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| Event type

4 x 200 metres Freestyle Relay, Women

Date13 – 14 August 2008
StatusOlympic
LocationBeijing Guojia Youyong Zhongxin, Beijing Aolinpike Gongyuan, Beijing
Participants75 from 16 countries

Traditionally this event has been the domain of American victories. Since its’ introduction at the 1996 Olympic Games the USA had won all three editions and never by less than a clear second. Here the US were still favourites but the relative underperformance of some of their star names had given hope to the rest of the world. The heats saw a few surprises with world championship silver medalists Germany and potential medal winners Great Britain, who elected to rest some of their best swimmers, eliminated.

Although France led after the first leg of the final, it was the performance of double medley champion Steph Rice who was chasing her 3rd gold of the Games that proved decisive, and without a weak link in the chain the Australians pulled away from the field to victory. The winning team shattered the world record by nearly six seconds with the 2nd, 3rd and 4th place teams also ducking well below the record as well. After a disappointing Olympic campaign Katie Hoff finally found her best form with a blistering anchor leg but it still left the USA tantalizingly short of the Chinese team who won a surprising silver medal.

PosSwimmerNOCR1Final
1AustraliaAUS7:55.10 (3 h2)7:44.31 (1)Gold
Steph RiceBronte BarrattKylie PalmerLinda MacKenzieFelicity GalvezAngie BainbridgeMel SchlangerLara Davenport
2People's Republic of ChinaCHN7:53.77 (2 h1)7:45.93 (2)Silver
Yang YuZhu QianweiTan MiaoPang JiayingTang Jingzhi
3United StatesUSA7:52.43 (1 h2)7:46.33 (3)Bronze
Allison SchmittNatalie CoughlinCaroline BurckleKatie HoffChristine MarshallKim VandenbergJulia Smit
4ItalyITA7:53.38 (2 h2)7:49.76 (4)
Renata SpagnoloAlessia FilippiFlavia ZoccariFederica PellegriniAlice Carpanese
5FranceFRA7:50.37 (1 h1)7:50.66 (5)
Coralie BalmyOphélie EtienneAurore MongelCamille MuffatAlena PopchankaCéline Couderc
6HungaryHUN7:55.26 (4 h2)7:55.53 (6)
Ágnes MutinaEvelyn VerrasztóEszter DaraZsu Jakabos
7JapanJPN7:55.63 (5 h2)7:57.56 (7)
Haruka UedaMisaki YamaguchiMaki MitaEmi Takanabe
8SwedenSWE7:53.83 (3 h1)7:59.83 (8)
Josefin LillhageGabriella FagundezIda Marko-VargaPetra Granlund
9Great BritainGBR7:56.16 (6 h2)
Jo JacksonMelanie MarshallHannah MileyFran Halsall
10CanadaCAN7:56.26 (4 h1)
Stephanie HornerGeneviève SaumurErica MorningstarJulia Wilkinson
11NetherlandsNED7:56.60 (5 h1)
Femke HeemskerkRanomi KromowidjojoSaskia de JongeManon van Rooijen
12GermanyGER7:58.11 (6 h1)
Meike FreitagPetra DallmannDaniela SamulskiAnnika Lurz
13DenmarkDEN8:00.81 (7 h2)
Julie Hjorth-HansenMicha ØstergaardLouise JansenLotte Friis
14SpainESP8:00.90 (7 h1)
Melani CostaMaría FusterNoemí FelizArantxa Ramos
15PolandPOL8:07.40 (8 h1)
Paulina BarzyckaKatarzyna WilkKarolina SzczepaniakKasia Baranowska
DQNew ZealandNZL– (DQ h2)
Helen NorfolkLauren BoyleHayley PalmerTash Hind

Round One (13 August 2008)

Fastest eight teams advanced to final

Heat One (20:12)

