| | Event type

4 x 100 metres Medley Relay, Women

Date	15 – 17 August 2008
Status	Olympic
Location	Beijing Guojia Youyong Zhongxin, Beijing Aolinpike Gongyuan, Beijing
Participants	74 from 16 countries

Prior to 2004 only the controversial East German team had broken the American dominance of this event. That all changed in Athens when the Australians broke through to win their first title and by Beijing they had built on this to emerge as world champions, world record holders and clear favourites to retain the Olympic title.

After the USA had make a strong start it was the performance of Australia’s individual breaststroke champion Leisel Jones that was to prove the difference between gold and silver. Whilst the silver medal winning Americans recorded better times on three of the four legs this could not make up for the 1.4 seconds that Jones pulled out over Rebecca Soni. In a fitting finale to the women’s programme both teams were comfortably under the pre-existing world record. China broke the Asian record in 3rd whilst Great Britain’s European record for 4th meant that 4 continental records fell in the final.

Pos	Swimmer	NOC	R1	Final
1	Australia	AUS	3:57.94 (1 h2)	3:52.69 (1)	Gold
	Emily Seebohm • Leisel Jones • Jess Schipper • Libby Trickett • Tarnee White • Felicity Galvez • Shayne Reese
2	United States	USA	3:59.15 (1 h1)	3:53.30 (2)	Silver
	Natalie Coughlin • Rebecca Soni • Christine Magnuson • Dara Torres • Margaret Hoelzer • Megan Jendrick • Elaine Breeden • Kara Lynn Joyce
3	People's Republic of China	CHN	3:59.21 (2 h1)	3:56.11 (3)	Bronze
	Zhao Jing • Sun Ye • Zhou Yafei • Pang Jiaying • Xu Tianlongzi
4	Great Britain	GBR	3:59.14 (2 h2)	3:57.50 (4)
	Gemma Spofforth • Kate Haywood • Jemma Lowe • Fran Halsall
5	Russian Federation	RUS	3:59.66 (3 h2)	3:57.84 (5)
	Anastasiya Zuyeva • Yuliya Yefimova • Nataliya Sutyagina • Anastasiya Aksenova • Kseniya Moskvina
6	Japan	JPN	3:59.91 (3 h1)	3:59.54 (6)
	Reiko Nakamura • Asami Kitagawa • Yuka Kato • Haruka Ueda • Hanae Ito
7	Canada	CAN	4:02.13 (5 h2)	4:01.35 (7)
	Julia Wilkinson • Annamay Pierse • Audrey Lacroix • Erica Morningstar
DQ	Sweden	SWE	4:02.12 (4 h2)	– (DQ)
	Sarah Sjöström • Joline Höstman • Anna-Karin Kammerling • Josefin Lillhage
9	Germany	GER	4:02.53 (4 h1)	–
	Antje Buschschulte • Sarah Poewe • Daniela Samulski • Britta Steffen
10	Brazil	BRA	4:02.61 (5 h1)	–
	Fabíola Molina • Tatiane Sakemi • Gabriella Silva • Tatiana Lemos
11	France	FRA	4:02.95 (6 h1)	–
	Alexianne Castel • Sophie de Ronchi • Aurore Mongel • Alena Popchanka
12	South Africa	RSA	4:04.20 (6 h2)	–
	Melissa Corfe • Suzaan van Biljon • Mandy Loots • Lize-Mari Retief
13	Netherlands	NED	4:04.74 (7 h1)	–
	Femke Heemskerk • Jolijn van Valkengoed • Inge Dekker • Ranomi Kromowidjojo
14	Italy	ITA	4:04.93 (7 h2)	–
	Romina Armellini • Roberta Panara • Ilaria Bianchi • Federica Pellegrini
15	Spain	ESP	4:06.40 (8 h1)	–
	Nina Zhivanevskaya • Mireia Belmonte • Ángela San Juan • María Fuster
16	Ukraine	UKR	4:08.62 (8 h2)	–
	Iryna Amshennikova • Yuliya Pidlisna • Kateryna Zubkova • Dar'ia Stepaniuk

Round One (15 August 2008)

