| | Event type

4 x 100 metres Freestyle Relay, Women

Date	28 July 2012
Status	Olympic
Location	London Aquatics Centre, Olympic Park, Stratford, London
Participants	72 from 16 countries

This event was considered wide open with the medals expected to be contested among Australia, the defending gold medalists, the Netherlands, and the United States. The USA led the final early, with opening legs by Missy Franklin (53.52) and Jessica Hardy (53.53). On the third leg Australian Brittany Elmslie put her team in the lead, and Melanie Schlanger extended the lead with a 52.65 final 100 to bring home the gold medal. The USA was not able to hold onto silver, as the Netherlands, which had been last after the first leg, came home strongly on the back of Ranomi Kromowidjojo, who had the fastest split of the event with a finishing 51.93 which brought the Dutch team a silver medal.

For the United States, Natalie Coughlin had swum in the prelims which earned her a bronze medal. It was the 12th Olympic medal of her vaunted career, tying the Olympic female record for swimmers held by Dara Torres and Jenny Thompson.

Pos	Swimmer	NOC	R1	Final
1	Australia	AUS	3:36.34 (1 h2)	3:33.15 (1)	Gold
	Alicia Coutts • Cate Campbell • Brittany Elmslie • Mel Schlanger • Emily Seebohm • Yolane Kukla • Libby Trickett
2	Netherlands	NED	3:37.76 (2 h2)	3:33.79 (2)	Silver
	Inge Dekker • Marleen Veldhuis • Femke Heemskerk • Ranomi Kromowidjojo • Hinkelien Schreuder
3	United States	USA	3:36.53 (1 h1)	3:34.24 (3)	Bronze
	Missy Franklin • Jessica Hardy • Lia Neal • Allison Schmitt • Amanda Weir • Natalie Coughlin
4	People's Republic of China	CHN	3:37.91 (2 h1)	3:36.75 (4)
	Tang Yi • Qiu Yuhan • Wang Haibing • Pang Jiaying • Wang Shijia
5	Great Britain	GBR	3:38.21 (=4 h1)	3:37.02 (5)
	Amy Smith • Fran Halsall • Jess Lloyd • Caitlin McClatchey • Becki Turner
6	Denmark	DEN	3:38.09 (3 h2)	3:37.45 (6)
	Pernille Blume • Mie Ø. Nielsen • Lotte Friis • Jeanette Ottesen Gray
7	Japan	JPN	3:38.06 (3 h1)	3:37.96 (7)
	Haruka Ueda • Yayoi Matsumoto • Miki Uchida • Hanae Ito
8	Sweden	SWE	3:38.21 (=4 h1)	– (DQ)
	Michelle Coleman • Sarah Sjöström • Ida Marko-Varga • Gabriella Fagundez
9	Germany	GER	3:39.16 (4 h2)	–
	Britta Steffen • Silke Lippok • Lisa Vitting • Daniela Schreiber
10	Russian Federation	RUS	3:39.59 (6 h1)	–
	Veronika Popova • Nataliya Lovtsova • Viktoriya Andreyeva • Margarita Nesterova
11	Canada	CAN	3:39.60 (5 h2)	–
	Victoria Poon • Julia Wilkinson • Samantha Cheverton • Heather MacLean
12	Italy	ITA	3:39.74 (6 h2)	–
	Alice Mizzau • Federica Pellegrini • Laura Letrari • Erika Ferraioli
13	Belarus	BLR	3:40.67 (7 h1)	–
	Aliaksandra Herasimenia • Sviatlana Khokhlava • Aksana Dziamidava • Yuliya Khitraya
14	New Zealand	NZL	3:42.55 (7 h2)	–
	Tash Hind • Penelope Marshall • Amaka Gessler • Hayley Palmer
15	Hungary	HUN	3:44.79 (8 h1)	–
	Ágnes Mutina • Evelyn Verrasztó • Éva Risztov • Eszter Dara
16	Greece	GRE	3:45.55 (8 h2)	–
	Nora Drakou • Nery Mantey Niagkkouara • Theodora Giareni • Kristel Vourna

Round One (28 July 2012 — 12:11)

