| | Event type

4 × 100 metres Freestyle Relay, Women

Date	2 – 3 September 1960
Status	Olympic
Location	Stadio Olimpico del Nuoto, Roma
Participants	55 from 12 countries

Australia had won this event in 1956 and in August 1960, an Australian team bettered the world record with 4:16.2. It was expected that they would contest the gold medal with the United States. Australia was led off by Dawn Fraser, the greatest women’s sprinter ever, and she put them into the lead. The third leg came down to Lorraine Crapp for Australia against 14-year-old Carolyn Wood of the USA, who had failed to finish the 100 butterfly final when she gulped too much water on the final lap. Crapp had her own problems in Rome, as she had secretly married Bill Thurlow, an Australian team doctor, the night before the team left for Rome. This was not allowed and when it was discovered it was scandalous to the Australians, and Crapp was closely watched during the Rome Games. For whatever reason, Crapp swam poorly in the relay, Wood outdistancing her by 2.7 seconds and handing the lead to American anchor Chris von Saltza, who had no difficulty maintaining it to win in world record time of 4:08.9, almost seven seconds better than the previous mark.

Pos	Competitors	NOC	R1	Final
1	United States	USA	4:18.9 (1 h1)	4:08.9 (1)	Gold
	Joan Spillane		–	–
	Shirley Stobs		–	–
	Carolyn Wood		–	–
	Chris von Saltza		–	–
	Donna de Varona		–	–
	Susan Doerr		–	–
	Sylvia Ruuska		–	–
	Molly Botkin		–	–
2	Australia	AUS	4:17.6 (1 h2)	4:11.3 (2)	Silver
	Dawn Fraser		–	–
	Ilsa Konrads		–	–
	Lorraine Crapp		–	–
	Alva Colquhoun		–	–
	Sandra Morgan		–	–
	Ruth Everuss		–	–
3	Unified Team of Germany	GER	4:24.2 (3 h2)	4:19.7 (3)	Bronze
	Christel Steffin		–	–
	Heidi Pechstein		–	–
	Gisela Weiß		–	–
	Ursel Brunner		–	–
4	Hungary	HUN	4:22.2 (2 h2)	4:21.2 (4)
	Anna Temesvári		–	–
	Mária Frank		–	–
	Katalin Boros		–	–
	Csilla Madarász		–	–
5	Great Britain	GBR	4:24.4 (2 h1)	4:24.6 (5)
	Natalie Steward		–	–
	Beryl Noakes		–	–
	Judy Samuel		–	–
	Christine Harris		–	–
6	Sweden	SWE	4:27.3 (3 h1)	4:25.1 (6)
	Inger Thorngren		–	–
	Karin Larsson		–	–
	Kristina Larsson		–	–
	Bibbi Segerström		–	–
7	Italy	ITA	4:31.8 (4 h1)	4:26.8 (7)
	Paola Saini		–	–
	Anna Maria Cecchi		–	–
	Rosanna Contardo		–	–
	Maria Cristina Pacifici		–	–
	Daniela Beneck		–	–
8	Soviet Union	URS	4:31.9 (4 h2)	4:29.0 (8)
	Irina Lyakhovskaya		–	–
	Ulvi Voog		–	–
	Galina Sosnova		–	–
	Marina Shamal		–	–
9	France	FRA	4:35.2 (5 h2)	–
	Héda Frost		–	–
	Annie Caron		–	–
	Colette Libourel		–	–
	Marie-Laure Gaillot		–	–
10	Japan	JPN	4:35.9 (5 h1)	–
	Yoshiko Sato		–	–
	Eiko Wada		–	–
	Kimiko Ezaka		–	–
	Hitomi Jinno		–	–
11	Mexico	MEX	4:43.1 (6 h1)	–
	Eulalia Martínez		–	–
	Silvia Belmar		–	–
	Blanca Barrón		–	–
	María Luisa Souza		–	–
DQ	Netherlands	NED	– (DQ h2)	–
	Hennie van der Velde		–	–
	Jopie Troost		–	–
	Sieta Posthumus		–	–
	Cocki van Engelsdorp Gastelaars		–	–

Round One

Date	2 September 1960 — 8:30
Format	Fastest 8 advanced to the final round.

