmith8002]

when you have a 30 year old sprinting record you know they were riod'd up

[@Theanswer0000]

42.9 SPLIT!!! wow!!!

[@sagieatz433]

Butch Reynolds (400mh) literally passing of the baton to MJ is crazy coincidence. Considering MJ got the 400 open WR the next year.

[@tamnguyen_88]

4:50 watch out for the bouncing baton!

[@njengamwaniki215]

Congrats team Kenya No. 2

[@dajosco115]

I think Michael, Rai, Quincy and Vernon can get this.