| | Event type

4 x 100 metres Freestyle Relay, Women

Date	30 July – 1 August 1952
Status	Olympic
Location	Helsingin Uimastadion, Helsinki
Participants	53 from 13 countries

Hungary had broken the Danish team’s long standing world record earlier in 1952 although this record would not be ratified until after the Olympics. The Hungarians lived up to their status as favourites by dominating their opponents. The three members who raced in the individual event actually improved their times for the relay and the Hungarians finished well clear and three seconds inside their own world record. The silver medal went to Holland which finished ahead of the USA.

Pos	Swimmer	NOC	R1	Final
1	Hungary	HUN	4:32.5 (1 h1)	4:24.4 (1)	Gold
	Ilona Novák • Judit Temes • Éva Novák • Katalin Szőke • Mária Littomeritzky • Éva Székely (DNS)
2	Netherlands	NED	4:30.6 (2 h2)	4:29.0 (2)	Silver
	Marie-Louise Linssen-Vaessen • Koosje van Voorn • Hannie Termeulen • Irma Heijting-Schuhmacher • Ria van der Horst (DNS) • Geertje Wielema (DNS)
3	United States	USA	4:28.1 (1 h2)	4:30.1 (3)	Bronze
	Jackie LaVine • Marilee Stepan • Jody Alderson • Evelyn Kawamoto • Judy Roberts (DNS) • Sharon Geary (DNS)
4	Denmark	DEN	4:36.4 (3 h1)	4:36.2 (4)
	Rita Larsen • Mette Ove Petersen • Greta Andersen • Ragnhild Hveger • Gerda Olsen (DNS)
5	Great Britain	GBR	4:36.0 (2 h1)	4:37.8 (5)
	Margaret Linton • Jean Botham • Angela Barnwell • Lillian Preece • Daphne Wilkinson (DNS) • Grace Wood (DNS)
6	Sweden	SWE	4:38.1 (3 h2)	4:39.0 (6)
	Marianne Lundquist • Anita Andersson • Maud Berglund • Ingegärd Fredin • Ulla-Britt Eklund (DNS) • Ingegerd Lindfeldt (DNS)
7	Unified Team of Germany	GER	4:42.7 (4 h1)	4:40.3 (7)
	Elisabeth Rechlin • Wera Schäferkordt • Kati Jansen • Gisela Jacob-Arendt • Ursula Happe (DNS) • Ruth Schleibinger (DNS)
8	France	FRA	4:42.0 (4 h2)	4:44.1 (8)
	Gaby Tanguy • Maryse Morandini • Ginette Jany • Josette Arène • Colette Thomas (DNS) • Odile Vouaux (DNS)
9	Italy	ITA	4:52.6 (5 h1)	–
	Maria Nardi • Fides Benini • Eva Belaise • Romana Calligaris • Carla Campregher (DNS)
10	Japan	JPN	4:54.0 (6 h1)	–
	Yasuko Oishi • Fumiko Sakaguchi • Misako Tamura • Sadako Yamashita • Shizue Miyabe (DNS)
=11	Belgium	BEL	4:54.8 (6 h2)	–
	Nicole Guilini • Huguette Peeters • Irène Possemiers • Sybille Verckist • Maria Nijssen (DNS)
=11	Canada	CAN	4:54.8 (5 h2)	–
	Irene Strong • Lenora Fisher • Gladys Priestley • Kay McNamee
13	Finland	FIN	4:56.0 (7 h2)	–
	Raili Riuttala • Ritva Koivula • Anneli Haaranen • Ritva Järvinen • Marita Hagelin (DNS) • Eva Korhonen (DNS)

Round One (30 July 1952 — 10:00)

Fastest eight advanced to the final.

Heat One

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	Time	Exchange (Pos)
1	5	Hungary	HUN		4:32.5		Q
		Mária Littomeritzky		–	1:09.1	1:09.1 (1)
		Éva Novák		–	1:06.2	2:15.3 (1)
		Ilona Novák		–	1:08.5	3:23.8 (1)
		Katalin Szőke		–	1:08.7	4:32.5 (1)
2	2	Great Britain	GBR		4:36.0		Q
		Margaret Linton		–	1:09.5	1:09.5 (2)
		Jean Botham		–	1:09.0	2:18.5 (2)
		Angela Barnwell		–	1:08.3	3:26.8 (2)
		Lillian Preece		–	1:09.2	4:36.0 (2)
3	4	Denmark	DEN		4:36.4		Q
		Rita Larsen		–	1:11.0	1:11.0 (3)
		Mette Ove Petersen		–	1:09.1	2:20.1 (3)
		Greta Andersen		–	1:10.1	3:30.2 (3)
		Ragnhild Hveger		–	1:06.2	4:36.4 (3)
4	3	Unified Team of Germany	GER		4:42.7		Q
		Wera Schäferkordt		–	1:12.1	1:12.1 (4)
		Kati Jansen		–	1:12.6	2:24.7 (4)
		Elisabeth Rechlin		–	1:08.8	3:33.5 (4)
		Gisela Jacob-Arendt		–	1:09.2	4:42.7 (4)
5	6	Italy	ITA		4:52.6
		Maria Nardi		–	1:14.0	1:14.0 (5)
		Fides Benini		–	1:11.2	2:25.2 (5)
		Eva Belaise		–	1:15.2	3:40.4 (5)
		Romana Calligaris		–	1:12.2	4:52.6 (5)
6	1	Japan	JPN		4:54.0
		Yasuko Oishi		–	1:14.1	1:14.1 (6)
		Fumiko Sakaguchi		–	1:13.8	2:27.9 (6)
		Misako Tamura		–	1:13.7	3:41.6 (6)
		Sadako Yamashita		–	1:12.4	4:54.0 (6)

