| | Event type

4 x 100 metres Freestyle Relay, Women

Date	16 September 2000
Status	Olympic
Location	Sydney International Aquatic Centre, Olympic Park, Sydney, New South Wales
Participants	61 from 13 countries

By the standard of previous years, the winning United States team were positively geriatric – they were on average 27-years-old. They were also on a completely different level to their competition. The US lead was half-a-second on the first changeover and they stretched their lead through the race. Their winning time of 3:36.51 smashed the world record set by China as they won the world title in 1998. In Sydney the Chinese team, who had been dogged by drug allegations and loss of form, failed to reach the final. The silver medal was only decided on the last leg with Inge de Bruijn producing a virtuoso performance to bring the Netherlands up from sixth to second ahead of Sweden.

Pos	Swimmer	NOC	R1	Final
1	United States	USA	3:40.88 (1 h2)	3:36.61 (1)	Gold
	Amy Van Dyken • Dara Torres • Courtney Shealy • Jenny Thompson • Erin Phenix • Ashley Tappin
2	Netherlands	NED	3:42.32 (2 h2)	3:39.83 (2)	Silver
	Manon van Rooijen • Wilma van Rijn • Thamar Henneken • Inge de Bruijn • Chantal Groot
3	Sweden	SWE	3:43.77 (2 h1)	3:40.30 (3)	Bronze
	Louise Jöhncke • Therèse Alshammar • Johanna Sjöberg • Anna-Karin Kammerling • Josefin Lillhage • Malin Svahnström
4	Germany	GER	3:43.22 (3 h2)	3:40.31 (4)
	Antje Buschschulte • Katrin Meißner • Franziska van Almsick • Kerstin Kielgaß • Daniela Samulski • Britta Steffen • Sandra Völker
5	Great Britain	GBR	3:42.47 (1 h1)	3:40.54 (5)
	Karen Pickering • Alison Sheppard • Rosalind Brett • Sue Rolph
6	Australia	AUS	3:43.56 (4 h2)	3:40.91 (6)
	Susie O'Neill • Sarah Ryan • Elka Graham • Giaan Rooney • Mel Dodd
7	Canada	CAN	3:43.82 (3 h1)	3:42.92 (7)
	Marianne Limpert • Shannon Shakespeare • Laura Nicholls • Jessica Deglau
8	Italy	ITA	3:43.97 (4 h1)	3:44.49 (8)
	Cecilia Vianini • Luisa Striani • Sara Parise • Cristina Chiuso
9	People's Republic of China	CHN	3:46.62 (5 h2)	–
	Han Xue • Li Jin • Sun Dan • Yang Yu
10	Russian Federation	RUS	3:46.79 (5 h1)	–
	Marina Chepurkova • Yekaterina Kibalo • Inna Yaitskaya • Lyubov Yudina
11	Belgium	BEL	3:46.91 (6 h2)	–
	Tine Bossuyt • Liesbet Dreesen • Sofie Goffin • Nina Van Koeckhoven
12	Romania	ROU	3:48.78 (6 h1)	–
	Lorena Diaconescu • Carmen Herea • Diana Mocanu • Camelia Potec
13	Ukraine	UKR	3:49.11 (7 h2)	–
	Nadiya Beshevli • Olena Lapunova • Olha Mukomol • Valentyna Trehub

Round One (16 September 2000)

Fastest eight advanced to the final.

Heat One (12:18)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	Time	Reaction	Exchange (Pos)
1	4	Great Britain	GBR		3:42.47			Q
		Alison Sheppard		27.14	56.16	0.82	56.16 (3)
		Rosalind Brett		26.34	55.63	0.27	1:51.79 (2)
		Karen Pickering		26.63	55.29	0.27	2:47.08 (1)
		Sue Rolph		26.19	55.39	0.22	3:42.47 (1)
2	5	Sweden	SWE		3:43.77			Q
		Louise Jöhncke		26.61	56.27	0.81	56.27 (4)
		Josefin Lillhage		26.83	57.00	0.24	1:53.27 (4)
		Malin Svahnström		26.78	56.73	0.33	2:50.00 (4)
		Therèse Alshammar		25.75	53.77	0.18	3:43.77 (2)
3	3	Canada	CAN		3:43.82			Q
		Marianne Limpert		27.01	55.87	0.81	55.87 (1)
		Shannon Shakespeare		27.08	55.80	0.21	1:51.67 (1)
		Jessica Deglau		27.18	56.23	0.36	2:47.90 (2)
		Laura Nicholls		26.47	55.92	0.27	3:43.82 (3)
4	6	Italy	ITA		3:43.97			Q
		Cecilia Vianini		26.92	56.10	0.87	56.10 (2)
		Luisa Striani		27.76	56.29	0.29	1:52.39 (3)
		Sara Parise		26.90	55.73	0.35	2:48.12 (3)
		Cristina Chiuso		26.53	55.85	0.12	3:43.97 (4)
5	7	Russian Federation	RUS		3:46.79
		Lyubov Yudina		27.87	57.74	0.88	57.74 (6)
		Marina Chepurkova		26.77	56.79	0.40	1:54.53 (5)
		Yekaterina Kibalo		26.38	56.02	0.14	2:50.55 (5)
		Inna Yaitskaya		26.73	56.24	0.16	3:46.79 (5)
6	2	Romania	ROU		3:48.78
		Carmen Herea		27.52	57.28	0.82	57.28 (5)
		Lorena Diaconescu		27.87	57.77	0.36	1:55.05 (6)
		Diana Mocanu		28.02	57.26	0.66	2:52.31 (6)
		Camelia Potec		27.26	56.47	0.37	3:48.78 (6)

