| | Event type

4 x 100 metres Freestyle Relay, Women

Date	22 July 1996
Status	Olympic
Location	Georgia Tech Aquatic Center, Atlanta, Georgia
Participants	81 from 19 countries

In 1994 the Chinese team had been runaway winners of the world title as they dominated the entire championships. Two years later the tables had turned the USA had returned to its’ position as world leader in this event.

Individual 100 metres champion Le Jingyi got China off to a good start but Amy Van Dyken delivered the killer blow on the second leg and the US headed off into the distance and recorded a clear win over China with the Germans following in third.

Pos	Swimmer	NOC	R1	Final
1	United States	USA	3:42.36 (1 h2)	3:39.29 (1)	Gold
	Angel Martino • Amy Van Dyken • Catherine Fox • Jenny Thompson • Lisa Jacob • Melanie Valerio
2	People's Republic of China	CHN	3:44.06 (1 h3)	3:40.48 (2)	Silver
	Le Jingyi • Chao Na • Nian Yun • Shan Ying
3	Germany	GER	3:44.17 (2 h3)	3:41.48 (3)	Bronze
	Sandra Völker • Simone Osygus • Antje Buschschulte • Franziska van Almsick • Meike Freitag
4	Netherlands	NED	3:43.63 (2 h2)	3:42.40 (4)
	Marianne Muis • Minouche Smit • Wilma van Hofwegen • Karin Brienesse • Manon Masseurs
5	Sweden	SWE	3:45.39 (3 h2)	3:44.91 (5)
	Linda Olofsson • Louise Jöhncke • Louise Karlsson • Johanna Sjöberg
6	Australia	AUS	3:47.94 (2 h1)	3:45.31 (6)
	Sarah Ryan • Julia Greville • Lise Mackie • Susie O'Neill • Anna Windsor
7	Canada	CAN	3:45.66 (3 h3)	3:46.27 (7)
	Shannon Shakespeare • Julie Howard • Andrea Moody • Marianne Limpert
8	Russian Federation	RUS	3:47.33 (1 h1)	– (DQ)
	Yelena Nazemnova • Svetlana Leshukova • Nataliya Meshcheryakova • Nataliya Sorokina
9	Great Britain	GBR	3:48.26 (3 h1)	–
	Karen Pickering • Sue Rolph • Alison Sheppard • Carrie Willmott
10	France	FRA	3:48.30 (4 h1)	–
	Jacqueline Delord • Solenne Figuès • Casey Legler • Marianne Le Verge
11	Romania	ROU	3:48.43 (4 h2)	–
	Lorena Diaconescu • Luminița Dobrescu • Carmen Herea • Andreea Trufașu
12	Japan	JPN	3:48.77 (5 h2)	–
	Suzu Chiba • Naoko Imoto • Sumika Minamoto • Eri Yamanoi
13	Denmark	DEN	3:48.93 (4 h3)	–
	Karen Egdal • Mette Jacobsen • Ditte Jensen • Mette Nørskov Nielsen
14	Spain	ESP	3:49.47 (5 h3)	–
	Blanca Cerón • Claudia Franco • Susanna Garabatos • Fátima Madrid
15	Belarus	BLR	3:50.22 (6 h3)	–
	Natallia Baranouskaya • Inha Borodich • Alena Popchanka • Sviatlana Zhidko
16	Finland	FIN	3:50.33 (5 h1)	–
	Paula Harmokivi • Marja Heikkilä • Marja Pärssinen-Päivinen • Minna Salmela
17	Switzerland	SUI	3:53.30 (6 h2)	–
	Dominique Diezi • Sandrine Paquier • Lara Preacco • Nicole Zahnd
18	Chinese Taipei	TPE	3:56.39 (7 h3)	–
	Chang Wei-Chia • Lin Chien-Ju • Lin Chi-Chan • Tsai Shu-Min
19	Republic of Korea	KOR	3:57.83 (6 h1)	–
	Jeong On-Ra • Lee Bo-Eun • Lee Ji-Hyeon • Seo So-Yeong

Round One (22 July 1996)

Fastest eight advanced to the final.