PosLaneSwimmerNOC50 m100 m150 mTimeReactionExchange (Pos)
14FranceFRA7:50.37QOR
Alena Popchanka27.7457.861:28.311:58.270.741:58.27 (4)
Céline Couderc27.5857.471:28.201:58.920.363:57.19 (4)
Camille Muffat26.4656.271:26.571:57.32-0.035:54.51 (1)
Coralie Balmy27.2357.031:27.121:55.860.167:50.37 (1)
22People's Republic of ChinaCHN7:53.77Q
Yang Yu27.4957.401:27.861:57.490.721:57.49 (1)
Tan Miao27.9258.631:29.121:58.840.343:56.33 (1)
Tang Jingzhi27.0757.941:29.272:00.200.415:56.53 (3)
Zhu Qianwei27.5257.481:27.961:57.240.317:53.77 (2)
36SwedenSWE7:53.83Q
Gabriella Fagundez28.0158.281:28.501:58.430.841:58.43 (6)
Ida Marko-Varga27.4157.891:28.121:58.400.363:56.83 (3)
Petra Granlund27.8858.221:28.941:59.670.255:56.50 (2)
Josefin Lillhage27.4557.271:27.441:57.330.337:53.83 (3)
41CanadaCAN7:56.26
Stephanie Horner28.1457.451:27.361:58.000.771:58.00 (2)
Geneviève Saumur27.5658.261:28.911:59.230.203:57.23 (5)
Erica Morningstar26.9757.451:29.002:00.910.295:58.14 (5)
Julia Wilkinson27.6557.591:28.181:58.120.347:56.26 (4)
53NetherlandsNED7:56.60
Femke Heemskerk27.5157.391:27.201:58.290.891:58.29 (5)
Ranomi Kromowidjojo27.1257.611:28.021:58.290.213:56.58 (2)
Saskia de Jonge26.8057.451:28.722:00.710.185:57.29 (4)
Manon van Rooijen27.6357.341:28.121:59.310.497:56.60 (5)
65GermanyGER7:58.11
Meike Freitag27.6758.021:28.111:58.090.781:58.09 (3)
Petra Dallmann27.9958.561:29.741:59.550.353:57.64 (6)
Daniela Samulski27.1457.951:30.042:01.670.135:59.31 (6)
Annika Lurz27.3257.011:27.681:58.800.287:58.11 (6)
77SpainESP8:00.90
Melani Costa28.4759.051:30.212:00.920.852:00.92 (7)
María Fuster27.7658.201:29.232:00.000.284:00.92 (7)
Noemí Feliz27.4857.821:29.001:59.770.166:00.69 (7)
Arantxa Ramos28.7059.011:29.942:00.210.008:00.90 (7)
88PolandPOL8:07.40
Paulina Barzycka28.6259.181:29.942:00.990.892:00.99 (8)
Katarzyna Wilk27.7858.841:30.612:02.780.264:03.77 (8)
Karolina Szczepaniak28.5959.981:31.062:01.940.266:05.71 (8)
Kasia Baranowska28.0858.731:30.312:01.690.408:07.40 (8)

Heat Two (20:23)

PosLaneSwimmerNOC50 m100 m150 mTimeReactionExchange (Pos)
14United StatesUSA7:52.43Q
Caroline Burckle27.9557.561:27.801:57.860.771:57.86 (2)
Christine Marshall27.2257.061:27.491:58.580.383:56.44 (5)
Kim Vandenberg27.8058.131:28.421:58.310.255:54.75 (1)
Julia Smit27.4457.871:28.121:57.680.087:52.43 (1)
23ItalyITA7:53.38Q
Renata Spagnolo27.9157.981:28.311:58.910.731:58.91 (5)
Flavia Zoccari27.8557.981:28.551:58.880.353:57.79 (6)
Alice Carpanese27.3657.481:28.631:59.500.225:57.29 (5)
Federica Pellegrini26.8356.041:26.121:56.090.447:53.38 (2)
36AustraliaAUS7:55.10Q
Felicity Galvez27.5257.161:27.821:58.000.731:58.00 (3)
Angie Bainbridge26.9556.631:27.351:58.170.283:56.17 (3)
Mel Schlanger28.3258.821:29.502:00.990.305:57.16 (4)
Lara Davenport27.7957.851:27.851:57.940.287:55.10 (3)
47HungaryHUN7:55.26Q
Ágnes Mutina27.3957.051:27.871:59.420.661:59.42 (7)
Evelyn Verrasztó26.4855.781:26.401:56.920.343:56.34 (4)
Eszter Dara26.5756.721:28.222:00.450.375:56.79 (3)
Zsu Jakabos27.4357.241:28.121:58.470.157:55.26 (4)
52JapanJPN7:55.63Q
Haruka Ueda27.6757.591:27.871:58.090.851:58.09 (4)
Misaki Yamaguchi27.1357.241:27.701:57.930.013:56.02 (1)
Emi Takanabe28.1658.981:30.582:01.280.175:57.30 (6)
Maki Mita27.5557.671:28.041:58.330.097:55.63 (5)
65Great BritainGBR7:56.16
Jo Jackson27.7357.211:27.621:57.700.731:57.70 (1)
Melanie Marshall27.1857.291:28.011:58.440.333:56.14 (2)
Hannah Miley28.1458.651:29.551:59.950.305:56.09 (2)
Fran Halsall27.8257.691:28.772:00.070.447:56.16 (6)
71DenmarkDEN8:00.81
Julie Hjorth-Hansen28.1757.971:28.461:59.160.791:59.16 (6)
Micha Østergaard27.7958.631:30.272:01.670.184:00.83 (8)
Louise Jansen27.8858.511:29.602:00.310.236:01.14 (8)
Lotte Friis27.4757.911:29.121:59.670.268:00.81 (7)
DQ8New ZealandNZL1
Helen Norfolk27.8857.291:28.182:00.240.792:00.24 (8)
Lauren Boyle27.6757.491:27.861:58.010.263:58.25 (7)
Hayley Palmer27.5957.701:28.161:59.920.455:58.17 (7)
Tash Hind-0.04– (AC)