Fastest eight teams advanced to final

Heat One (12:11)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	Time	Reaction	Exchange (Pos)
1	4	United States	USA		3:36.53			Q
		Lia Neal		26.32	54.15	0.75	54.15 (3)
		Amanda Weir		26.38	54.37	0.48	1:48.52 (3)
		Natalie Coughlin		25.63	53.93	0.00	2:42.45 (1)
		Allison Schmitt		25.84	54.08	0.29	3:36.53 (1)
2	5	People's Republic of China	CHN		3:37.91			Q
		Tang Yi		25.79	53.86	0.72	53.86 (2)
		Qiu Yuhan		25.87	54.85	0.06	1:48.71 (4)
		Wang Haibing		26.21	54.14	0.17	2:42.85 (2)
		Wang Shijia		26.41	55.06	0.24	3:37.91 (2)
3	6	Japan	JPN		3:38.06			Q
		Haruka Ueda		26.19	54.22	0.75	54.22 (4)
		Yayoi Matsumoto		26.17	54.23	0.13	1:48.45 (=1)
		Miki Uchida		25.98	54.47	0.22	2:42.92 (3)
		Hanae Ito		26.36	55.14	0.30	3:38.06 (3)
=4	3	Great Britain	GBR		3:38.21			Q
		Amy Smith		25.98	54.29	0.67	54.29 (5)
		Jess Lloyd		26.13	54.53	0.14	1:48.82 (6)
		Caitlin McClatchey		26.06	54.64	0.12	2:43.46 (5)
		Becki Turner		25.86	54.75	0.16	3:38.21 (=4)
=4	2	Sweden	SWE		3:38.21			Q
		Sarah Sjöström		26.50	54.31	0.70	54.31 (7)
		Michelle Coleman		25.74	54.14	0.23	1:48.45 (=1)
		Ida Marko-Varga		26.04	54.57	0.32	2:43.02 (4)
		Gabriella Fagundez		26.11	55.19	0.22	3:38.21 (=4)
6	7	Russian Federation	RUS		3:39.59
		Veronika Popova		26.51	54.30	0.73	54.30 (6)
		Nataliya Lovtsova		26.08	55.00	0.37	1:49.30 (7)
		Viktoriya Andreyeva		26.12	55.27	0.32	2:44.57 (6)
		Margarita Nesterova		25.99	55.02	0.25	3:39.59 (6)
7	8	Belarus	BLR		3:40.67
		Aliaksandra Herasimenia		26.28	53.85	0.75	53.85 (1)
		Sviatlana Khokhlava		25.80	54.96	0.08	1:48.81 (5)
		Aksana Dziamidava		26.70	55.94	0.12	2:44.75 (7)
		Yuliya Khitraya		26.56	55.92	0.45	3:40.67 (7)
8	1	Hungary	HUN		3:44.79
		Ágnes Mutina		27.08	56.05	0.67	56.05 (8)
		Evelyn Verrasztó		26.91	55.80	0.51	1:51.85 (8)
		Éva Risztov		27.57	57.81	0.37	2:49.66 (8)
		Eszter Dara		26.47	55.13	0.60	3:44.79 (8)

Heat Two (12:17)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	Time	Reaction	Exchange (Pos)
1	3	Australia	AUS		3:36.34			Q
		Emily Seebohm		26.19	54.24	0.68	54.24 (1)
		Brittany Elmslie		25.67	53.41	0.35	1:47.65 (1)
		Yolane Kukla		25.82	54.61	0.47	2:42.26 (1)
		Libby Trickett		25.49	54.08	0.19	3:36.34 (1)
2	4	Netherlands	NED		3:37.76			Q
		Marleen Veldhuis		25.92	54.73	0.71	54.73 (5)
		Inge Dekker		25.63	53.79	0.25	1:48.52 (2)
		Hinkelien Schreuder		26.33	55.62	0.39	2:44.14 (3)
		Femke Heemskerk		25.71	53.62	0.33	3:37.76 (2)
3	2	Denmark	DEN		3:38.09			Q
		Pernille Blume		26.44	54.44	0.70	54.44 (3)
		Mie Ø. Nielsen		25.90	54.49	0.16	1:48.93 (3)
		Lotte Friis		27.15	55.97	0.13	2:44.90 (5)
		Jeanette Ottesen Gray		25.36	53.19	0.29	3:38.09 (3)
4	5	Germany	GER		3:39.16
		Britta Steffen		26.66	54.43	0.70	54.43 (2)
		Silke Lippok		26.62	55.30	0.42	1:49.73 (6)
		Lisa Vitting		26.21	54.77	0.37	2:44.50 (4)
		Daniela Schreiber		26.45	54.66	0.38	3:39.16 (4)
5	6	Canada	CAN		3:39.60
		Victoria Poon		26.24	54.67	0.77	54.67 (4)
		Julia Wilkinson		26.21	54.38	0.25	1:49.05 (4)
		Samantha Cheverton		26.55	54.93	0.24	2:43.98 (2)
		Heather MacLean		26.69	55.62	0.24	3:39.60 (5)
6	7	Italy	ITA		3:39.74
		Alice Mizzau		26.72	55.17	0.70	55.17 (6)
		Federica Pellegrini		26.07	54.28	0.14	1:49.45 (5)
		Laura Letrari		26.49	55.74	0.29	2:45.19 (6)
		Erika Ferraioli		25.89	54.55	0.06	3:39.74 (6)
7	1	New Zealand	NZL		3:42.55
		Tash Hind		27.14	55.93	0.72	55.93 (8)
		Penelope Marshall		26.54	55.82	0.34	1:51.75 (8)
		Amaka Gessler		26.59	55.77	0.38	2:47.52 (7)
		Hayley Palmer		25.78	55.03	0.40	3:42.55 (7)
8	8	Greece	GRE		3:45.55
		Nora Drakou		26.25	55.42	0.62	55.42 (7)
		Nery Mantey Niagkkouara		26.24	55.52	0.38	1:50.94 (7)
		Theodora Giareni		27.78	57.26	0.37	2:48.20 (8)
		Kristel Vourna		27.27	57.35	0.56	3:45.55 (8)

