| | Event type

4 x 200 metres Freestyle Relay, Women

Date	18 August 2004
Status	Olympic
Location	Olympiako Kentro Ugrou Stivou, Olympiako Athletiko Kentro Athinon Spiros Loues, Athina (Main Pool)
Participants	74 from 16 countries

On 18 August 1987 a foursome from the German Democratic Republic set a world record for the longer of the two women’s freestyle relays at the European Swimming Championships in Strasbourg, France. It stood largely unchallenged for exactly 17 years, almost to the hour, until a USA quartet of Natalie Coughlin, Carly Piper, Dana Vollmer, and Kaitlin Sandeno took it apart in the process of winning Olympic gold in Athens.

As a race, the final was decided on the first leg where Coughlin took a 1½ second lead so the interest shifted to the question of how fast the Americans could swim and whether the final world record held by the East Germans would be deleted from the record books. The answer was in the affirmative as more than two seconds were sliced off the time of the GDR quartet. China were runners-up with Germany holding off a fast finishing Australia for bronze.

Pos	Swimmer	NOC	R1	Final
1	United States	USA	8:00.81 (1 h2)	7:53.42 (1)	Gold
	Natalie Coughlin • Carly Piper • Kaitlin Sandeno • Dana Vollmer • Lindsay Benko • Rhi Jeffrey • Rachel Komisarz
2	People's Republic of China	CHN	8:05.38 (3 h2)	7:55.97 (2)	Silver
	Pang Jiaying • Xu Yanwei • Yang Yu • Zhu Yingwen • Li Ji
3	Germany	GER	8:03.22 (3 h1)	7:57.35 (3)	Bronze
	Antje Buschschulte • Petra Dallmann • Hannah Stockbauer • Franziska van Almsick • Janina-Kristin Götz • Sara Harstick
4	Australia	AUS	8:01.85 (2 h1)	7:57.40 (4)
	Elka Graham • Alice Mills • Shayne Reese • Petria Thomas • Linda MacKenzie • Giaan Rooney
5	Great Britain	GBR	8:01.77 (1 h1)	7:59.11 (5)
	Georgina Lee • Melanie Marshall • Caitlin McClatchey • Karen Pickering • Jo Jackson
6	Spain	ESP	8:03.67 (2 h2)	8:02.11 (6)
	Melissa Caballero • Arantxa Ramos • Tatiana Rouba • Erika Villaécija
7	Brazil	BRA	8:05.58 (4 h1)	8:05.29 (7)
	Paula Baracho • Mariana Brochado • Monique Ferreira • Joanna Maranhão
8	Sweden	SWE	8:07.17 (5 h1)	8:08.34 (8)
	Josefin Lillhage • Ida Mattsson • Malin Svahnström • Lotta Wänberg • Johanna Sjöberg
9	Netherlands	NED	8:08.96 (4 h2)	–
	Chantal Groot • Celina Lemmen • Haike van Stralen • Marleen Veldhuis
10	France	FRA	8:09.42 (6 h1)	–
	Céline Couderc • Solenne Figuès • Elsa N'Guessan • Katarin Quelennec
11	Romania	ROU	8:09.67 (5 h2)	–
	Beatrice Căşlaru • Larisa Lăcusță • Simona Păduraru • Camelia Potec
12	Switzerland	SUI	8:10.41 (6 h2)	–
	Hanna Miluska • Flavia Rigamonti • Chantal Strasser • Nicole Zahnd
13	New Zealand	NZL	8:14.76 (7 h2)	–
	Nathalie Bernard • Alison Fitch • Rebecca Linton • Helen Norfolk
14	Italy	ITA	8:15.30 (7 h1)	–
	Cristina Chiuso • Alessia Filippi • Sara Parise • Cecilia Vianini
15	Greece	GRE	8:16.69 (8 h1)	–
	Zoi Dimoschaki • Marianna Lymperta • Georgia Manoli • Evi Tsagka
16	Slovenia	SLO	8:16.89 (8 h2)	–
	Lavra Babič • Anja Čarman • Sara Isakovič • Anja Klinar

Round One (18 August 2004)

Fastest eight advanced to the final.

