The world athletics governing body has ratified the world mixed 4x400m record of 3:08.80 set by Team USA in August this year.

The triumphant American team broke the world record on August 19 at the World Athletics Championships Budapest in Hungary.

But they have had to wait three months until their new time is approved.

The record-breaking squad featured Justin Robinson as the first-leg runner, a strategy that worked well for the US team as he gave them an early lead.

Teammate Rosey Effiong was slower and by the halfway mark of the race, it was the Netherlands leading.

Matthew Boling did well to draw Team USA within touching distance of the Dutch in the third leg of an exhausting race.

In a dramatic final leg, Dutch hurdle specialist Femke Bol looked on course to seal it for the Netherlands, but she crashed in the closing stages, allowing American Alexis Holmes to bring the US home in first place.

In an event defined by the finest of margins, the title-winning time of 3:08.80 chipped more than half a second off the previous world record set by a different US squad at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar on September 29, 2019.

Ratifying a world record — how it works

According to World Athletics rules on equalling or breaking a world record, the athletes of this relay event had to be eligible to compete under the rules.

They also had to submit to doping control immediately after the end of the event.

Typically, doping controls for the ratification of a world record are conducted in accordance with the Anti-Doping Rules.

The samples are then sent for analysis to a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited laboratory as soon as possible after collection.

By the way, in the case of a relay world record, all members of the team must be tested.

The doping control documentation (doping control form and corresponding laboratory results) are sent to World Athletics as soon as it is available and, ideally, together with the World Record Application Form, which must in all cases be completed and dispatched to the Office within 30 days of the competition.

The doping control documentation is then reviewed by the Athletics Integrity Unit.

Among other circumstances, the performance will not be ratified if the doping control is not conducted or if the doping control sample is not suitable for analysis.