Heat Two (12:25)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	Time	Reaction	Exchange (Pos)
1	4	United States	USA		3:40.88			Q
		Ashley Tappin		26.98	55.47	0.72	55.47 (2)
		Erin Phenix		27.09	56.02	0.41	1:51.49 (2)
		Courtney Shealy		26.74	54.99	0.33	2:46.48 (1)
		Amy Van Dyken		26.21	54.40	0.43	3:40.88 (1)
2	6	Netherlands	NED		3:42.32			Q
		Manon van Rooijen		27.18	56.15	0.83	56.15 (3)
		Chantal Groot		26.37	56.07	0.25	1:52.22 (4)
		Thamar Henneken		26.29	54.99	0.22	2:47.21 (3)
		Wilma van Rijn		25.99	55.11	0.41	3:42.32 (2)
3	5	Germany	GER		3:43.22			Q
		Katrin Meißner		26.78	55.22	0.82	55.22 (1)
		Britta Steffen		26.94	55.77	0.64	1:50.99 (1)
		Daniela Samulski		26.74	56.18	0.26	2:47.17 (2)
		Kerstin Kielgaß		27.38	56.05	0.35	3:43.22 (3)
4	3	Australia	AUS		3:43.56			Q
		Elka Graham		27.23	56.81	0.85	56.81 (5)
		Sarah Ryan		26.16	54.94	0.23	1:51.75 (3)
		Mel Dodd		27.15	56.31	0.47	2:48.06 (4)
		Giaan Rooney		26.30	55.50	0.28	3:43.56 (4)
5	7	People's Republic of China	CHN		3:46.62
		Han Xue		27.07	56.99	0.71	56.99 (6)
		Li Jin		27.20	56.88	0.20	1:53.87 (6)
		Sun Dan		27.77	57.25	0.26	2:51.12 (6)
		Yang Yu		26.64	55.50	0.27	3:46.62 (5)
6	2	Belgium	BEL		3:46.91
		Nina Van Koeckhoven		27.46	56.62	0.81	56.62 (4)
		Liesbet Dreesen		26.55	56.69	0.06	1:53.31 (5)
		Sofie Goffin		27.26	56.72	0.08	2:50.03 (5)
		Tine Bossuyt		26.59	56.88	0.17	3:46.91 (6)
7	1	Ukraine	UKR		3:49.11
		Nadiya Beshevli		27.72	57.68	0.78	57.68 (7)
		Valentyna Trehub		26.98	57.39	0.34	1:55.07 (7)
		Olena Lapunova		27.47	57.60	0.30	2:52.67 (7)
		Olha Mukomol		26.70	56.44	0.48	3:49.11 (7)

Final (16 September 2000 — 20:05)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	Time	Reaction	Exchange (Pos)
1	4	United States	USA		3:36.61			OR
		Amy Van Dyken		26.75	55.08	0.73	55.08 (2)
		Dara Torres		25.66	53.51	0.20	1:48.59 (1)
		Courtney Shealy		26.17	54.40	0.24	2:42.99 (1)
		Jenny Thompson		25.98	53.62	0.31	3:36.61 (1)
2	5	Netherlands	NED		3:39.83
		Manon van Rooijen		27.14	56.35	0.83	56.35 (8)
		Wilma van Rijn		26.11	55.19	0.27	1:51.54 (7)
		Thamar Henneken		25.89	54.88	0.17	2:46.42 (6)
		Inge de Bruijn		25.23	53.41	0.22	3:39.83 (2)
3	7	Sweden	SWE		3:40.30
		Louise Jöhncke		27.09	55.93	0.83	55.93 (4)
		Therèse Alshammar		25.94	53.78	0.28	1:49.71 (3)
		Johanna Sjöberg		25.98	55.06	0.26	2:44.77 (2)
		Anna-Karin Kammerling		26.16	55.53	0.32	3:40.30 (3)
4	6	Germany	GER		3:40.31
		Antje Buschschulte		26.93	55.67	0.85	55.67 (3)
		Katrin Meißner		26.45	54.92	0.33	1:50.59 (4)
		Franziska van Almsick		26.67	55.02	0.27	2:45.61 (4)
		Sandra Völker		25.32	54.70	0.07	3:40.31 (4)
5	3	Great Britain	GBR		3:40.54
		Karen Pickering		27.18	56.01	0.77	56.01 (6)
		Alison Sheppard		25.71	54.95	0.16	1:50.96 (5)
		Rosalind Brett		25.52	54.92	0.17	2:45.88 (5)
		Sue Rolph		26.03	54.66	0.23	3:40.54 (5)
6	2	Australia	AUS		3:40.91
		Susie O'Neill		26.32	54.79	0.75	54.79 (1)
		Sarah Ryan		25.96	54.80	0.19	1:49.59 (2)
		Elka Graham		26.44	55.57	0.20	2:45.16 (3)
		Giaan Rooney		26.70	55.75	0.34	3:40.91 (6)
7	1	Canada	CAN		3:42.92
		Marianne Limpert		26.90	56.32	0.82	56.32 (7)
		Shannon Shakespeare		26.31	55.10	0.20	1:51.42 (6)
		Laura Nicholls		26.33	55.30	0.28	2:46.72 (7)
		Jessica Deglau		27.09	56.20	0.25	3:42.92 (7)
8	8	Italy	ITA		3:44.49
		Cecilia Vianini		27.14	55.96	0.84	55.96 (5)
		Luisa Striani		27.56	56.22	0.25	1:52.18 (8)
		Sara Parise		26.96	55.88	0.16	2:48.06 (8)
		Cristina Chiuso		27.12	56.43	0.21	3:44.49 (8)