| | Event type

4 × 100 metres Freestyle Relay, Women

Date	31 July 1984
Status	Olympic
Location	Olympic Swim Stadium, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
Participants	54 from 12 countries

With the East German women absent because of the Soviet-led boycott, the USA women became the overwhelming favorites in the freestyle relay. In the heats the US qualified first although it saved the co-gold medalists from the 100 freestyle, Nancy Hogshead and Carrie Steinseifer, for the final. They were joined by Dara Torres and Jenna Johnson. On the opening leg the Dutch team led, with Annemarie Verstappen touching in 55.94 to put them ahead. Steinseifer put the American ahead on the second leg, but it was still close and it would stay that way throughout. After three legs it was almost a dead heat, with the US 0.08 seconds ahead as Nancy Hogshead and Conny van Bentum took to the water. By the final turn van Bentum had closed the gap, but the effort cost her as Hogshead pulled away on the final lap to give the US the gold medal over the Netherlands, winning by almost a second. The American time of 3:43.43 was a US record, but missed the East German world and Olympic record of 3:42.71. Three weeks later the GDR women would better that mark with 3:42.41 at the Friendship Games in Moscow.

Pos	Number	Competitors	NOC	R1	Final
1	–	United States	USA	3:43.56 (1 h2)	3:43.43 (1)	Gold
	248	Jenna Johnson		–	–
	260	Carrie Steinseifer		–	–
	262	Dara Torres		–	–
	247	Nancy Hogshead		–	–
	261	Jill Sterkel		–	–
	264	Mary Wayte		–	–
2	–	Netherlands	NED	3:47.65 (2 h2)	3:44.40 (2)	Silver
	147	Annemarie Verstappen		–	–
	148	Elles Voskes		–	–
	141	Desi Reijers		–	–
	142	Conny van Bentum		–	–
	146	Wilma van Velsen		–	–
3	–	West Germany	FRG	3:46.49 (1 h1)	3:45.56 (3)	Bronze
	106	Iris Zscherpe		–	–
	103	Susanne Schuster		–	–
	100	Christiane Pielke		–	–
	104	Karin Seick		–	–
	91	Ina Beyermann DNS		–	–
4	–	Australia	AUS	3:49.61 (2 h1)	3:47.79 (4)
	17	Michelle Pearson		–	–
	19	Angela Russell		–	–
	14	Anna McVann		–	–
	8	Lisa Curry		–	–
	21	Janet Tibbits		–	–
5	–	Canada	CAN	3:50.40 (3 h2)	3:49.50 (5)
	59	Pam Rai		–	–
	49	Carol Klimpel		–	–
	53	Cheryl McArton		–	–
	48	Jane Kerr		–	–
	56	Maureen New		–	–
6	–	Great Britain	GBR	3:51.47 (4 h2)	3:50.12 (6)
	111	June Croft		–	–
	113	Nikki Fibbens		–	–
	115	Debra Gore		–	–
	110	Annabelle Cripps		–	–
7	–	Sweden	SWE	3:52.27 (3 h1)	3:51.24 (7)
	229	Maria Kardum		–	–
	223	Agneta Eriksson		–	–
	227	Petra Hildér		–	–
	225	Karin Furuhed		–	–
	236	Malin Rundgren		–	–
	231	Ann Linder DNS		–	–
	233	Suzanne Nilsson DNS		–	–
8	–	France	FRA	3:52.67 (4 h1)	3:52.15 (8)
	82	Carole Amoric		–	–
	87	Sophie Kamoun		–	–
	90	Véronique Jardin		–	–
	83	Laurence Bensimon		–	–
9	–	Italy	ITA	3:52.89 (5 h2)	–
	164	Monica Olmi		–	–
	165	Silvia Persi		–	–
	159	Grazia Colombo		–	–
	160	Manuela Dalla Valle		–	–
	163	Carla Lasi DNS		–	–
10	–	Japan	JPN	3:54.68 (6 h2)	–
	180	Junko Sakurai		–	–
	178	Chikako Nakamori		–	–
	179	Miki Saito		–	–
	184	Kaori Yanase		–	–
	181	Naomi Sekido DNS		–	–
11	–	Mexico	MEX	3:58.31 (5 h1)	–
	193	Patricia Kohlmann		–	–
	196	Teresa Rivera		–	–
	190	Rosa Fuentes		–	–
	192	Irma Huerta		–	–
12	–	Hong Kong	HKG	4:12.63 (6 h1)	–
	134	Kathy Wong		–	–
	133	Fenella Ng		–	–
	132	Lotta Flink		–	–
	131	Chow Lai Yee		–	–

Round One

Date	31 July 1984 — 10:35
Format	Fastest 8 advanced to the final round.