Heat One (11:39)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	100 m	150 m	Time	Reaction	Exchange (Pos)
1	5	Great Britain	GBR				8:01.77			Q
		Karen Pickering		28.44	58.76	1:29.62	2:00.90	0.74	2:00.90 (3)
		Jo Jackson		27.95	58.48	1:29.97	2:00.89	0.11	4:01.79 (4)
		Caitlin McClatchey		27.86	58.82	1:30.02	2:00.65	0.20	6:02.44 (3)
		Melanie Marshall		27.30	57.69	1:28.74	1:59.33	0.33	8:01.77 (1)
2	4	Australia	AUS				8:01.85			Q
		Shayne Reese		28.10	58.38	1:29.15	2:00.13	0.81	2:00.13 (1)
		Elka Graham		27.69	57.64	1:28.37	1:58.83	0.28	3:58.96 (1)
		Linda MacKenzie		28.20	59.08	1:30.03	2:00.55	0.37	5:59.51 (1)
		Giaan Rooney		28.82	59.95	1:31.16	2:02.34	0.35	8:01.85 (2)
3	2	Germany	GER				8:03.22			Q
		Petra Dallmann		28.57	58.80	1:30.23	2:00.78	0.87	2:00.78 (2)
		Janina-Kristin Götz		28.29	58.59	1:29.67	2:00.87	0.45	4:01.65 (=2)
		Hannah Stockbauer		27.81	58.38	1:29.76	2:00.35	0.33	6:02.00 (2)
		Sara Harstick		27.76	58.20	1:29.63	2:01.22	0.29	8:03.22 (3)
4	1	Brazil	BRA				8:05.58			Q
		Joanna Maranhão		28.95	59.60	1:30.59	2:01.38	0.72	2:01.38 (4)
		Monique Ferreira		28.18	58.71	1:30.01	2:01.40	0.31	4:02.78 (5)
		Mariana Brochado		28.18	58.76	1:30.24	2:01.68	0.29	6:04.46 (4)
		Paula Baracho		28.51	59.44	1:30.35	2:01.12	0.34	8:05.58 (4)
5	3	Sweden	SWE				8:07.17			Q
		Ida Mattsson		28.56	59.00	1:30.77	2:02.46	0.84	2:02.46 (6)
		Josefin Lillhage		27.74	57.58	1:28.38	1:59.19	0.33	4:01.65 (=2)
		Lotta Wänberg		28.67	59.40	1:30.98	2:02.85	0.41	6:04.50 (5)
		Johanna Sjöberg		27.52	58.36	1:30.44	2:02.67	0.07	8:07.17 (5)
6	6	France	FRA				8:09.42
		Céline Couderc		28.56	59.02	1:30.57	2:02.50	0.86	2:02.50 (7)
		Elsa N'Guessan		29.23	1:00.98	1:32.55	2:03.26	0.40	4:05.76 (7)
		Katarin Quelennec		29.30	1:00.26	1:32.02	2:03.56	0.36	6:09.32 (6)
		Solenne Figuès		28.67	59.27	1:29.99	2:00.10	0.33	8:09.42 (6)
7	7	Italy	ITA				8:15.30
		Alessia Filippi		29.37	1:00.41	1:32.17	2:04.09	0.96	2:04.09 (8)
		Sara Parise		28.82	59.92	1:31.63	2:03.69	0.35	4:07.78 (8)
		Cecilia Vianini		28.65	1:00.22	1:31.84	2:03.52	0.27	6:11.30 (8)
		Cristina Chiuso		28.67	1:00.48	1:32.61	2:04.00	0.37	8:15.30 (7)
8	8	Greece	GRE				8:16.69
		Zoi Dimoschaki		29.65	1:00.40	1:31.68	2:02.33	0.83	2:02.33 (5)
		Marianna Lymperta		29.34	1:00.15	1:31.63	2:02.71	0.53	4:05.04 (6)
		Evi Tsagka		29.31	1:00.67	1:33.18	2:05.99	0.41	6:11.03 (7)
		Georgia Manoli		29.01	1:00.84	1:33.13	2:05.66	0.23	8:16.69 (8)