Fastest eight teams advanced to final

Heat One (20:32)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	Time	Reaction	Exchange (Pos)
1	4	United States	USA		3:59.15			Q
		Margaret Hoelzer		29.12	59.29	0.71	59.29 (1)
		Megan Jendrick		31.04	1:07.17	0.06	2:06.46 (1)
		Elaine Breeden		27.03	58.59	0.46	3:05.05 (2)
		Kara Lynn Joyce		25.79	54.10	0.30	3:59.15 (1)
2	5	People's Republic of China	CHN		3:59.21			Q
		Xu Tianlongzi		29.94	1:01.13	0.58	1:01.13 (6)
		Sun Ye		31.23	1:06.85	0.12	2:07.98 (3)
		Zhou Yafei		26.32	56.94	0.29	3:04.92 (1)
		Pang Jiaying		25.86	54.29	0.24	3:59.21 (2)
3	3	Japan	JPN		3:59.91			Q
		Hanae Ito		29.50	1:00.34	0.62	1:00.34 (2)
		Asami Kitagawa		31.23	1:07.33	0.35	2:07.67 (2)
		Yuka Kato		26.43	57.69	0.36	3:05.36 (3)
		Haruka Ueda		26.32	54.55	0.37	3:59.91 (3)
4	8	Germany	GER		4:02.53
		Antje Buschschulte		29.44	1:00.51	0.61	1:00.51 (3)
		Sarah Poewe		31.89	1:08.95	0.38	2:09.46 (4)
		Daniela Samulski		27.32	59.78	0.30	3:09.24 (6)
		Britta Steffen		25.44	53.29	0.21	4:02.53 (4)
5	2	Brazil	BRA		4:02.61
		Fabíola Molina		29.67	1:00.71	0.61	1:00.71 (4)
		Tatiane Sakemi		33.17	1:10.42	0.43	2:11.13 (6)
		Gabriella Silva		25.91	56.97	-0.02	3:08.10 (4)
		Tatiana Lemos		26.11	54.51	0.11	4:02.61 (5)
6	1	France	FRA		4:02.95
		Alexianne Castel		30.06	1:01.28	0.74	1:01.28 (7)
		Sophie de Ronchi		31.56	1:08.75	0.16	2:10.03 (5)
		Aurore Mongel		27.34	58.64	0.35	3:08.67 (5)
		Alena Popchanka		26.32	54.28	0.44	4:02.95 (6)
7	6	Netherlands	NED		4:04.74
		Femke Heemskerk		30.66	1:02.97	0.70	1:02.97 (8)
		Jolijn van Valkengoed		32.47	1:10.85	0.44	2:13.82 (8)
		Inge Dekker		26.08	57.41	-0.01	3:11.23 (7)
		Ranomi Kromowidjojo		25.66	53.51	0.28	4:04.74 (7)
8	7	Spain	ESP		4:06.40
		Nina Zhivanevskaya		29.80	1:00.77	0.65	1:00.77 (5)
		Mireia Belmonte		33.19	1:10.46	0.15	2:11.23 (7)
		Ángela San Juan		27.94	1:00.08	0.22	3:11.31 (8)
		María Fuster		26.33	55.09	-0.03	4:06.40 (8)

Heat Two (20:39)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	Time	Reaction	Exchange (Pos)
1	4	Australia	AUS		3:57.94			Q
		Emily Seebohm		29.15	59.95	0.60	59.95 (1)
		Tarnee White		30.36	1:06.81	0.12	2:06.76 (1)
		Felicity Galvez		26.45	56.82	0.31	3:03.58 (1)
		Shayne Reese		25.87	54.36	0.45	3:57.94 (1)
2	5	Great Britain	GBR		3:59.14			Q
		Gemma Spofforth		29.63	1:00.33	0.63	1:00.33 (2)
		Kate Haywood		31.15	1:08.00	0.37	2:08.33 (4)
		Jemma Lowe		26.29	57.34	0.16	3:05.67 (2)
		Fran Halsall		25.56	53.47	0.32	3:59.14 (2)
3	3	Russian Federation	RUS		3:59.66			Q
		Kseniya Moskvina		29.78	1:01.05	0.70	1:01.05 (4)
		Yuliya Yefimova		30.73	1:06.45	0.44	2:07.50 (2)
		Nataliya Sutyagina		26.93	58.31	0.21	3:05.81 (3)
		Anastasiya Aksenova		25.48	53.85	0.47	3:59.66 (3)
4	7	Sweden	SWE		4:02.12			Q
		Sarah Sjöström		30.32	1:02.48	0.72	1:02.48 (5)
		Joline Höstman		31.93	1:08.48	0.36	2:10.96 (7)
		Anna-Karin Kammerling		25.78	57.57	0.00	3:08.53 (5)
		Josefin Lillhage		25.55	53.59	0.32	4:02.12 (4)
5	2	Canada	CAN		4:02.13			Q
		Julia Wilkinson		29.91	1:00.90	0.76	1:00.90 (3)
		Annamay Pierse		31.69	1:07.22	0.44	2:08.12 (3)
		Audrey Lacroix		27.67	59.84	0.25	3:07.96 (4)
		Erica Morningstar		25.50	54.17	0.27	4:02.13 (5)
6	6	South Africa	RSA		4:04.20
		Melissa Corfe		30.57	1:02.62	0.58	1:02.62 (7)
		Suzaan van Biljon		31.70	1:07.90	0.25	2:10.52 (5)
		Mandy Loots		27.28	58.76	0.32	3:09.28 (7)
		Lize-Mari Retief		25.56	54.92	0.24	4:04.20 (6)
7	8	Italy	ITA		4:04.93
		Romina Armellini		30.91	1:02.49	0.63	1:02.49 (6)
		Roberta Panara		31.74	1:08.36	0.27	2:10.85 (6)
		Ilaria Bianchi		26.76	58.09	0.30	3:08.94 (6)
		Federica Pellegrini		26.88	55.99	0.24	4:04.93 (7)
8	1	Ukraine	UKR		4:08.62
		Iryna Amshennikova		30.16	1:03.63	0.64	1:03.63 (8)
		Yuliya Pidlisna		32.21	1:09.53	0.10	2:13.16 (8)
		Kateryna Zubkova		27.71	59.65	0.18	3:12.81 (8)
		Dar'ia Stepaniuk		26.40	55.81	0.25	4:08.62 (8)

