| Date | 2 September 1960 — 8:30 | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Stadio Olimpico del Nuoto, Roma | |
| Format | Fastest eight advanced to the final. | |
| Pos | Lane | Team | NOC | Time | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Australia |  AUS | 4:17.6 | |||
| 2 | 4 | United States |  USA | 4:18.9 | |||
| 3 | 2 | Hungary |  HUN | 4:22.2 | |||
| 4 | 3 | Unified Team of Germany |  GER | 4:24.2 | |||
| 5 | 3 | Great Britain |  GBR | 4:24.4 | |||
| 6 | 6 | Sweden |  SWE | 4:27.3 | |||
| 7 | 2 | Italy |  ITA | 4:31.8 | |||
| 8 | 6 | Soviet Union |  URS | 4:31.9 | |||
| 9 | 7 | France |  FRA | 4:35.2 | |||
| 10 | 7 | Japan |  JPN | 4:35.9 | |||
| 11 | 1 | Mexico |  MEX | 4:43.1 | |||
| 5 | Netherlands |  NED | – |
| Pos | Lane | Competitors | NOC | Time | Split | Exchange | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | United States | USA | 4:18.9 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| 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 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| 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 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| 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 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| 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) | – (–) |
| Pos | Lane | Competitors | NOC | Time | Split | Exchange | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Australia | AUS | 4:17.6 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| 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 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| 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 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| 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 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| 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) | – (–) | |||
| 5 | Netherlands | NED | – | – (–) | – (–) | |||
| Lead-off | – | Hennie van der Velde | – | – (–) | – (–) | |||
| 2nd Leg | – | Jopie Troost | – | – (–) | – (–) | |||
| 3rd Leg | – | Sieta Posthumus | – | – (–) | – (–) | |||
| Anchor | – | Cocki van Engelsdorp Gastelaars | – | – (–) | – (–) |