Pos	Lane	Team	NOC	Time
1	4	Australia	AUS	4:17.6	Q
2	4	United States	USA	4:18.9	Q
3	2	Hungary	HUN	4:22.2	Q
4	3	Unified Team of Germany	GER	4:24.2	Q
5	3	Great Britain	GBR	4:24.4	Q
6	6	Sweden	SWE	4:27.3	Q
7	2	Italy	ITA	4:31.8	Q
8	6	Soviet Union	URS	4:31.9	Q
9	7	France	FRA	4:35.2
10	7	Japan	JPN	4:35.9
11	1	Mexico	MEX	4:43.1
DQ	5	Netherlands	NED	–

Heat #1

Pos	Lane	Competitors	NOC	Time	Split	Exchange
1	4	United States	USA	4:18.9	– (–)	– (–)	Q
Lead-off	–	Donna de Varona		–	1:06.5 (3)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Susan Doerr		–	1:04.3 (1)	2:10.8 (1)
3rd Leg	–	Sylvia Ruuska		–	1:05.2 (1)	3:16.0 (1)
Anchor	–	Molly Botkin		–	1:02.9 (1)	– (–)
2	3	Great Britain	GBR	4:24.4	– (–)	– (–)	Q
Lead-off	–	Beryl Noakes		–	1:06.9 (4)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Judy Samuel		–	1:07.5 (3)	2:14.4 (3)
3rd Leg	–	Christine Harris		–	1:05.7 (2)	3:20.1 (3)
Anchor	–	Natalie Steward		–	1:04.3 (2)	– (–)
3	6	Sweden	SWE	4:27.3	– (–)	– (–)	Q
Lead-off	–	Inger Thorngren		–	1:05.5 (1)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Karin Larsson		–	1:07.2 (2)	2:12.7 (2)
3rd Leg	–	Kristina Larsson		–	1:07.2 (3)	3:19.9 (2)
Anchor	–	Bibbi Segerström		–	1:07.4 (4)	– (–)
4	2	Italy	ITA	4:31.8	– (–)	– (–)	Q
Lead-off	–	Daniela Beneck		–	1:09.3 (6)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Rosanna Contardo		–	1:08.6 (4)	2:17.9 (5)
3rd Leg	–	Maria Cristina Pacifici		–	1:08.1 (4)	3:26.0 (5)
Anchor	–	Paola Saini		–	1:05.8 (3)	– (–)
5	7	Japan	JPN	4:35.9	– (–)	– (–)
Lead-off	–	Yoshiko Sato		–	1:05.9 (2)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Eiko Wada		–	1:09.4 (5)	2:15.3 (4)
3rd Leg	–	Kimiko Ezaka		–	1:09.1 (5)	3:24.4 (4)
Anchor	–	Hitomi Jinno		–	1:11.5 (6)	– (–)
6	1	Mexico	MEX	4:43.1	– (–)	– (–)
Lead-off	–	Eulalia Martínez		–	1:09.2 (5)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Silvia Belmar		–	1:11.7 (6)	2:20.9 (6)
3rd Leg	–	Blanca Barrón		–	1:13.2 (6)	3:34.1 (6)
Anchor	–	María Luisa Souza		–	1:09.0 (5)	– (–)

Heat #2

Pos	Lane	Competitors	NOC	Time	Split	Exchange
1	4	Australia	AUS	4:17.6	– (–)	– (–)	Q
Lead-off	–	Sandra Morgan		–	1:05.5 (1)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Alva Colquhoun		–	1:02.5 (1)	2:08.0 (1)
3rd Leg	–	Ruth Everuss		–	1:05.4 (1)	3:13.4 (1)
Anchor	–	Lorraine Crapp		–	1:04.2 (2)	– (–)
2	2	Hungary	HUN	4:22.2	– (–)	– (–)	Q
Lead-off	–	Anna Temesvári		–	1:07.2 (3)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Mária Frank		–	1:05.6 (=2)	2:12.8 (3)
3rd Leg	–	Katalin Boros		–	1:06.0 (2)	3:18.8 (=2)
Anchor	–	Csilla Madarász		–	1:03.4 (1)	– (–)
3	3	Unified Team of Germany	GER	4:24.2	– (–)	– (–)	Q
Lead-off	–	Christel Steffin		–	1:06.5 (2)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Heidi Pechstein		–	1:05.6 (=2)	2:12.1 (2)
3rd Leg	–	Gisela Weiß		–	1:06.7 (3)	3:18.8 (=2)
Anchor	–	Ursel Brunner		–	1:05.4 (3)	– (–)
4	6	Soviet Union	URS	4:31.9	– (–)	– (–)	Q
Lead-off	–	Irina Lyakhovskaya		–	1:09.0 (5)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Ulvi Voog		–	1:08.2 (4)	2:17.2 (4)
3rd Leg	–	Galina Sosnova		–	1:08.8 (4)	3:26.0 (4)
Anchor	–	Marina Shamal		–	1:05.9 (4)	– (–)
5	7	France	FRA	4:35.2	– (–)	– (–)
Lead-off	–	Héda Frost		–	1:07.3 (4)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Annie Caron		–	1:10.1 (5)	2:17.4 (5)
3rd Leg	–	Colette Libourel		–	1:09.8 (5)	3:27.2 (5)
Anchor	–	Marie-Laure Gaillot		–	1:08.0 (5)	– (–)
DQ	5	Netherlands	NED	–	– (–)	– (–)
Lead-off	–	Hennie van der Velde		–	– (–)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Jopie Troost		–	– (–)	– (–)
3rd Leg	–	Sieta Posthumus		–	– (–)	– (–)
Anchor	–	Cocki van Engelsdorp Gastelaars		–	– (–)	– (–)

