| | Event type

4 × 100 metres Relay, Women

Date	27 July 1952
Status	Olympic
Location	Helsingin Olympiastadion, Helsinki
Participants	60 from 15 countries

Marjorie Jackson had won the 100/200 sprint double and led the favored Australian team, which had two other finalists from the 100, and the 80 metre hurdle champion, Shirley Strickland de la Hunty. In the heats, they ran 46.1 to break the world record.

In the final, Australia led by two metres on the final curve, run by Winsome Cripps. The exchange to Jackson was clean initially, but Cripps brought up a knee and knocked the baton from Jackson’s hand. To her credit, Jackson caught the baton on the bounce, and ran on, but the delay proved disastrous, and Australia could only finish fifth. Germany then had the lead at the start of the anchor leg, but Cathy Hardy (USA) gained two metres to edge out Marga Petersen of Germany, both teams running world records of 45.9 – although the automatic time had the US with 46.14 to 46.18 for Germany.

Barbara Jones ran the second leg for the United States, aged only 15 years, 123 days on the day of the final. Through 2024, she remains the youngest athlete, male or female, to have won an Olympic athletics gold medal.

Pos	Number	Competitors	NOC	R1	Final
1	–	United States	USA	46.5 (1 h2)	45.9 (1)	Gold	WR
		Mae Faggs • Barbara Jones • Janet Moreau • Cathy Hardy • Mary McNabb (DNS) • Connie Darnowski (DNS) • Dolores Dwyer (DNS) • Mabel Landry (DNS)
2	–	Unified Team of Germany	GER	46.3 (1 h3)	45.9 (2)	Silver
		Ursula Knab • Maria Sander • Helga Klein • Marga Petersen • Margot Ulzheimer (DNS) • Leni Hofknecht (DNS) • Irmgard Schmelzer (DNS) • Elfriede von Nitzsch (DNS)
3	–	Great Britain	GBR	46.6 (2 h2)	46.2 (3)	Bronze
		Sylvia Cheeseman • June Foulds • Jean Desforges • Heather Armitage • Patricia Devine (DNS) • Ann Johnson (DNS) • Pam Seaborne (DNS) • Quita Shivas (DNS)
4	–	Soviet Union	URS	46.7 (2 h3)	46.3 (4)
		Irina Turova • Yevgeniya Sechenova • Nadezhda Khnik'ina • Vera Kalashnikova • Valentina Lituyeva (DNS) • Aleksandra Chudina (DNS) • Flora Kazantseva (DNS) • Nina Tyurkina (DNS)
5	–	Australia	AUS	46.1 (1 h1)	46.6 (5)
		Shirley Strickland de la Hunty • Verna Johnston • Winsome Cripps • Marjorie Jackson
6	–	Netherlands	NED	47.1 (2 h1)	47.8 (6)
		Gré de Jongh • Puck Brouwer • Nel Büch • Willy Lust • Fanny Blankers-Koen (DNS)
3 h1 r1/2	–	Argentina	ARG	47.9 (3 h1)	–
		Lilián Heinz • Lilián Buglia • Gladys Erbetta • Ana María Fontán
3 h2 r1/2	–	Italy	ITA	47.4 (3 h2)	–
		Vittoria Cesarini • Milena Greppi • Giuseppina Leone • Liliana Tagliaferri • Vera Martelli (DNS) • Maria Musso (DNS)
3 h3 r1/2	–	Canada	CAN	47.3 (3 h3)	–
		Tiny O'Halloran • Luella Law • Rosella Thorne • Eleanor McKenzie • Shirley Eckel (DNS) • Dawn Josephs (DNS)
4 h1 r1/2	–	Poland	POL	48.1 (4 h1)	–
		Maria Arndt • Maria Ilwicka • Genowefa Minicka • Eulalia Szwajkowska • Elżbieta Bocian (DNS)
4 h2 r1/2	–	Sweden	SWE	47.8 (4 h2)	–
		Anna-Lisa Augustsson • Agneta Hannerz • Greta Magnusson • Nell Sjöström • Maij Andersson (DNS) • May Hjertberg (DNS)
4 h3 r1/2	–	France	FRA	47.6 (4 h3)	–
		Alberte de Campou • Denise Laborie • Marcelle Gabarrus • Yvette Monginou • Colette Elloy (DNS) • Pierrette Glotin (DNS) • Anne-Marie Lousteau (DNS) • Liliane Sprécher (DNS)
5 h1 r1/2	–	Saar	SAA	49.0 (5 h1)	–
		Inge Glashörster • Inge Eckel • Hilde Antes • Ursel Finger
5 h3 r1/2	–	Finland	FIN	50.2 (5 h3)	–
		Maire Österdahl • Leena Sipilä • Aino Autio • Ulla Pokki • Pirkko Länsivuori (DNS) • Seija Pöntinen (DNS)
AC h2 r1/2	–	Hungary	HUN	[48.5] (DQ h2)	–
		Ilona Tolnai-Rákhely • Ibolya Tilkovszky • Aranka Szabó-Bartha • Olga Gyarmati • Klára Soós (DNS)