Final (17 August 2008 — 10:47)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	Time	Reaction	Exchange (Pos)
1	4	Australia	AUS		3:52.69			WR
		Emily Seebohm		28.91	59.33	0.57	59.33 (4)
		Leisel Jones		30.38	1:04.58	0.19	2:03.91 (1)
		Jess Schipper		26.10	56.25	0.22	3:00.16 (1)
		Libby Trickett		25.19	52.53	0.24	3:52.69 (1)
2	3	United States	USA		3:53.30
		Natalie Coughlin		28.39	58.94	0.61	58.94 (1)
		Rebecca Soni		30.88	1:05.95	0.28	2:04.89 (2)
		Christine Magnuson		26.09	56.14	0.28	3:01.03 (2)
		Dara Torres		24.97	52.27	0.12	3:53.30 (2)
3	6	People's Republic of China	CHN		3:56.11
		Zhao Jing		29.12	59.56	0.54	59.56 (5)
		Sun Ye		31.02	1:06.75	0.00	2:06.31 (4)
		Zhou Yafei		26.29	57.40	0.20	3:03.71 (3)
		Pang Jiaying		25.04	52.40	0.12	3:56.11 (3)
4	5	Great Britain	GBR		3:57.50
		Gemma Spofforth		29.04	59.05	0.62	59.05 (2)
		Kate Haywood		31.21	1:07.51	0.26	2:06.56 (5)
		Jemma Lowe		26.10	58.13	0.23	3:04.69 (5)
		Fran Halsall		24.61	52.81	0.00	3:57.50 (4)
5	2	Russian Federation	RUS		3:57.84
		Anastasiya Zuyeva		29.05	59.16	0.77	59.16 (3)
		Yuliya Yefimova		30.30	1:06.46	0.24	2:05.62 (3)
		Nataliya Sutyagina		26.70	58.09	0.21	3:03.71 (3)
		Anastasiya Aksenova		25.37	54.13	0.28	3:57.84 (5)
6	7	Japan	JPN		3:59.54
		Reiko Nakamura		29.04	59.74	0.61	59.74 (6)
		Asami Kitagawa		31.20	1:07.04	0.23	2:06.78 (6)
		Yuka Kato		26.53	58.17	0.27	3:04.95 (6)
		Haruka Ueda		26.39	54.59	0.18	3:59.54 (6)
7	8	Canada	CAN		4:01.35
		Julia Wilkinson		30.24	1:01.35	0.68	1:01.35 (7)
		Annamay Pierse		31.49	1:06.91	0.19	2:08.26 (7)
		Audrey Lacroix		27.39	59.01	0.28	3:07.27 (7)
		Erica Morningstar		25.72	54.08	0.21	4:01.35 (7)
DQ	1	Sweden	SWE		–				1
		Sarah Sjöström		30.42	1:02.63	0.75	1:02.63 (8)
		Joline Höstman		31.80	1:08.11	0.36	2:10.74 (8)
		Anna-Karin Kammerling		25.81	58.51	-0.03	3:09.25 (8)
		Josefin Lillhage		–	–	-0.10	– (AC)