Note: * Indicates athletes who ran in preliminary rounds.
Existing records at the start of the event.
All times shown are in seconds.
AR area record | CR championship record | GR games record | NR national record | OR Olympic record | PB personal best | SB season best | WL world leading (in a given season)
DNS = did not start | DQ = disqualification | NM = no mark (i.e. no valid result) | Q = qualification by place in heat | q = qualification by overall place
Rank
Team
Name
Result
Notes
United States
Danny Everett , Roddie Haley , Antonio McKay , Butch Reynolds
2:57.29
CR
Great Britain
Derek Redmond , Kriss Akabusi , Roger Black , Philip Brown)
2:58.86
AR
Cuba
Leandro Peñalver , Agustin Pavó , Lázaro Martínez , Roberto Hernández
2:59.16
NR
4
West Germany
Norbert Dobeleit , Mark Henrich , Edgar Itt , Harald Schmid
2:59.96
NR
5
Kenya
Joseph Sainah , John Anzrah , Elijah Bitok , David Kitur
3:01.67
6
Jamaica
Mark Senior , Devon Morris , Winthrop Graham , Bert Cameron
3:04.53
**
Soviet Union
Yevgeniy Lomtyev , Vladimir Prosin , Aleksandr Kurochkin , Vladimir Krylov
DNF
**
Nigeria
Moses Ugbisie , Joseph Falaye , Henry Amike , Innocent Egbunike
DNS
Rank
Team
Name
Result
Notes
1
Cuba
Leandro Peñalver , Agustin Pavó , Lázaro Martínez , Roberto Hernández
3:00.99
Q
2
Great Britain
Mark Thomas , Kriss Akabusi , Todd Bennett , Philip Brown
3:01.47
Q
3
Soviet Union
Arkadiy Kornilov , Yevgeniy Lomtyev , Vladimir Prosin , Aleksandr Kurochkin
3:01.61
Q
4
Nigeria
Moses Ugbisie , Joseph Falaye , Henry Amike , Innocent Egbunike
3:01.92
Q
5
Canada
Andre Smith , Courtney Brown , John Graham , Anton Skerritt
3:02.90
6
France
Aldo Canti , Jean-Jacques Boussemart , Patrick Barré , Yann Quentrec
3:03.41
7
Japan
Koichi Konakatomi , Kenji Yamauchi , Hiromi Kawasumi , Susumu Takano
3:04.86
8
Spain
Cayetano Cornet , Antonio Sánchez , José Alonso , Angel Heras
3:06.41
Rank
Team
Name
Result
Notes
1
United States
Danny Everett , Michael Franks , Raymond Pierre , Antonio McKay
2:59.06
CR Q
2
Kenya
Joseph Sainah , Elijah Bitok , David Kitur , John Anzrah
3:00.73
Q
3
Jamaica
Mark Senior , Devon Morris , Winthrop Graham , Bert Cameron
3:01.08
NR Q
4
West Germany
Peter Schwelm , Edgar Itt , Klaus Just , Mark Henrich
3:01.18
Q
5
Yugoslavia
Branislav Karaulić , Slobodan Popović , Slobodan Branković , Ismail Mačev
3:03.30
NR
6
Italy
Marcello Pantone , Vito Petrella , Tiziano Gemelli , Roberto Ribaud
3:03.91
7
Australia
Robert Stone , Gary Minihan , Peter Stubbs , Darren Clark
3:04.59
**
East Germany
Jens Carlowitz , Frank Möller , Mathias Schersing , Thomas Schönlebe
DNF
Rank
Team
Name
Result
Notes
1
United States
Danny Everett , Michael Franks , Raymond Pierre , Antonio McKay
3:03.00
Q
2
East Germany
Mathias Schersing , Michael Schimmer , Jens Carlowitz , Thomas Schönlebe
3:03.57
Q
3
Yugoslavia
Branislav Karaulić , Slobodan Popović , Slobodan Branković , Ismail Mačev
3:03.89
Q
4
Nigeria
Moses Ugbisie , Joseph Falaye , Henry Amike , Innocent Egbunike
3:03.90
Q
5
Canada
Andre Smith , Courtney Brown , John Graham , Anton Skerritt
3:04.08
q
6
Spain
Cayetano Cornet , Antonio Sánchez , José Alonso , Angel Heras
3:05.02
q
7
Ivory Coast
Akissi Kpidi , Zongo Kuyo , Djedjemel Anatole , René Mélédjé
3:05.34
8
Ireland
Kieran Finn , Gerry Delaney , John Barry , Peter Sinclair
3:07.18
Rank
Team
Name
Result
Notes
1
Kenya
Joseph Sainah , Elijah Bitok , Tito Sawe , John Anzrah
3:02.32
Q
2
Cuba
Leandro Peñalver , Agustin Pavó , Lázaro Martínez , Roberto Hernández
3:02.62
Q
3
Soviet Union
Arkadiy Kornilov , Yevgeniy Lomtyev , Vladimir Prosin , Aleksandr Kurochkin
3:02.79
Q
4
Jamaica
Mark Senior , Devon Morris , Winthrop Graham , Bert Cameron
3:05.11
Q
5
Czechoslovakia
Jindrich Roun , Stanislav Navesnak , Jozef Kucej , Lubos Balosak
3:05.44
6
Brazil
Washington Rodrigues , Sérgio Menezes , Gerson A. Souza , José Luíz Barbosa
3:05.64
Rank
Team
Name
Result
Notes
1
Great Britain
Mark Thomas , Kriss Akabusi , Todd Bennett , Philip Brown
3:03.75
Q
2
Japan
Koichi Konakatomi , Kenji Yamauchi , Hiromi Kawasumi , Susumu Takano
3:03.86
Q
3
West Germany
Peter Schwelm , Mark Henrich , Klaus Just , Edgar Itt
3:03.87
Q
4
Australia
Robert Stone , Gary Minihan , Peter Stubbs , Darren Clark
3:04.22
Q
5
Italy
Marcello Pantone , Vito Petrella , Andrea Montanari , Roberto Ribaud
3:04.64
q
6
France
Aldo Canti , Jean-Jacques Boussemart , Patrick Barré , Yann Quentrec
3:04.64
q
7
Chinese Taipei
Lin Kuang-liang , Hsu Ruo-ta , Lee Shiun-long , Lin Tsai-tien
3:11.45