Round One

Date	27 July 1952 — 15:00
Format	Top 2 in each heat advanced to the final round.

Pos	Team	NOC	Time (hand)	Time (automatic)
1	Australia	AUS	46.1	46.22	QWR
2	Unified Team of Germany	GER	46.3	46.42	Q
3	United States	USA	46.5	46.77	Q
4	Great Britain	GBR	46.6	46.84	Q
5	Soviet Union	URS	46.7	47.01	Q
6	Netherlands	NED	47.1	47.32	Q
7	Canada	CAN	47.3	47.47
8	Italy	ITA	47.4	47.68
9	France	FRA	47.6	47.79
10	Sweden	SWE	47.8	48.06
11	Argentina	ARG	47.9	48.11
12	Poland	POL	48.1	48.21
13	Saar	SAA	49.0	49.22
14	Finland	FIN	50.2	50.34
DQ	Hungary	HUN	[48.5]	–

Heat #1

Pos	Lane	Competitors	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	5	Australia	AUS	46.1	46.22	QWR
Lead-Off	31	Shirley Strickland de la Hunty		–	–
2nd Leg	33	Verna Johnston		–	–
3rd Leg	32	Winsome Cripps		–	–
Anchor	30	Marjorie Jackson		–	–
2	3	Netherlands	NED	47.1	47.32	Q
Lead-Off	134	Gré de Jongh		–	–
2nd Leg	131	Puck Brouwer		–	–
3rd Leg	133	Nel Büch		–	–
Anchor	135	Willy Lust		–	–
3	4	Argentina	ARG	47.9	48.11
Lead-Off	12	Lilián Heinz		–	–
2nd Leg	11	Lilián Buglia		–	–
3rd Leg	14	Gladys Erbetta		–	–
Anchor	13	Ana María Fontán		–	–
4	2	Poland	POL	48.1	48.21
Lead-Off	587	Maria Arndt		–	–
2nd Leg	591	Maria Ilwicka		–	–
3rd Leg	588	Genowefa Minicka		–	–
Anchor	589	Eulalia Szwajkowska		–	–
5	1	Saar	SAA	49.0	49.22
Lead-Off	–	Inge Glashörster		–	–
2nd Leg	–	Inge Eckel		–	–
3rd Leg	723	Hilde Antes		–	–
Anchor	724	Ursel Finger		–	–

