| Date | 22 July 1976 |
|---|---|
| Status | Olympic |
| Location | Piscine olympique, Montréal, Québec |
| Participants | 68 from 14 countries |
The world record was the 1972 Olympic-winning mark of 3:48.16, set by the United States and anchored by Mark Spitz. However, in the Montréal heats, the USA B team broke that mark with 3:47.28, lending further proof to the Americans as heavy favorites for the final.
In the final, John Naber, winner of the 100 and 200 backstrokes in Montréal, put the US out to insurmountable lead on the opening backstroke leg. Every member of the gold-medal winning US team posted the fastest individual time for their leg, as they won in a world record 3:45.70. This marked the fifth consecutive win in this event for the US, which has only lost the medley relay at an Olympics twice: at Moskva 1980, when they boycotted the Olympics, and at Paris 2024, when they placed second to a strong Chinese team.
| Pos | Lane | Competitors | NOC | R1 | Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | United States |  USA | 3:47.28 (1 h2) | 3:42.22 (1) | Gold | ||
| Backstroke | 429 | John Naber | – | – | ||||
| Breaststroke | 422 | John Hencken | – | – | ||||
| Butterfly | 434 | Matt Vogel | – | – | ||||
| Freestyle | 427 | Jim Montgomery | – | – | ||||
| Backstroke | 431 | Peter Rocca | – | – | ||||
| Breaststroke | 436 | Chris Woo | – | – | ||||
| Butterfly | 407 | Joe Bottom | – | – | ||||
| Freestyle | 405 | Jack Babashoff | – | – | ||||
| 2 | – | Canada |  CAN | 3:50.61 (1 h1) | 3:45.94 (2) | Silver | ||
| Backstroke | 69 | Steve Pickell | – | – | ||||
| Breaststroke | 78 | Graham Smith | – | – | ||||
| Butterfly | 54 | Clay Evans | – | – | ||||
| Freestyle | 63 | Gary MacDonald | – | – | ||||
| Butterfly | 73 | Bruce Robertson | – | – | ||||
| 3 | – | West Germany |  FRG | 3:51.57 (2 h2) | 3:47.29 (3) | Bronze | ||
| Backstroke | 177 | Klaus Steinbach | – | – | ||||
| Breaststroke | 167 | Walter Kusch | – | – | ||||
| Butterfly | 166 | Michael Kraus | – | – | ||||
| Freestyle | 172 | Peter Nocke | – | – | ||||
| Breaststroke | 169 | Peter Lang | – | – | ||||
| Freestyle | 157 | Dirk Braunleder | – | – | ||||
| 156 | Reinhold Becker DNS | – | – | |||||
| 4 | – | Great Britain |  GBR | 3:52.35 (2 h1) | 3:49.56 (4) | |||
| Backstroke | 124 | Jim Carter | – | – | ||||
| Breaststroke | 143 | David Wilkie | – | – | ||||
| Butterfly | 135 | John Mills | – | – | ||||
| Freestyle | 121 | Brian Brinkley | – | – | ||||
| Backstroke | 120 | Gary Abraham | – | – | ||||
| Breaststroke | 128 | Duncan Goodhew | – | – | ||||
| Freestyle | 123 | Kevin Burns | – | – | ||||
| 5 | – | Soviet Union |  URS | 3:53.64 (3 h2) | 3:49.90 (5) | |||
| Backstroke | 393 | Igor Omelchenk'o | – | – | ||||
| Breaststroke | 377 | Arvydas Juozaitis | – | – | ||||
| Butterfly | 399 | Yevgeny Seredin | – | – | ||||
| Freestyle | 384 | Andrey Krylov | – | – | ||||
| Breaststroke | 394 | Nikolay Pankin | – | – | ||||
| Freestyle | 370 | Andrey Bogdanov | – | – | ||||
| 6 | – | Australia |  AUS | 3:53.98 (3 h1) | 3:51.54 (6) | |||
| Backstroke | 10 | Mark Kerry | – | – | ||||
| Breaststroke | 8 | Paul Jarvie | – | – | ||||
| Butterfly | 18 | Neil Rogers | – | – | ||||
| Freestyle | 3 | Peter Coughlan | – | – | ||||
| 7 | – | Italy |  ITA | 3:57.30 (5 h2) | 3:52.92 (7) | |||
| Backstroke | 247 | Enrico Bisso | – | – | ||||
| Breaststroke | 259 | Giorgio Lalle | – | – | ||||
| Butterfly | 246 | Paolo Barelli | – | – | ||||
| Freestyle | 258 | Marcello Guarducci | – | – | ||||
| 266 | Riccardo Urbani DNS | – | – | |||||
| 8 | – | Japan |  JPN | 3:56.18 (4 h2) | 3:54.74 (8) | |||
| Backstroke | 269 | Tadashi Honda | – | – | ||||
| Breaststroke | 273 | Nobutaka Taguchi | – | – | ||||
| Butterfly | 267 | Hideaki Hara | – | – | ||||
| Freestyle | 274 | Tsuyoshi Yanagidate | – | – | ||||
