| Date | 16 – 18 October 1964 |
|---|---|
| Status | Olympic |
| Location | Kokuritsu Yoyogi Kyogijo, Shibuya, Tokyo |
| Participants | 43 from 9 countries |
The United States was so strong that they held swim-offs to determine who would swim in the final. The Soviet team posted the fastest time heat one with the Americans leading heat two with their B team. The final started with Cathy Ferguson, 100 metre backstroke gold medalist, taking a small lead over Japan’s Satoko Tanaka. On the breaststroke leg, Soviet Svetlana Babanina put them into the lead by inches, but Sharon Stouder swam the third butterfly leg for the US and opened a 2½-bodylength lead. Kathy Ellis had no trouble maintaining it on the anchor as the USA won the gold medal in the world record time of 4:33.9. The Soviets could not maintain their position on the final two legs, as Ada Kok put the Netherlands into second on the third leg, and Erica Terpstra brought it home for them to win silver, the Soviet Union holding onto the bronze medal.
| Pos | Lane | Competitors | NOC | R1 | Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | United States |  USA | 4:41.6 (1 h2) | 4:33.9 (1) | Gold | ||
| Backstroke | – | Cathy Ferguson | – | – | ||||
| Breaststroke | – | Cynthia Goyette | – | – | ||||
| Butterfly | – | Sharon Stouder | – | – | ||||
| Freestyle | – | Kathy Ellis | – | – | ||||
| Backstroke | – | Nina Harmar | – | – | ||||
| Breaststroke | – | Judy Reeder | – | – | ||||
| Butterfly | – | Sue Pitt | – | – | ||||
| Freestyle | – | Pokey Watson | – | – | ||||
| 2 | – | Netherlands |  NED | 4:44.1 (3 h1) | 4:37.0 (2) | Silver | ||
| Backstroke | – | Corrie Winkel | – | – | ||||
| Breaststroke | – | Klenie Bimolt | – | – | ||||
| Butterfly | – | Ada Kok | – | – | ||||
| Freestyle | – | Erica Terpstra | – | – | ||||
| Butterfly | – | Adrie Lasterie | – | – | ||||
| 3 | – | Soviet Union |  URS | 4:39.1 (1 h1) | 4:39.2 (3) | Bronze | ||
| Backstroke | – | Tatyana Savelyeva | – | – | ||||
| Breaststroke | – | Svetlana Babanina | – | – | ||||
| Butterfly | – | Tatyana Devyatova | – | – | ||||
| Freestyle | – | Nataliya Ustinova | – | – | ||||
| Freestyle | – | Nataliya Bystrova | – | – | ||||
| 4 | – | Japan |  JPN | 4:40.6 (2 h1) | 4:42.0 (4) | |||
| Backstroke | – | Satoko Tanaka | – | – | ||||
| Breaststroke | – | Noriko Yamamoto | – | – | ||||
| Butterfly | – | Eiko Takahashi | – | – | ||||
| Freestyle | – | Michiko Kihara | – | – | ||||
| 5 | – | Great Britain |  GBR | 4:44.3 (3 h2) | 4:45.8 (5) | |||
| Backstroke | – | Jill Norfolk | – | – | ||||
| Breaststroke | – | Stella Mitchell | – | – | ||||
| Butterfly | – | Anne Cotterill | – | – | ||||
| Freestyle | – | Liz Long | – | – | ||||
| Backstroke | – | Linda Ludgrove | – | – | ||||
| 6 | – | Canada |  CAN | 4:46.6 (4 h2) | 4:49.9 (6) | |||
| Backstroke | – | Eileen Weir | – | – | ||||
| Breaststroke | – | Marion Lay | – | – | ||||
| Butterfly | – | Mary Beth Stewart | – | – | ||||
| Freestyle | – | Louise Kennedy | – | – | ||||
| DQ r2/2 | – | Unified Team of Germany |  GER | 4:43.2 (2 h2) | – ( | |||
| – | Ingrid Schmidt | – | – | |||||
| – | Bärbel Grimmer | – | – | |||||
| – | Heike Hustede | – | – | |||||
| – | Martina Grunert | – | – | |||||
| DQ r2/2 | – | Hungary |  HUN | 4:48.9 (5 h2) | – ( | |||
| – | Mária Balla | – | – | |||||
| – | Zsuzsa Kovács | – | – | |||||
| – | Márta Egerváry | – | – | |||||
| – | Csilla Madarász-Dobay | – | – | |||||
| 9 | 3 | Australia |  AUS | 4:52.3 (4 h1) | – | |||
| – | Nanette Duncan | – | – | |||||
| – | Marguerite Ruygrok | – | – | |||||
| – | Linda McGill | – | – | |||||
| – | Dawn Fraser | – | – |
| Date | 16 October 1964 — 13:15 |
|---|---|
| Format | Fastest 8 advanced to the final round. |
| Pos | Lane | Team | NOC | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Soviet Union | URS | 4:39.1 | ||
