| | Event type

4 × 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	Competitors	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 • Neri Niagkouara • Theodora Giareni • Kristel Vourna

Round One

Date	28 July 2012 — 12:11
Format	Fastest eight teams advanced to final

Pos	Lane	Team	NOC	Time
1	–	Australia	AUS	3:36.34	Q
2	–	United States	USA	3:36.53	Q
3	–	Netherlands	NED	3:37.76	Q
4	–	People's Republic of China	CHN	3:37.91	Q
5	–	Japan	JPN	3:38.06	Q
6	–	Denmark	DEN	3:38.09	Q
=7	–	Great Britain	GBR	3:38.21	Q
=7	–	Sweden	SWE	3:38.21	Q
9	–	Germany	GER	3:39.16
10	–	Russian Federation	RUS	3:39.59
11	–	Canada	CAN	3:39.60
12	–	Italy	ITA	3:39.74
13	–	Belarus	BLR	3:40.67
14	–	New Zealand	NZL	3:42.55
15	–	Hungary	HUN	3:44.79
16	–	Greece	GRE	3:45.55

Heat #1

Time	12:11

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

Heat #2

Time	12:17

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

Final Round

Date	28 July 2012 — 20:43

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