| 268 | Kozo Higuchi DNS | – | – | |||||
| 9 | 7 | Spain |  ESP | 3:58.22 (6 h2) | – | |||
| 101 | Santiago Esteva | – | – | |||||
| 97 | Pedro Balcells | – | – | |||||
| 105 | Mario Lloret | – | – | |||||
| 100 | Jorge Comas | – | – | |||||
| 10 | 2 | Puerto Rico |  PUR | 3:58.62 (4 h1) | – | |||
| 327 | Carlos Berrocal | – | – | |||||
| 333 | Carlos Nazario | – | – | |||||
| 330 | John Daly | – | – | |||||
| 328 | Fernando Canales | – | – | |||||
| 11 | 6 | Sweden |  SWE | 3:58.82 (5 h1) | – | |||
| 354 | Mikael Brandén | – | – | |||||
| 359 | Anders Norling | – | – | |||||
| 356 | Bengt Gingsjö | – | – | |||||
| 358 | Dan Larsson | – | – | |||||
| 352 | Pär Arvidsson DNS | – | – | |||||
| 12 | 7 | Mexico |  MEX | 4:02.69 (6 h1) | – | |||
| 279 | Ignacio Álvarez | – | – | |||||
| 290 | Gustavo Lozano | – | – | |||||
| 293 | José Luis Prado | – | – | |||||
| 285 | Guillermo García | – | – | |||||
| 13 | 1 | Venezuela |  VEN | 4:05.07 (7 h2) | – | |||
| 442 | Ramón Volcán | – | – | |||||
| 440 | Glen Sochasky | – | – | |||||
| 439 | Luis Goicoechea | – | – | |||||
| 437 | Andrés Arraez | – | – | |||||
| 14 | 8 | Portugal |  POR | 4:20.84 (8 h2) | – | |||
| 324 | Paulo Frischknecht | – | – | |||||
| 323 | Henrique Vicêncio | – | – | |||||
| 325 | José Gomes Pereira | – | – | |||||
| 322 | António Botelho de Melo | – | – | |||||
| – | Chinese Taipei |  TPE | – | – | ||||
| 335 | William Chao DNS | – | – | |||||
| 336 | Hsu Tung-Hsiung DNS | – | – | |||||
| 337 | Lee Tsan-Cheng DNS | – | – | |||||
| 338 | Wang Ching-Chun DNS | – | – |
| Date | 22 July 1976 — 11:30 |
|---|---|
| Format | Fastest 8 advanced to the final round. |
| Pos | Lane | Team | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | United States | USA | 3:47.28 | ||
| 2 | 4 | Canada | CAN | 3:50.61 | ||
| 3 | 5 | West Germany | FRG | 3:51.57 | ||
| 4 | 5 | Great Britain | GBR | 3:52.35 | ||
| 5 | 3 | Soviet Union | URS | 3:53.64 | ||
| 6 | 3 | Australia | AUS | 3:53.98 | ||
| 7 | 2 | Japan | JPN | 3:56.18 | ||
| 8 | 6 | Italy | ITA | 3:57.30 | ||
| 9 | 7 | Spain | ESP | 3:58.22 | ||
| 10 | 2 | Puerto Rico | PUR | 3:58.62 | ||
| 11 | 6 | Sweden | SWE | 3:58.82 | ||
| 12 | 7 | Mexico | MEX | 4:02.69 | ||
| 13 | 1 | Venezuela | VEN | 4:05.07 | ||
| 14 | 8 | Portugal | POR | 4:20.84 |
| Pos | Lane | Competitors | NOC | Time | Split | Exchange | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Canada | CAN | 3:50.61 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Steve Pickell | – | 58.25 (3) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Graham Smith | – | 1:04.45 (2) | 2:02.70 (1) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Bruce Robertson | – | 55.83 (1) | 2:58.53 (1) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Gary MacDonald | – | 52.08 (1) | – (–) | |||
| 2 | 5 | Great Britain | GBR | 3:52.35 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Gary Abraham | – | 1:00.24 (4) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Duncan Goodhew | – | 1:03.79 (1) | 2:04.03 (2) | |||
| Butterfly | – | John Mills | – | 55.85 (2) | 2:59.88 (2) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Kevin Burns | – | 52.47 (2) | – (–) | |||
| 3 | 3 | Australia | AUS | 3:53.98 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Mark Kerry | – | 58.20 (1) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Paul Jarvie | – | 1:06.27 (3) | 2:04.47 (3) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Neil Rogers | – | 56.31 (3) | 3:00.78 (3) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Peter Coughlan | – | 53.20 (4) | – (–) | |||
| 4 | 2 | Puerto Rico | PUR | 3:58.62 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Carlos Berrocal | – | 58.22 (2) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Carlos Nazario | – | 1:08.52 (5) | 2:06.74 (4) | |||