Heat Two (11:49)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	100 m	150 m	Time	Reaction	Exchange (Pos)
1	4	United States	USA				8:00.81			Q
		Lindsay Benko		28.54	58.64	1:29.76	2:00.73	0.77	2:00.73 (1)
		Rhi Jeffrey		29.14	1:00.17	1:31.24	2:01.46	0.44	4:02.19 (2)
		Carly Piper		27.66	57.89	1:28.81	1:59.37	0.49	6:01.56 (1)
		Rachel Komisarz		28.35	58.64	1:29.11	1:59.25	0.28	8:00.81 (1)
2	3	Spain	ESP				8:03.67			Q
		Tatiana Rouba		28.84	59.13	1:30.15	2:00.80	0.85	2:00.80 (2)
		Melissa Caballero		28.43	59.17	1:30.03	2:00.64	0.52	4:01.44 (1)
		Erika Villaécija		27.87	58.68	1:29.83	2:00.34	0.20	6:01.78 (2)
		Arantxa Ramos		29.03	59.77	1:31.04	2:01.89	0.38	8:03.67 (2)
3	5	People's Republic of China	CHN				8:05.38			Q
		Zhu Yingwen		28.29	58.79	1:30.03	2:00.89	0.79	2:00.89 (3)
		Li Ji		28.82	59.44	1:30.77	2:01.68	0.55	4:02.57 (3)
		Yang Yu		27.57	57.70	1:28.98	1:59.91	0.26	6:02.48 (3)
		Pang Jiaying		28.13	59.75	1:31.25	2:02.90	0.33	8:05.38 (3)
4	6	Netherlands	NED				8:08.96
		Celina Lemmen		28.74	59.50	1:30.70	2:02.21	0.81	2:02.21 (7)
		Haike van Stralen		28.26	59.19	1:30.71	2:01.80	0.29	4:04.01 (5)
		Chantal Groot		27.53	58.17	1:30.77	2:02.87	0.36	6:06.88 (4)
		Marleen Veldhuis		28.50	59.62	1:30.70	2:02.08	0.29	8:08.96 (4)
5	2	Romania	ROU				8:09.67
		Simona Păduraru		28.77	59.12	1:30.10	2:00.97	0.80	2:00.97 (4)
		Larisa Lăcusță		28.52	59.97	1:31.71	2:03.80	0.55	4:04.77 (6)
		Beatrice Căşlaru		28.91	1:00.21	1:32.43	2:04.20	0.63	6:08.97 (8)
		Camelia Potec		28.05	58.75	1:29.73	2:00.70	0.47	8:09.67 (5)
6	7	Switzerland	SUI				8:10.41
		Chantal Strasser		29.07	59.73	1:31.40	2:02.90	0.94	2:02.90 (8)
		Hanna Miluska		27.87	58.86	1:30.91	2:02.75	0.05	4:05.65 (8)
		Nicole Zahnd		28.12	58.81	1:29.89	2:01.60	0.13	6:07.25 (5)
		Flavia Rigamonti		28.75	1:00.09	1:31.95	2:03.16	0.22	8:10.41 (6)
7	1	New Zealand	NZL				8:14.76
		Helen Norfolk		29.11	59.21	1:30.30	2:01.89	0.73	2:01.89 (6)
		Alison Fitch		28.05	59.15	1:30.32	2:00.70	0.37	4:02.59 (4)
		Rebecca Linton		28.45	59.71	1:32.09	2:05.17	0.32	6:07.76 (6)
		Nathalie Bernard		28.61	59.79	1:32.69	2:07.00	0.26	8:14.76 (7)
8	8	Slovenia	SLO				8:16.89
		Sara Isakovič		29.13	59.95	1:31.04	2:01.82	0.86	2:01.82 (5)
		Anja Klinar		28.88	1:00.25	1:31.94	2:03.44	0.20	4:05.26 (7)
		Anja Čarman		28.75	59.98	1:31.69	2:03.19	0.18	6:08.45 (7)
		Lavra Babič		29.41	1:01.69	1:34.72	2:08.44	0.40	8:16.89 (8)

