| | Event type

4 × 400 metres Relay, Women

Date	31 July – 1 August 1980
Status	Olympic
Location	Bolshaya arena, Tsentralny stadion imeni V.I. Lenina, Moskva
Participants	47 from 11 countries

The GDR team was favored, as they had won the gold medal in 1972 and 1976 and the European Championships in 1978. The Soviet Union pulled the same trick they had in the men’s 4×400, running Olga Syrovatskaya-Minyeyeva and Lyudmila Chernova in the heats, after which they developed mysterious injuries. They were replaced in the final by Irina Nazarova and Nina Zyuskova. The two teams were close until near the end of the third leg, when East German runner Christina Lathan stepped on the curb and stumbled, allowing the USSR to take a lead of almost 10 metres. The GDR anchor runner was 400 world record holder and gold medalist Marita Koch. Koch ran the fastest leg yet recorded (48.27), but could not fully close the margin on Nazarova, as the Soviets won by two metres.

Pos	Number	Competitors	NOC
1	–	Soviet Union	URS	Gold
		Tatyana Prorochenko • Tatyana Goyshchik • Nina Zyuskova • Irina Nazarova • Lyudmila Chernova • Olga Syrovatskaya-Mineyeva
2	–	East Germany	GDR	Silver
		Gabriele Löwe • Barbara Krug • Christina Lathan • Marita Koch • Dagmar Neubauer (DNS) • Ellen Strophal-Streidt (DNS)
3	–	Great Britain	GBR	Bronze
		Linsey MacDonald • Michelle Probert • Joslyn Hoyte-Smith • Donna Hartley • Verona Elder (DNS) • Janine MacGregor (DNS)
4	–	Romania	ROU
		Ibolya Korodi • Niculina Lazarciuc • Maria Samungi • Elena Tărîță • Nicoleta Lia (DNS) • Fița Lovin (DNS)
5	–	Hungary	HUN
		Irén Orosz-Árva • Judit Forgács • Éva Tóth • Ilona Pál • Ibolya Petrika
6	–	Poland	POL
		Grażyna Oliszewska • Elżbieta Katolik • Jolanta Januchta • Małgorzata Dunecka • Zofia Bielczyk (DNS) • Irena Szewińska (DNS)
7	–	Belgium	BEL
		Lea Alaerts • Regina Berg • Anne Michel • Rosine Wallez • Anne-Marie Van Nuffel (DNS) • Karin Verguts (DNS)
AC r2/2	–	Bulgaria	BUL
		Svobodka Damyanova • Rositsa Stamenova • Malena Andonova • Bonka Dimova • Ivanka Bonova (DNS) • Violeta Tzvetkova (DNS)
4 h1 r1/2	–	Jamaica	JAM
		Ruth Simpson • Jackie Pusey • Cathy Rattray • Merlene Ottey • Helen Blake (DNS) • Dorothy Scott (DNS)
5 h1 r1/2	–	Italy	ITA
		Rossana Lombardo • Agnese Possamai • Daniela Porcelli • Erica Rossi • Rita Bottiglieri (DNS) • Gabriella Dorio (DNS)
6 h2 r1/2	–	Nigeria	NGR
		Gloria Ayanlaja • Kehinde Vaughan • Asele Woy • Mary Akinyemi • Comfort Ighagbon (DNS) • Joan Elumelu (DNS)
DNS	–	Finland	FIN
		Barbro Lindström • Pirjo Häggman • Yvonne Hannus • Helinä Laihorinne

Round One

Date	31 July 1980 — 19:35
Format	Top 3 in each heat and next 2 fastest advanced to the final round.

Pos	Team	NOC	Time (automatic)
1	Soviet Union	URS	3:25.3	Q
=2	Bulgaria	BUL	3:28.7	Q
=2	East Germany	GDR	3:28.7	Q
4	Great Britain	GBR	3:29.0	Q
5	Poland	POL	3:29.7	Q
6	Hungary	HUN	3:29.7	Q
7	Romania	ROU	3:29.8	q
8	Belgium	BEL	3:30.7	q
9	Jamaica	JAM	3:31.5
10	Nigeria	NGR	3:36.0
11	Italy	ITA	3:46.2

Heat #1

Pos	Lane	Competitors	NOC	Time (Hand)
1	1	Soviet Union	URS	3:25.3	Q
Lead-Off	278	Olga Syrovatskaya-Mineyeva		–
2nd Leg	265	Tatyana Goyshchik		–
3rd Leg	264	Lyudmila Chernova		–
Anchor	282	Tatyana Prorochenko		–
2	3	Bulgaria	BUL	3:28.7	Q
Lead-Off	27	Svobodka Damyanova		–
2nd Leg	42	Rositsa Stamenova		–
3rd Leg	20	Malena Andonova		–
Anchor	29	Bonka Dimova		–
3	5	Great Britain	GBR	3:29.0	Q
Lead-Off	94	Linsey MacDonald		–
2nd Leg	98	Michelle Probert		–
3rd Leg	87	Joslyn Hoyte-Smith		–
Anchor	85	Donna Hartley		–		1
4	2	Jamaica	JAM	3:31.5
Lead-Off	184	Ruth Simpson		–
2nd Leg	182	Jackie Pusey		–
3rd Leg	181	Cathy Rattray		–
Anchor	180	Merlene Ottey		–
5	4	Italy	ITA	3:46.2
Lead-Off	168	Rossana Lombardo		–
2nd Leg	173	Agnese Possamai		–
3rd Leg	171	Daniela Porcelli		–
Anchor	174	Erica Rossi		–