Heat One (12:00)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	Time	Reaction	Exchange (Pos)
1	5	Russian Federation	RUS		3:47.33			Q
		Svetlana Leshukova		27.74	57.31	0.80	57.31 (4)
		Nataliya Sorokina		26.74	57.07	0.32	1:54.38 (2)
		Yelena Nazemnova		27.33	56.59	0.22	2:50.97 (1)
		Nataliya Meshcheryakova		25.94	56.36	0.26	3:47.33 (1)
2	4	Australia	AUS		3:47.94			Q
		Anna Windsor		27.89	59.03	0.76	59.03 (6)
		Sarah Ryan		27.02	55.59	0.16	1:54.62 (3)
		Lise Mackie		27.02	57.02	0.23	2:51.64 (2)
		Julia Greville		27.18	56.30	0.39	3:47.94 (2)
3	3	Great Britain	GBR		3:48.26
		Sue Rolph		27.50	56.61	0.84	56.61 (1)
		Alison Sheppard		27.10	57.52	0.16	1:54.13 (1)
		Carrie Willmott		27.38	58.10	0.22	2:52.23 (5)
		Karen Pickering		27.06	56.03	0.24	3:48.26 (3)
4	6	France	FRA		3:48.30
		Solenne Figuès		27.94	57.12	0.74	57.12 (2)
		Jacqueline Delord		27.80	57.56	0.35	1:54.68 (4)
		Casey Legler		26.97	56.98	0.44	2:51.66 (3)
		Marianne Le Verge		27.12	56.64	0.01	3:48.30 (4)
5	2	Finland	FIN		3:50.33
		Minna Salmela		27.70	57.13	0.82	57.13 (3)
		Paula Harmokivi		27.69	57.56	0.27	1:54.69 (5)
		Marja Pärssinen-Päivinen		27.10	57.16	0.26	2:51.85 (4)
		Marja Heikkilä		28.03	58.48	0.31	3:50.33 (5)
6	7	Republic of Korea	KOR		3:57.83
		Lee Bo-Eun		27.82	58.77	0.83	58.77 (5)
		Seo So-Yeong		28.23	58.72	0.37	1:57.49 (6)
		Lee Ji-Hyeon		28.73	59.38	0.25	2:56.87 (6)
		Jeong On-Ra		29.47	1:00.96	0.40	3:57.83 (6)

Heat Two (12:15)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	Time	Reaction	Exchange (Pos)
1	4	United States	USA		3:42.36			Q
		Jenny Thompson		26.58	55.04	0.79	55.04 (1)
		Catherine Fox		26.06	55.03	0.15	1:50.07 (1)
		Lisa Jacob		26.73	56.31	0.30	2:46.38 (1)
		Melanie Valerio		26.59	55.98	0.26	3:42.36 (1)
2	2	Netherlands	NED		3:43.63			Q
		Marianne Muis		26.69	55.60	0.73	55.60 (2)
		Manon Masseurs		27.08	56.54	0.18	1:52.14 (2)
		Wilma van Hofwegen		26.19	55.24	0.36	2:47.38 (2)
		Minouche Smit		27.16	56.25	0.26	3:43.63 (2)
3	3	Sweden	SWE		3:45.39			Q
		Louise Jöhncke		27.21	56.81	0.79	56.81 (3)
		Johanna Sjöberg		26.51	56.63	0.22	1:53.44 (3)
		Louise Karlsson		26.42	56.23	0.30	2:49.67 (3)
		Linda Olofsson		26.16	55.72	0.31	3:45.39 (3)
4	6	Romania	ROU		3:48.43
		Lorena Diaconescu		27.43	56.89	0.85	56.89 (4)
		Carmen Herea		28.19	58.16	0.43	1:55.05 (5)
		Andreea Trufașu		27.74	57.18	0.21	2:52.23 (4)
		Luminița Dobrescu		26.89	56.20	0.29	3:48.43 (4)
5	5	Japan	JPN		3:48.77
		Sumika Minamoto		27.45	57.48	0.71	57.48 (5)
		Naoko Imoto		27.36	56.81	0.12	1:54.29 (4)
		Eri Yamanoi		28.04	58.19	0.41	2:52.48 (5)
		Suzu Chiba		27.12	56.29	0.48	3:48.77 (5)
6	7	Switzerland	SUI		3:53.30
		Dominique Diezi		27.66	57.60	0.86	57.60 (6)
		Nicole Zahnd		27.50	58.35	0.22	1:55.95 (6)
		Lara Preacco		27.89	58.83	0.31	2:54.78 (6)
		Sandrine Paquier		28.02	58.52	0.21	3:53.30 (6)