Final Round

Date	3 September 1960 — 21:25

Pos	Lane	Competitors	NOC	Time	Split	Exchange
1	5	United States	USA	4:08.9	– (–)	– (–)	WR
Lead-off	–	Joan Spillane		–	1:02.5 (2)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Shirley Stobs		–	1:03.5 (2)	2:06.0 (2)
3rd Leg	–	Carolyn Wood		–	1:02.0 (1)	3:08.0 (1)
Anchor	–	Chris von Saltza		–	1:00.9 (1)	– (–)
2	4	Australia	AUS	4:11.3	– (–)	– (–)
Lead-off	–	Dawn Fraser		–	1:00.6 (1)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Ilsa Konrads		–	1:03.2 (1)	2:03.8 (1)
3rd Leg	–	Lorraine Crapp		–	1:04.7 (2)	3:08.5 (2)
Anchor	–	Alva Colquhoun		–	1:02.8 (2)	– (–)
3	6	Unified Team of Germany	GER	4:19.7	– (–)	– (–)
Lead-off	–	Christel Steffin		–	1:05.6 (6)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Heidi Pechstein		–	1:04.7 (3)	2:10.3 (3)
3rd Leg	–	Gisela Weiß		–	1:05.4 (3)	3:15.7 (3)
Anchor	–	Ursel Brunner		–	1:04.0 (4)	– (–)
4	3	Hungary	HUN	4:21.2	– (–)	– (–)
Lead-off	–	Anna Temesvári		–	1:07.1 (7)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Mária Frank		–	1:05.0 (4)	2:12.1 (6)
3rd Leg	–	Katalin Boros		–	1:05.9 (4)	3:18.0 (=4)
Anchor	–	Csilla Madarász		–	1:03.2 (3)	– (–)
5	2	Great Britain	GBR	4:24.6	– (–)	– (–)
Lead-off	–	Natalie Steward		–	1:05.3 (3)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Beryl Noakes		–	1:06.2 (6)	2:11.5 (4)
3rd Leg	–	Judy Samuel		–	1:06.5 (5)	3:18.0 (=4)
Anchor	–	Christine Harris		–	1:06.6 (7)	– (–)
6	7	Sweden	SWE	4:25.1	– (–)	– (–)
Lead-off	–	Inger Thorngren		–	1:05.5 (=4)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Karin Larsson		–	1:06.1 (5)	2:11.6 (5)
3rd Leg	–	Kristina Larsson		–	1:07.6 (6)	3:19.2 (6)
Anchor	–	Bibbi Segerström		–	1:05.9 (6)	– (–)
7	1	Italy	ITA	4:26.8	– (–)	– (–)
Lead-off	–	Paola Saini		–	1:05.5 (=4)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Anna Maria Cecchi		–	1:06.8 (7)	2:12.3 (7)
3rd Leg	–	Rosanna Contardo		–	1:07.8 (7)	3:20.1 (7)
Anchor	–	Maria Cristina Pacifici		–	1:06.7 (8)	– (–)
8	8	Soviet Union	URS	4:29.0	– (–)	– (–)
Lead-off	–	Irina Lyakhovskaya		–	1:08.4 (8)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Ulvi Voog		–	1:07.0 (8)	2:15.4 (8)
3rd Leg	–	Galina Sosnova		–	1:08.2 (8)	3:23.6 (8)
Anchor	–	Marina Shamal		–	1:05.4 (5)	– (–)