| Butterfly | – | John Daly | – | 57.31 (4) | 3:04.05 (4) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Fernando Canales | – | 54.57 (5) | – (–) | |||
| 5 | 6 | Sweden | SWE | 3:58.82 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Mikael Brandén | – | 1:00.82 (6) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Anders Norling | – | 1:06.61 (4) | 2:07.43 (5) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Bengt Gingsjö | – | 58.76 (6) | 3:06.19 (5) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Dan Larsson | – | 52.63 (3) | – (–) | |||
| 6 | 7 | Mexico | MEX | 4:02.69 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Ignacio Álvarez | – | 1:00.69 (5) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Gustavo Lozano | – | 1:08.72 (6) | 2:09.41 (6) | |||
| Butterfly | – | José Luis Prado | – | 58.67 (5) | 3:08.08 (6) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Guillermo García | – | 54.61 (6) | – (–) |
| Pos | Lane | Competitors | NOC | Time | Split | Exchange | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | United States | USA | 3:47.28 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Peter Rocca | – | 57.94 (1) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Chris Woo | – | 1:04.46 (1) | 2:02.40 (1) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Joe Bottom | – | 54.27 (1) | 2:56.67 (1) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Jack Babashoff | – | 50.61 (1) | – (–) | |||
| 2 | 5 | West Germany | FRG | 3:51.57 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Klaus Steinbach | – | 58.55 (2) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Peter Lang | – | 1:04.82 (3) | 2:03.37 (2) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Michael Kraus | – | 55.73 (2) | 2:59.10 (2) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Dirk Braunleder | – | 52.47 (3) | – (–) | |||
| 3 | 3 | Soviet Union | URS | 3:53.64 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Igor Omelchenk'o | – | 58.89 (3) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Nikolay Pankin | – | 1:05.33 (4) | 2:04.22 (3) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Yevgeny Seredin | – | 56.66 (4) | 3:00.88 (3) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Andrey Bogdanov | – | 52.76 (4) | – (–) | |||
| 4 | 2 | Japan | JPN | 3:56.18 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Tadashi Honda | – | 1:01.07 (6) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Nobutaka Taguchi | – | 1:04.75 (2) | 2:05.82 (4) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Hideaki Hara | – | 56.53 (3) | 3:02.35 (4) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Tsuyoshi Yanagidate | – | 53.83 (6) | – (–) | |||
| 5 | 6 | Italy | ITA | 3:57.30 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Enrico Bisso | – | 1:01.39 (7) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Giorgio Lalle | – | 1:05.84 (5) | 2:07.23 (5) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Paolo Barelli | – | 58.30 (6) | 3:05.53 (6) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Marcello Guarducci | – | 51.77 (2) | – (–) | |||
| 6 | 7 | Spain | ESP | 3:58.22 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Santiago Esteva | – | 1:00.03 (4) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Pedro Balcells | – | 1:07.80 (6) | 2:07.83 (6) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Mario Lloret | – | 57.39 (5) | 3:05.22 (5) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Jorge Comas | – | 53.00 (5) | – (–) | |||
| 7 | 1 | Venezuela | VEN | 4:05.07 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Ramón Volcán | – | 1:01.03 (5) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Glen Sochasky | – | 1:09.67 (7) | 2:10.70 (7) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Luis Goicoechea | – | 58.50 (7) | 3:09.20 (7) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Andrés Arraez | – | 55.87 (8) | – (–) | |||