| 2 | 6 | Japan | JPN | 4:40.6 | ||
| 3 | 2 | United States | USA | 4:41.6 | ||
| 4 | 5 | Unified Team of Germany | GER | 4:43.2 | ||
| 5 | 5 | Netherlands | NED | 4:44.1 | ||
| 6 | 6 | Great Britain | GBR | 4:44.3 | ||
| 7 | 4 | Canada | CAN | 4:46.6 | ||
| 8 | 3 | Hungary | HUN | 4:48.9 | ||
| 9 | 3 | Australia | AUS | 4:52.3 |
| Pos | Lane | Competitors | NOC | Time | Split | Exchange | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Soviet Union | URS | 4:39.1 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Tatyana Savelyeva | – | 1:10.5 (2) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Svetlana Babanina | – | 1:15.2 (1) | 2:25.7 (1) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Tatyana Devyatova | – | 1:10.0 (2) | 3:35.7 (1) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Nataliya Bystrova | – | 1:03.4 (=3) | – (–) | |||
| 2 | 6 | Japan | JPN | 4:40.6 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Satoko Tanaka | – | 1:08.6 (1) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Noriko Yamamoto | – | 1:20.6 (3) | 2:29.2 (2) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Eiko Takahashi | – | 1:08.0 (1) | 3:37.2 (2) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Michiko Kihara | – | 1:03.4 (=3) | – (–) | |||
| 3 | 5 | Netherlands | NED | 4:44.1 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Corrie Winkel | – | 1:11.5 (3) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Klenie Bimolt | – | 1:18.1 (2) | 2:29.6 (3) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Adrie Lasterie | – | 1:12.4 (3) | 3:42.0 (3) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Erica Terpstra | – | 1:02.1 (2) | – (–) | |||
| 4 | 3 | Australia | AUS | 4:52.3 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Nanette Duncan | – | 1:13.0 (4) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Marguerite Ruygrok | – | 1:21.9 (4) | 2:34.9 (4) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Linda McGill | – | 1:16.1 (4) | 3:51.0 (4) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Dawn Fraser | – | 1:01.3 (1) | – (–) |
| Pos | Lane | Competitors | NOC | Time | Split | Exchange | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | United States | USA | 4:41.6 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Nina Harmar | – | 1:10.4 (2) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Judy Reeder | – | 1:22.3 (3) | 2:32.7 (1) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Sue Pitt | – | 1:07.0 (1) | 3:39.7 (1) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Pokey Watson | – | 1:01.9 (1) | – (–) | |||
| 2 | 5 | Unified Team of Germany | GER | 4:43.2 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Ingrid Schmidt | – | 1:11.2 (4) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Bärbel Grimmer | – | 1:19.2 (1) | 2:30.4 (2) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Heike Hustede | – | 1:09.6 (2) | 3:40.0 (2) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Martina Grunert | – | 1:03.2 (3) | – (–) | |||
| 3 | 6 | Great Britain | GBR | 4:44.3 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Linda Ludgrove | – | 1:10.6 (3) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Stella Mitchell | – | 1:20.0 (2) | 2:30.6 (3) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Anne Cotterill | – | 1:10.2 (4) | 3:40.8 (3) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Liz Long | – | 1:03.5 (4) | – (–) | |||
| 4 | 4 | Canada | CAN | 4:46.6 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Eileen Weir | – | 1:10.3 (1) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Marion Lay | – | 1:22.9 (4) | 2:33.2 (4) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Mary Beth Stewart | – | 1:09.7 (3) | 3:42.9 (4) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Louise Kennedy | – | 1:03.7 (5) | – (–) | |||
