Conrad Williams’s 45.0 had Britain in fourth after the first leg before Jack Green’s 44.8 maintained that position.
Bahamas anchor leg Ramon Miller held off Angelo Taylor to set a new national record of two minutes 56.72 seconds, with the US clocking 2:57.05 and Trinidad and Tobago 2:59.40.
This was not an American team to bear comparison to the great quartets of old, a reflection of the fact that not a single US male made the final of the individual 400m.
Bryshon Nellum, Joshua Mance and Tony McQuay are not in the same class as injured LaShawn Merritt and out-of-form Jeremy Wariner, while anchorman Taylor is a 400m hurdles man past his best.
But that should take little away from the achievement of the Bahamas.
Chris Brown led them off with a fine 44.9 secs before Demetrius Pinder produced a brilliant 43.5. Michael Mathieu’s 44.25 maintained the lead before Miller’s 44 secs dead brought them home to gold.
South Africa’s quartet, anchored by double amputee Oscar Pistorius, finished eighth, with Cuba last after failing to finish.