Final (28 July 2012 — 20:43)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	Time	Reaction	Exchange (Pos)
1	4	Australia	AUS		3:33.15			OR
		Alicia Coutts		26.14	53.90	0.70	53.90 (3)
		Cate Campbell		25.00	53.19	0.32	1:47.09 (2)
		Brittany Elmslie		25.71	53.41	0.43	2:40.50 (1)
		Mel Schlanger		25.55	52.65	0.24	3:33.15 (1)
2	3	Netherlands	NED		3:33.79
		Inge Dekker		25.86	54.67	0.72	54.67 (8)
		Marleen Veldhuis		25.29	53.80	0.27	1:48.47 (5)
		Femke Heemskerk		25.46	53.39	0.36	2:41.86 (3)
		Ranomi Kromowidjojo		24.71	51.93	0.32	3:33.79 (2)
3	5	United States	USA		3:34.24
		Missy Franklin		26.05	53.52	0.78	53.52 (1)
		Jessica Hardy		25.19	53.53	0.27	1:47.05 (1)
		Lia Neal		25.81	53.65	0.35	2:40.70 (2)
		Allison Schmitt		25.53	53.54	0.41	3:34.24 (3)
4	6	People's Republic of China	CHN		3:36.75
		Tang Yi		25.99	53.58	0.71	53.58 (2)
		Qiu Yuhan		25.88	54.49	0.41	1:48.07 (4)
		Wang Haibing		25.98	54.03	0.17	2:42.10 (4)
		Pang Jiaying		26.26	54.65	0.23	3:36.75 (4)
5	8	Great Britain	GBR		3:37.02
		Amy Smith		26.13	54.27	0.68	54.27 (4)
		Fran Halsall		25.24	53.29	0.33	1:47.56 (3)
		Jess Lloyd		25.91	54.65	0.08	2:42.21 (5)
		Caitlin McClatchey		25.83	54.81	0.00	3:37.02 (5)
6	7	Denmark	DEN		3:37.45
		Pernille Blume		26.42	54.52	0.77	54.52 (6)
		Mie Ø. Nielsen		25.78	54.04	0.20	1:48.56 (7)
		Lotte Friis		26.93	55.65	0.04	2:44.21 (8)
		Jeanette Ottesen Gray		25.51	53.24	0.40	3:37.45 (6)
7	2	Japan	JPN		3:37.96
		Haruka Ueda		26.24	54.34	0.74	54.34 (5)
		Yayoi Matsumoto		26.11	54.52	0.18	1:48.86 (8)
		Miki Uchida		25.60	54.43	0.24	2:43.29 (6)
		Hanae Ito		26.25	54.67	0.14	3:37.96 (7)
DQ	1	Sweden	SWE		–
		Michelle Coleman		26.31	54.57	0.77	54.57 (7)
		Sarah Sjöström		25.88	53.91	0.31	1:48.48 (6)
		Ida Marko-Varga		26.23	55.01	0.31	2:43.49 (7)
		Gabriella Fagundez		–	–	-0.11	– (–)