| 5 | 3 | Hungary | HUN | 4:48.9 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Mária Balla | – | 1:11.5 (5) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Zsuzsa Kovács | – | 1:23.0 (5) | 2:34.5 (5) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Márta Egerváry | – | 1:12.0 (5) | 3:46.5 (5) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Csilla Madarász-Dobay | – | 1:02.4 (2) | – (–) |
| Date | 18 October 1964 — 17:40 |
|---|
| Pos | Lane | Competitors | NOC | Time | Split | Exchange | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | United States | USA | 4:33.9 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Cathy Ferguson | – | 1:08.6 (1) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Cynthia Goyette | – | 1:18.3 (2) | 2:26.9 (1) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Sharon Stouder | – | 1:06.1 (2) | 3:33.0 (1) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Kathy Ellis | – | 1:00.9 (1) | – (–) | |||
| 2 | 2 | Netherlands | NED | 4:37.0 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Corrie Winkel | – | 1:12.2 (7) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Klenie Bimolt | – | 1:18.5 (3) | 2:30.7 (2) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Ada Kok | – | 1:05.0 (1) | 3:35.7 (=2) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Erica Terpstra | – | 1:01.3 (2) | – (–) | |||
| 3 | 4 | Soviet Union | URS | 4:39.2 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Tatyana Savelyeva | – | 1:11.1 (3) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Svetlana Babanina | – | 1:15.3 (1) | 2:26.4 (3) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Tatyana Devyatova | – | 1:09.3 (=3) | 3:35.7 (=2) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Nataliya Ustinova | – | 1:03.5 (6) | – (–) | |||
| 4 | 5 | Japan | JPN | 4:42.0 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Satoko Tanaka | – | 1:09.5 (2) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Noriko Yamamoto | – | 1:20.5 (6) | 2:30.0 (4) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Eiko Takahashi | – | 1:09.3 (=3) | 3:39.3 (4) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Michiko Kihara | – | 1:02.7 (5) | – (–) | |||
| 5 | 7 | Great Britain | GBR | 4:45.8 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Jill Norfolk | – | 1:12.1 (6) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Stella Mitchell | – | 1:19.8 (5) | 2:31.9 (5) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Anne Cotterill | – | 1:09.4 (6) | 3:41.3 (5) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Liz Long | – | 1:04.5 (7) | – (–) | |||
| 6 | 1 | Canada | CAN | 4:49.9 | – (–) | – (–) | ||
| Backstroke | – | Eileen Weir | – | 1:11.5 (5) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Marion Lay | – | 1:23.9 (8) | 2:35.4 (6) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Mary Beth Stewart | – | 1:09.3 (=3) | 3:44.7 (6) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Louise Kennedy | – | 1:05.2 (8) | – (–) | |||
| 6 | Unified Team of Germany | GER | – | – (–) | – (–) | |||
| Backstroke | – | Ingrid Schmidt | – | [1:11.2] ([4]) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Bärbel Grimmer | – | [1:19.0] ([4]) | [2:30.2] ([−]) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Heike Hustede | – | [1:10.8] ([7]) | [3:41.0] ([−]) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Martina Grunert | – | [1:01.5] ([4]) | – (–) | |||
| 8 | Hungary | HUN | – | – (–) | – (–) | |||
| Backstroke | – | Mária Balla | – | [1:12.3] ([8]) | – (–) | |||
| Breaststroke | – | Zsuzsa Kovács | – | [1:23.6] ([7]) | [2:35.9] ([−]) | |||
| Butterfly | – | Márta Egerváry | – | [1:11.4] ([8]) | [3:47.3] ([−]) | |||
| Freestyle | – | Csilla Madarász-Dobay | – | [1:01.4] ([3]) | – (–) |