Heat Two

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	Time	Exchange (Pos)
1	7	United States	USA		4:28.1		QOR
		Evelyn Kawamoto		–	1:08.3	1:08.3 (2)
		Jackie LaVine		–	1:06.7	2:15.0 (1)
		Marilee Stepan		–	1:07.0	3:22.0 (1)
		Jody Alderson		–	1:06.1	4:28.1 (1)
2	1	Netherlands	NED		4:30.6		Q
		Marie-Louise Linssen-Vaessen		–	1:07.5	1:07.5 (1)
		Koosje van Voorn		–	1:08.3	2:15.8 (2)
		Hannie Termeulen		–	1:07.2	3:23.0 (2)
		Irma Heijting-Schuhmacher		–	1:07.6	4:30.6 (2)
3	3	Sweden	SWE		4:38.1		Q
		Marianne Lundquist		–	1:10.3	1:10.3 (4)
		Anita Andersson		–	1:10.6	2:20.9 (4)
		Maud Berglund		–	1:09.7	3:30.6 (3)
		Ingegärd Fredin		–	1:07.5	4:38.1 (3)
4	5	France	FRA		4:42.0		Q
		Josette Arène		–	1:08.6	1:08.6 (3)
		Maryse Morandini		–	1:11.9	2:20.5 (3)
		Gaby Tanguy		–	1:11.2	3:31.7 (4)
		Ginette Jany		–	1:10.3	4:42.0 (4)
5	4	Canada	CAN		4:54.8
		Irene Strong		–	1:14.2	1:14.2 (7)
		Lenora Fisher		–	1:17.3	2:31.5 (7)
		Gladys Priestley		–	1:11.8	3:43.3 (6)
		Kay McNamee		–	1:11.5	4:54.8 (5)
6	6	Belgium	BEL		4:54.8
		Nicole Guilini		–	1:13.6	1:13.6 (=5)
		Huguette Peeters		–	1:15.2	2:28.8 (5)
		Irène Possemiers		–	1:12.8	3:41.6 (5)
		Sybille Verckist		–	1:13.2	4:54.8 (5)
7	2	Finland	FIN		4:56.0
		Raili Riuttala		–	1:13.6	1:13.6 (=5)
		Ritva Koivula		–	1:16.5	2:30.1 (6)
		Anneli Haaranen		–	1:15.1	3:45.2 (7)
		Ritva Järvinen		–	1:10.8	4:56.0 (7)

Final (1 August 1952 — 17:00)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	Time	Exchange (Pos)
1	–	Hungary	HUN		4:24.4		WR
		Ilona Novák		–	1:07.8	1:07.8 (1)
		Judit Temes		–	1:05.8	2:13.6 (1)
		Éva Novák		–	1:05.1	3:18.7 (1)
		Katalin Szőke		–	1:05.7	4:24.4 (1)
2	–	Netherlands	NED		4:29.0
		Marie-Louise Linssen-Vaessen		–	1:08.1	1:08.1 (2)
		Koosje van Voorn		–	1:07.8	2:15.9 (3)
		Hannie Termeulen		–	1:06.5	3:22.4 (3)
		Irma Heijting-Schuhmacher		–	1:06.6	4:29.0 (2)
3	–	United States	USA		4:30.1
		Jackie LaVine		–	1:08.1	1:08.1 (2)
		Marilee Stepan		–	1:07.7	2:15.8 (2)
		Jody Alderson		–	1:06.3	3:22.1 (2)
		Evelyn Kawamoto		–	1:08.0	4:30.1 (3)
4	–	Denmark	DEN		4:36.2
		Rita Larsen		–	1:10.1	1:10.1 (=5)
		Mette Ove Petersen		–	1:08.6	2:18.7 (4)
		Greta Andersen		–	1:10.5	3:29.2 (5)
		Ragnhild Hveger		–	1:07.0	4:36.2 (4)
5	–	Great Britain	GBR		4:37.8
		Margaret Linton		–	1:10.1	1:10.1 (=5)
		Jean Botham		–	1:09.7	2:19.8 (6)
		Angela Barnwell		–	1:07.8	3:27.6 (4)
		Lillian Preece		–	1:10.2	4:37.8 (5)
6	–	Sweden	SWE		4:39.0
		Marianne Lundquist		–	1:10.7	1:10.7 (7)
		Anita Andersson		–	1:10.2	2:20.9 (7)
		Maud Berglund		–	1:10.3	3:31.2 (6)
		Ingegärd Fredin		–	1:07.8	4:39.0 (6)
7	–	Unified Team of Germany	GER		4:40.3
		Elisabeth Rechlin		–	1:09.2	1:09.2 (4)
		Wera Schäferkordt		–	1:10.0	2:19.2 (5)
		Kati Jansen		–	1:12.4	3:31.6 (7)
		Gisela Jacob-Arendt		–	1:08.7	4:40.3 (7)
8	–	France	FRA		4:44.1
		Gaby Tanguy		–	1:11.2	1:11.2 (8)
		Maryse Morandini		–	1:12.5	2:23.7 (8)
		Ginette Jany		–	1:09.8	3:33.5 (8)
		Josette Arène		–	1:10.6	4:44.1 (8)