Heat #2

Pos	Lane	Competitors	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	3	United States	USA	46.5	46.77	Q
Lead-Off	1043	Mae Faggs		–	–
2nd Leg	1049	Barbara Jones		–	–
3rd Leg	1044	Janet Moreau		–	–
Anchor	1045	Cathy Hardy		–	–
2	5	Great Britain	GBR	46.6	46.84	Q
Lead-Off	219	Sylvia Cheeseman		–	–
2nd Leg	217	June Foulds		–	–
3rd Leg	222	Jean Desforges		–	–
Anchor	216	Heather Armitage		–	–
3	1	Italy	ITA	47.4	47.68
Lead-Off	267	Vittoria Cesarini		–	–
2nd Leg	271	Milena Greppi		–	–
3rd Leg	268	Giuseppina Leone		–	–
Anchor	266	Liliana Tagliaferri		–	–
4	4	Sweden	SWE	47.8	48.06
Lead-Off	712	Anna-Lisa Augustsson		–	–
2nd Leg	713	Agneta Hannerz		–	–
3rd Leg	719	Greta Magnusson		–	–
Anchor	714	Nell Sjöström		–	–
DQ	2	Hungary	HUN	[48.5]	–
Lead-Off	962	Ilona Tolnai-Rákhely		–	–
2nd Leg	960	Ibolya Tilkovszky		–	–
3rd Leg	961	Aranka Szabó-Bartha		–	–
Anchor	963	Olga Gyarmati		–	–

Heat #3

Pos	Lane	Competitors	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	4	Unified Team of Germany	GER	46.3	46.42	Q
Lead-Off	758	Ursula Knab		–	–
2nd Leg	757	Maria Sander		–	–
3rd Leg	755	Helga Klein		–	–
Anchor	756	Marga Petersen		–	–
2	5	Soviet Union	URS	46.7	47.01	Q
Lead-Off	493	Irina Turova		–	–
2nd Leg	478	Yevgeniya Sechenova		–	–
3rd Leg	476	Nadezhda Khnik'ina		–	–
Anchor	475	Vera Kalashnikova		–	–
3	2	Canada	CAN	47.3	47.47
Lead-Off	364	Tiny O'Halloran		–	–
2nd Leg	361	Luella Law		–	–
3rd Leg	363	Rosella Thorne		–	–
Anchor	362	Eleanor McKenzie		–	–
4	1	France	FRA	47.6	47.79
Lead-Off	639	Alberte de Campou		–	–
2nd Leg	641	Denise Laborie		–	–
3rd Leg	642	Marcelle Gabarrus		–	–
Anchor	640	Yvette Monginou		–	–
5	3	Finland	FIN	50.2	50.34
Lead-Off	829	Maire Österdahl		–	–
2nd Leg	828	Leena Sipilä		–	–
3rd Leg	833	Aino Autio		–	–
Anchor	827	Ulla Pokki		–	–

Final Round

Date	27 July 1952 — 17:00

Pos	Lane	Competitors	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	3	United States	USA	45.9	46.14	WR
Lead-Off	1043	Mae Faggs		–	–
2nd Leg	1049	Barbara Jones		–	–
3rd Leg	1044	Janet Moreau		–	–
Anchor	1045	Cathy Hardy		–	–
2	4	Unified Team of Germany	GER	45.9	46.18	=WR
Lead-Off	758	Ursula Knab		–	–
2nd Leg	757	Maria Sander		–	–
3rd Leg	755	Helga Klein		–	–
Anchor	756	Marga Petersen		–	–
3	5	Great Britain	GBR	46.2	46.41
Lead-Off	219	Sylvia Cheeseman		–	–
2nd Leg	217	June Foulds		–	–
3rd Leg	222	Jean Desforges		–	–
Anchor	216	Heather Armitage		–	–
4	2	Soviet Union	URS	46.3	46.42
Lead-Off	493	Irina Turova		–	–
2nd Leg	478	Yevgeniya Sechenova		–	–
3rd Leg	476	Nadezhda Khnik'ina		–	–
Anchor	475	Vera Kalashnikova		–	–
5	1	Australia	AUS	46.6	46.86
Lead-Off	31	Shirley Strickland de la Hunty		–	–
2nd Leg	33	Verna Johnston		–	–
3rd Leg	32	Winsome Cripps		–	–
Anchor	30	Marjorie Jackson		–	–
6	6	Netherlands	NED	47.8	47.16		1
Lead-Off	134	Gré de Jongh		–	–
2nd Leg	131	Puck Brouwer		–	–
3rd Leg	133	Nel Büch		–	–
Anchor	135	Willy Lust		–	–