Pos	Lane	Team	NOC	Time
1	4	United States	USA	3:43.56	Q
2	4	West Germany	FRG	3:46.49	Q
3	5	Netherlands	NED	3:47.65	Q
4	6	Australia	AUS	3:49.61	Q
5	3	Canada	CAN	3:50.40	Q
6	6	Great Britain	GBR	3:51.47	Q
7	5	Sweden	SWE	3:52.27	Q
8	3	France	FRA	3:52.67	Q
9	7	Italy	ITA	3:52.89
10	2	Japan	JPN	3:54.68
11	2	Mexico	MEX	3:58.31
12	7	Hong Kong	HKG	4:12.63

Heat #1

Pos	Lane	Competitors	NOC	Time	Split	Exchange
1	4	West Germany	FRG	3:46.49	– (–)	– (–)	Q
Lead-off	–	Iris Zscherpe		–	57.04 (1)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Susanne Schuster		–	56.60 (1)	1:53.64 (1)
3rd Leg	–	Christiane Pielke		–	56.80 (1)	2:50.44 (1)
Anchor	–	Karin Seick		–	56.05 (1)	– (–)
2	6	Australia	AUS	3:49.61	– (–)	– (–)	Q
Lead-off	–	Lisa Curry		–	57.79 (2)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Angela Russell		–	57.11 (3)	1:54.90 (2)
3rd Leg	–	Janet Tibbits		–	58.16 (2)	2:53.06 (2)
Anchor	–	Michelle Pearson		–	56.55 (2)	– (–)
3	5	Sweden	SWE	3:52.27	– (–)	– (–)	Q
Lead-off	–	Maria Kardum		–	58.32 (3)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Agneta Eriksson		–	56.92 (2)	1:55.24 (3)
3rd Leg	–	Petra Hildér		–	58.18 (3)	2:53.42 (3)
Anchor	–	Malin Rundgren		–	58.85 (4)	– (–)
4	3	France	FRA	3:52.67	– (–)	– (–)	Q
Lead-off	–	Sophie Kamoun		–	58.40 (4)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Carole Amoric		–	57.74 (4)	1:56.14 (4)
3rd Leg	–	Laurence Bensimon		–	58.74 (4)	2:54.88 (4)
Anchor	–	Véronique Jardin		–	57.79 (3)	– (–)
5	2	Mexico	MEX	3:58.31	– (–)	– (–)
Lead-off	–	Patricia Kohlmann		–	58.58 (5)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Teresa Rivera		–	59.01 (5)	1:57.59 (5)
3rd Leg	–	Rosa Fuentes		–	1:00.80 (5)	2:58.39 (5)
Anchor	–	Irma Huerta		–	59.92 (5)	– (–)
6	7	Hong Kong	HKG	4:12.63	– (–)	– (–)
Lead-off	–	Kathy Wong		–	1:00.67 (6)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Fenella Ng		–	1:02.51 (6)	2:03.18 (6)
3rd Leg	–	Lotta Flink		–	1:03.61 (6)	3:06.79 (6)
Anchor	–	Chow Lai Yee		–	1:05.84 (6)	– (–)