| 8 | 8 | Portugal | POR | 4:20.84 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Paulo Frischknecht | – | 1:06.80 (8) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Henrique Vicêncio | – | 1:15.07 (8) | 2:21.87 (8) | |||
| Butterfly | – | José Gomes Pereira | – | 1:03.87 (8) | 3:25.74 (8) | |||
| Freestyle | – | António Botelho de Melo | – | 55.10 (7) | – (–) |
| Date | 22 July 1976 — 20:00 |
|---|
| Pos | Lane | Competitors | NOC | Time | Split | Exchange | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | United States | USA | 3:42.22 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | John Naber | – | 55.89 (1) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | John Hencken | – | 1:02.50 (1) | 1:58.39 (1) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Matt Vogel | – | 54.26 (1) | 2:52.65 (1) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Jim Montgomery | – | 49.57 (1) | – (–) | |||
| 2 | 5 | Canada | CAN | 3:45.94 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Steve Pickell | – | 57.58 (2) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Graham Smith | – | 1:02.59 (2) | 2:00.17 (2) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Clay Evans | – | 54.43 (2) | 2:54.60 (2) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Gary MacDonald | – | 51.34 (4) | – (–) | |||
| 3 | 3 | West Germany | FRG | 3:47.29 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Klaus Steinbach | – | 57.82 (3) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Walter Kusch | – | 1:03.74 (4) | 2:01.56 (3) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Michael Kraus | – | 55.38 (3) | 2:56.94 (3) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Peter Nocke | – | 50.35 (3) | – (–) | |||
| 4 | 6 | Great Britain | GBR | 3:49.56 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Jim Carter | – | 59.60 (6) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | David Wilkie | – | 1:02.81 (3) | 2:02.41 (4) | |||
| Butterfly | – | John Mills | – | 55.70 (=5) | 2:58.11 (4) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Brian Brinkley | – | 51.45 (5) | – (–) | |||
| 5 | 2 | Soviet Union | URS | 3:49.90 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Igor Omelchenk'o | – | 59.10 (5) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Arvydas Juozaitis | – | 1:04.41 (7) | 2:03.51 (5) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Yevgeny Seredin | – | 56.19 (7) | 2:59.70 (6) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Andrey Krylov | – | 50.20 (2) | – (–) | |||
| 6 | 7 | Australia | AUS | 3:51.54 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Mark Kerry | – | 57.94 (4) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Paul Jarvie | – | 1:05.70 (8) | 2:03.64 (6) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Neil Rogers | – | 55.50 (4) | 2:59.14 (5) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Peter Coughlan | – | 52.40 (7) | – (–) | |||
| 7 | 8 | Italy | ITA | 3:52.92 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Enrico Bisso | – | 1:00.25 (7) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Giorgio Lalle | – | 1:04.33 (6) | 2:04.58 (7) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Paolo Barelli | – | 1:06.38 (8) | 3:10.96 (8) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Marcello Guarducci | – | 51.96 (6) | – (–) | |||
| 8 | 1 | Japan | JPN | 3:54.74 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Tadashi Honda | – | 1:01.28 (8) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Nobutaka Taguchi | – | 1:04.15 (5) | 2:05.43 (8) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Hideaki Hara | – | 55.70 (=5) | 3:10.13 (7) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Tsuyoshi Yanagidate | – | 53.61 (8) | – (–) |