Final (14 August 2008 — 11:32)

PosLaneSwimmerNOC50 m100 m150 mTimeReactionExchange (Pos)
17AustraliaAUS7:44.31WR
Steph Rice27.4556.981:26.941:56.600.871:56.60 (2)
Bronte Barratt27.3756.891:26.651:56.580.423:53.18 (1)
Kylie Palmer26.5455.801:25.601:55.220.065:48.40 (1)
Linda MacKenzie27.0756.821:26.711:55.910.097:44.31 (1)
26People's Republic of ChinaCHN7:45.93
Yang Yu27.4557.011:27.351:56.790.731:56.79 (3)
Zhu Qianwei27.4957.381:27.661:56.640.293:53.43 (2)
Tan Miao27.5157.901:28.201:58.110.345:51.54 (2)
Pang Jiaying25.9955.281:24.961:54.390.167:45.93 (2)
35United StatesUSA7:46.33
Allison Schmitt27.2356.591:27.061:57.710.711:57.71 (4)
Natalie Coughlin27.3156.971:27.021:57.190.243:54.90 (4)
Caroline Burckle27.1756.671:26.771:56.700.205:51.60 (3)
Katie Hoff26.6155.611:25.041:54.730.247:46.33 (3)
43ItalyITA7:49.76
Renata Spagnolo27.8457.571:27.661:58.310.741:58.31 (6)
Alessia Filippi26.8656.351:26.461:56.680.223:54.99 (5)
Flavia Zoccari27.5357.451:28.241:59.800.325:54.79 (5)
Federica Pellegrini26.6155.581:25.611:54.970.527:49.76 (4)
54FranceFRA7:50.66
Coralie Balmy27.5556.891:27.011:56.570.831:56.57 (1)
Ophélie Etienne28.0358.051:28.121:57.950.413:54.52 (3)
Aurore Mongel28.2858.581:28.761:58.620.325:53.14 (4)
Camille Muffat27.1657.001:27.381:57.520.127:50.66 (5)
61HungaryHUN7:55.53
Ágnes Mutina28.4458.431:28.671:58.170.691:58.17 (5)
Evelyn Verrasztó26.8156.401:27.321:57.800.493:55.97 (6)
Eszter Dara26.6556.931:28.442:00.390.305:56.36 (7)
Zsu Jakabos27.1656.631:27.791:59.170.317:55.53 (6)
78JapanJPN7:57.56
Haruka Ueda27.7557.501:27.921:58.440.831:58.44 (7)
Misaki Yamaguchi27.2057.181:27.471:58.510.083:56.95 (7)
Maki Mita27.6657.881:28.541:58.780.055:55.73 (6)
Emi Takanabe28.0759.121:30.682:01.830.127:57.56 (7)
82SwedenSWE7:59.83
Josefin Lillhage28.4458.491:29.242:00.480.822:00.48 (8)
Gabriella Fagundez27.3157.721:28.762:00.090.424:00.57 (8)
Ida Marko-Varga26.9756.881:27.731:58.580.175:59.15 (8)
Petra Granlund27.6258.061:29.352:00.680.207:59.83 (8)