Heat #2

Pos	Lane	Competitors	NOC	Time (Hand)
1	4	East Germany	GDR	3:28.7	Q
Lead-Off	126	Gabriele Löwe		–
2nd Leg	121	Barbara Krug		–
3rd Leg	123	Christina Lathan		–
Anchor	120	Marita Koch		–
2	1	Poland	POL	3:29.7	Q
Lead-Off	206	Grażyna Oliszewska		–
2nd Leg	201	Jolanta Januchta		–
3rd Leg	202	Elżbieta Katolik		–
Anchor	199	Małgorzata Dunecka		–
3	5	Hungary	HUN	3:29.7	Q
Lead-Off	156	Irén Orosz-Árva		–
2nd Leg	151	Judit Forgács		–
3rd Leg	160	Ibolya Petrika		–
Anchor	157	Ilona Pál		–
4	3	Romania	ROU	3:29.8	q
Lead-Off	213	Ibolya Korodi		–
2nd Leg	214	Niculina Lazarciuc		–
3rd Leg	222	Maria Samungi		–
Anchor	225	Elena Tărîță		–
5	6	Belgium	BEL	3:30.7	q
Lead-Off	11	Lea Alaerts		–
2nd Leg	12	Regina Berg		–
3rd Leg	13	Anne Michel		–
Anchor	17	Rosine Wallez		–
6	2	Nigeria	NGR	3:36.0
Lead-Off	303	Gloria Ayanlaja		–
2nd Leg	299	Kehinde Vaughan		–
3rd Leg	302	Asele Woy		–
Anchor	298	Mary Akinyemi		–

Final Round

Date	1 August 1980 — 18:20

Pos	Lane	Competitors	NOC	Time (hand / automatic)	Reaction Time	Split	Exchange
1	1	Soviet Union	URS	3:20.2 / 3:20.12	0.136	– (–)	– (–)
Lead-Off	282	Tatyana Prorochenko		–	–	50.2 (1)	– (–)
2nd Leg	265	Tatyana Goyshchik		–	–	51.5 (–)	1:41.7 (2)
3rd Leg	291	Nina Zyuskova		–	–	49.7 (–)	2:31.4 (1)
Anchor	280	Irina Nazarova		–	–	48.8 (–)	– (–)
2	7	East Germany	GDR	3:20.4 / 3:20.35	0.179	– (–)	– (–)
Lead-Off	126	Gabriele Löwe		–	–	50.6 (2)	– (–)
2nd Leg	121	Barbara Krug		–	–	50.5 (–)	1:41.1 (1)
3rd Leg	123	Christina Lathan		–	–	51.0 (–)	2:32.1 (2)
Anchor	120	Marita Koch		–	–	48.27 (–)	– (–)
3	6	Great Britain	GBR	3:27.5	–	– (–)	– (–)
Lead-Off	94	Linsey MacDonald		–	–	52.9 (–)	– (–)
2nd Leg	98	Michelle Probert		–	–	51.5 (–)	1:44.4 (–)
3rd Leg	87	Joslyn Hoyte-Smith		–	–	51.3 (–)	2:35.7 (–)
Anchor	85	Donna Hartley		–	–	51.8 (–)	– (–)	2
4	3	Romania	ROU	3:27.7	3:27.74	– (–)	– (–)
Lead-Off	213	Ibolya Korodi		–	–	– (–)	– (–)
2nd Leg	214	Niculina Lazarciuc		–	–	– (–)	– (–)
3rd Leg	222	Maria Samungi		–	–	– (–)	– (–)
Anchor	225	Elena Tărîță		–	–	– (–)	– (–)
5	8	Hungary	HUN	3:27.9	3:27.86	– (–)	– (–)
Lead-Off	156	Irén Orosz-Árva		–	–	– (–)	– (–)
2nd Leg	151	Judit Forgács		–	–	– (–)	– (–)
3rd Leg	162	Éva Tóth		–	–	– (–)	– (–)
Anchor	157	Ilona Pál		–	–	51.1 (–)	– (–)
6	2	Poland	POL	3:27.9	–	– (–)	– (–)
Lead-Off	206	Grażyna Oliszewska		–	–	– (–)	– (–)
2nd Leg	202	Elżbieta Katolik		–	–	– (–)	– (–)
3rd Leg	201	Jolanta Januchta		–	–	– (–)	– (–)
Anchor	199	Małgorzata Dunecka		–	–	51.4 (–)	– (–)
7	5	Belgium	BEL	3:31.6	–	– (–)	– (–)
Lead-Off	11	Lea Alaerts		–	–	– (–)	– (–)
2nd Leg	12	Regina Berg		–	–	– (–)	– (–)
3rd Leg	13	Anne Michel		–	–	– (–)	– (–)
Anchor	17	Rosine Wallez		–	–	– (–)	– (–)
DNF	4	Bulgaria	BUL	–	–	– (–)	– (–)
Lead-Off	27	Svobodka Damyanova		–	–	– (–)	– (–)
2nd Leg	42	Rositsa Stamenova		–	–	– (–)	– (–)
3rd Leg	20	Malena Andonova		–	–	– (–)	– (–)
Anchor	29	Bonka Dimova		–	–	– (–)	– (–)