Heat Three (12:30)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	Time	Reaction	Exchange (Pos)
1	4	People's Republic of China	CHN		3:44.06			Q
		Shan Ying		27.16	56.03	0.81	56.03 (1)
		Chao Na		27.07	56.57	0.52	1:52.60 (2)
		Nian Yun		26.18	55.80	0.14	2:48.40 (1)
		Le Jingyi		26.82	55.66	0.40	3:44.06 (1)
2	5	Germany	GER		3:44.17			Q
		Simone Osygus		27.10	56.50	0.76	56.50 (3)
		Antje Buschschulte		26.31	55.49	0.11	1:51.99 (1)
		Meike Freitag		26.56	56.43	0.18	2:48.42 (2)
		Franziska van Almsick		27.00	55.75	0.40	3:44.17 (2)
3	3	Canada	CAN		3:45.66			Q
		Shannon Shakespeare		27.35	56.05	0.80	56.05 (2)
		Julie Howard		27.07	56.79	0.09	1:52.84 (3)
		Andrea Moody		26.83	56.55	0.23	2:49.39 (3)
		Marianne Limpert		27.10	56.27	0.36	3:45.66 (3)
4	6	Denmark	DEN		3:48.93
		Mette Nørskov Nielsen		27.44	57.85	0.81	57.85 (5)
		Mette Jacobsen		27.03	56.01	0.47	1:53.86 (4)
		Karen Egdal		27.56	57.63	0.28	2:51.49 (4)
		Ditte Jensen		27.61	57.44	0.19	3:48.93 (4)
5	2	Spain	ESP		3:49.47
		Blanca Cerón		27.95	57.52	0.76	57.52 (4)
		Fátima Madrid		27.62	57.85	0.14	1:55.37 (5)
		Susanna Garabatos		27.45	57.91	0.11	2:53.28 (5)
		Claudia Franco		26.76	56.19	0.02	3:49.47 (5)
6	1	Belarus	BLR		3:50.22
		Sviatlana Zhidko		28.14	58.11	0.80	58.11 (6)
		Inha Borodich		27.47	57.49	0.00	1:55.60 (6)
		Natallia Baranouskaya		27.98	57.90	0.23	2:53.50 (6)
		Alena Popchanka		27.40	56.72	0.18	3:50.22 (6)
7	7	Chinese Taipei	TPE		3:56.39
		Chang Wei-Chia		28.30	58.49	0.77	58.49 (7)
		Tsai Shu-Min		29.06	59.79	0.62	1:58.28 (7)
		Lin Chien-Ju		27.87	58.38	0.46	2:56.66 (7)
		Lin Chi-Chan		29.10	59.73	0.61	3:56.39 (7)

Final (22 July 1996 — 21:00)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	Time	Reaction	Exchange (Pos)
1	4	United States	USA		3:39.29			OR
		Angel Martino		26.44	55.34	0.68	55.34 (2)
		Amy Van Dyken		25.31	53.91	0.18	1:49.25 (1)
		Catherine Fox		26.34	55.93	0.31	2:45.18 (1)
		Jenny Thompson		26.24	54.11	0.17	3:39.29 (1)
2	3	People's Republic of China	CHN		3:40.48
		Le Jingyi		26.79	54.79	0.79	54.79 (1)
		Chao Na		26.33	55.40	0.25	1:50.19 (2)
		Nian Yun		26.20	55.42	0.01	2:45.61 (2)
		Shan Ying		26.32	54.87	0.34	3:40.48 (2)
3	6	Germany	GER		3:41.48
		Sandra Völker		26.62	55.70	0.85	55.70 (3)
		Simone Osygus		26.34	56.05	0.02	1:51.75 (3)
		Antje Buschschulte		26.23	55.20	0.00	2:46.95 (3)
		Franziska van Almsick		26.36	54.53	0.25	3:41.48 (3)
4	5	Netherlands	NED		3:42.40
		Marianne Muis		26.70	55.73	0.77	55.73 (4)
		Minouche Smit		26.79	56.15	0.42	1:51.88 (4)
		Wilma van Hofwegen		26.29	55.53	0.30	2:47.41 (4)
		Karin Brienesse		26.14	54.99	0.24	3:42.40 (4)
5	2	Sweden	SWE		3:44.91
		Linda Olofsson		27.00	55.75	0.82	55.75 (5)
		Louise Jöhncke		26.90	56.32	0.23	1:52.07 (5)
		Louise Karlsson		25.96	56.07	0.23	2:48.14 (5)
		Johanna Sjöberg		26.39	56.77	0.14	3:44.91 (5)
6	8	Australia	AUS		3:45.31
		Sarah Ryan		27.11	56.06	0.75	56.06 (6)
		Julia Greville		27.26	56.27	0.40	1:52.33 (6)
		Lise Mackie		27.23	57.03	0.32	2:49.36 (6)
		Susie O'Neill		26.35	55.95	0.31	3:45.31 (6)
7	7	Canada	CAN		3:46.27
		Shannon Shakespeare		27.36	56.07	0.84	56.07 (7)
		Julie Howard		27.07	57.03	0.30	1:53.10 (7)
		Andrea Moody		26.85	56.74	0.27	2:49.84 (7)
		Marianne Limpert		26.78	56.43	0.38	3:46.27 (7)
DQ	1	Russian Federation	RUS		–				1
		Yelena Nazemnova		–	–	–	– (AC)
		Svetlana Leshukova		–	–	–	– (AC)
		Nataliya Meshcheryakova		–	–	–	– (AC)
		Nataliya Sorokina		–	–	–	– (AC)