Heat #2

Pos	Lane	Competitors	NOC	Time	Split	Exchange
1	4	United States	USA	3:43.56	– (–)	– (–)	Q
Lead-off	–	Dara Torres		–	56.88 (2)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Jill Sterkel		–	55.42 (1)	1:52.30 (1)
3rd Leg	–	Jenna Johnson		–	55.63 (1)	2:47.93 (1)
Anchor	–	Mary Wayte		–	55.63 (1)	– (–)
2	5	Netherlands	NED	3:47.65	– (–)	– (–)	Q
Lead-off	–	Annemarie Verstappen		–	56.30 (1)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Elles Voskes		–	56.98 (2)	1:53.28 (2)
3rd Leg	–	Desi Reijers		–	56.80 (2)	2:50.08 (2)
Anchor	–	Wilma van Velsen		–	57.57 (4)	– (–)
3	3	Canada	CAN	3:50.40	– (–)	– (–)	Q
Lead-off	–	Jane Kerr		–	57.82 (3)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Maureen New		–	57.66 (5)	1:55.48 (3)
3rd Leg	–	Cheryl McArton		–	57.48 (3)	2:52.96 (3)
Anchor	–	Carol Klimpel		–	57.44 (3)	– (–)
4	6	Great Britain	GBR	3:51.47	– (–)	– (–)	Q
Lead-off	–	Annabelle Cripps		–	58.67 (4)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Nikki Fibbens		–	57.24 (4)	1:55.91 (4)
3rd Leg	–	Debra Gore		–	58.50 (5)	2:54.41 (4)
Anchor	–	June Croft		–	57.06 (2)	– (–)
5	7	Italy	ITA	3:52.89	– (–)	– (–)
Lead-off	–	Monica Olmi		–	59.02 (5)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Silvia Persi		–	57.02 (3)	1:56.04 (5)
3rd Leg	–	Grazia Colombo		–	58.40 (4)	2:54.44 (5)
Anchor	–	Manuela Dalla Valle		–	58.45 (6)	– (–)
6	2	Japan	JPN	3:54.68	– (–)	– (–)
Lead-off	–	Junko Sakurai		–	59.18 (6)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Chikako Nakamori		–	58.15 (6)	1:57.33 (6)
3rd Leg	–	Miki Saito		–	58.98 (6)	2:56.31 (6)
Anchor	–	Kaori Yanase		–	58.37 (5)	– (–)

Final Round

Date	31 July 1984 — 17:10

Pos	Lane	Competitors	NOC	Time	Split	Exchange
1	4	United States	USA	3:43.43	– (–)	– (–)
Lead-off	–	Jenna Johnson		–	56.46 (2)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Carrie Steinseifer		–	55.87 (1)	1:52.33 (1)
3rd Leg	–	Dara Torres		–	55.92 (2)	2:48.25 (1)
Anchor	–	Nancy Hogshead		–	55.18 (1)	– (–)
2	3	Netherlands	NED	3:44.40	– (–)	– (–)
Lead-off	–	Annemarie Verstappen		–	55.94 (1)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Elles Voskes		–	56.77 (3)	1:52.71 (2)
3rd Leg	–	Desi Reijers		–	55.62 (1)	2:48.33 (2)
Anchor	–	Conny van Bentum		–	56.07 (4)	– (–)
3	5	West Germany	FRG	3:45.56	– (–)	– (–)
Lead-off	–	Iris Zscherpe		–	57.26 (4)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Susanne Schuster		–	56.32 (2)	1:53.58 (4)
3rd Leg	–	Christiane Pielke		–	56.24 (3)	2:49.82 (3)
Anchor	–	Karin Seick		–	55.74 (2)	– (–)
4	6	Australia	AUS	3:47.79	– (–)	– (–)
Lead-off	–	Michelle Pearson		–	56.51 (3)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Angela Russell		–	56.97 (4)	1:53.48 (3)
3rd Leg	–	Anna McVann		–	58.26 (8)	2:51.74 (4)
Anchor	–	Lisa Curry		–	56.05 (3)	– (–)
5	2	Canada	CAN	3:49.50	– (–)	– (–)
Lead-off	–	Pam Rai		–	57.70 (6)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Carol Klimpel		–	57.47 (8)	1:55.17 (7)
3rd Leg	–	Cheryl McArton		–	57.52 (5)	2:52.69 (6)
Anchor	–	Jane Kerr		–	56.81 (5)	– (–)
6	7	Great Britain	GBR	3:50.12	– (–)	– (–)
Lead-off	–	June Croft		–	57.49 (5)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Nikki Fibbens		–	57.33 (7)	1:54.82 (5)
3rd Leg	–	Debra Gore		–	57.24 (4)	2:52.06 (5)
Anchor	–	Annabelle Cripps		–	58.06 (6)	– (–)
7	1	Sweden	SWE	3:51.24	– (–)	– (–)
Lead-off	–	Maria Kardum		–	57.93 (7)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Agneta Eriksson		–	57.19 (5)	1:55.12 (6)
3rd Leg	–	Petra Hildér		–	57.90 (7)	2:53.02 (7)
Anchor	–	Karin Furuhed		–	58.22 (7)	– (–)
8	8	France	FRA	3:52.15	– (–)	– (–)
Lead-off	–	Carole Amoric		–	58.58 (8)	– (–)
2nd Leg	–	Sophie Kamoun		–	57.24 (6)	1:55.82 (8)
3rd Leg	–	Véronique Jardin		–	57.83 (6)	2:53.65 (8)
Anchor	–	Laurence Bensimon		–	58.50 (8)	– (–)