Final (18 August 2004 — 21:01)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	100 m	150 m	Time	Reaction	Exchange (Pos)
1	4	United States	USA				7:53.42			WR
		Natalie Coughlin		27.93	58.49	1:28.11	1:57.74	0.69	1:57.74 (1)
		Carly Piper		27.98	57.99	1:28.81	1:59.39	0.52	3:57.13 (1)
		Dana Vollmer		27.73	57.67	1:28.20	1:58.12	0.29	5:55.25 (1)
		Kaitlin Sandeno		27.72	57.31	1:27.62	1:58.17	0.43	7:53.42 (1)
2	7	People's Republic of China	CHN				7:55.97
		Zhu Yingwen		27.96	58.15	1:29.41	1:59.75	0.79	1:59.75 (4)
		Xu Yanwei		26.97	57.03	1:27.82	1:58.45	0.28	3:58.20 (2)
		Yang Yu		27.11	57.39	1:28.26	1:59.50	0.18	5:57.70 (2)
		Pang Jiaying		27.55	57.39	1:27.75	1:58.27	0.26	7:55.97 (2)
3	6	Germany	GER				7:57.35
		Franziska van Almsick		27.66	57.63	1:28.70	1:59.61	0.83	1:59.61 (3)
		Petra Dallmann		27.90	58.69	1:29.62	2:00.06	0.34	3:59.67 (4)
		Antje Buschschulte		26.40	55.70	1:26.71	1:58.46	0.28	5:58.13 (3)
		Hannah Stockbauer		27.81	58.39	1:29.33	1:59.22	0.22	7:57.35 (3)
4	3	Australia	AUS				7:57.40
		Alice Mills		27.87	58.19	1:29.52	2:00.38	0.75	2:00.38 (7)
		Elka Graham		27.76	58.12	1:28.78	1:59.18	0.45	3:59.56 (3)
		Shayne Reese		28.22	59.97	1:30.64	2:00.64	0.33	6:00.20 (4)
		Petria Thomas		27.22	57.03	1:27.36	1:57.20	0.24	7:57.40 (4)
5	5	Great Britain	GBR				7:59.11
		Melanie Marshall		27.81	57.94	1:28.62	1:59.39	0.72	1:59.39 (2)
		Georgina Lee		27.92	58.08	1:29.47	2:00.50	0.17	3:59.89 (5)
		Caitlin McClatchey		28.52	58.99	1:30.04	2:00.48	0.18	6:00.37 (5)
		Karen Pickering		27.32	57.17	1:27.80	1:58.74	0.18	7:59.11 (5)
6	2	Spain	ESP				8:02.11
		Tatiana Rouba		28.00	58.29	1:29.38	2:00.18	0.84	2:00.18 (6)
		Melissa Caballero		28.05	58.55	1:29.64	2:00.57	0.32	4:00.75 (6)
		Arantxa Ramos		28.87	59.65	1:31.09	2:02.32	0.38	6:03.07 (6)
		Erika Villaécija		27.54	57.77	1:28.92	1:59.04	0.10	8:02.11 (6)
7	1	Brazil	BRA				8:05.29
		Joanna Maranhão		28.86	59.30	1:30.20	2:01.20	0.73	2:01.20 (8)
		Monique Ferreira		28.11	58.77	1:30.21	2:01.42	0.19	4:02.62 (8)
		Mariana Brochado		27.97	58.66	1:30.13	2:01.15	0.26	6:03.77 (7)
		Paula Baracho		28.32	59.15	1:30.31	2:01.52	0.31	8:05.29 (7)
8	8	Sweden	SWE				8:08.34
		Josefin Lillhage		28.14	58.34	1:29.29	1:59.86	0.83	1:59.86 (5)
		Ida Mattsson		27.93	58.52	1:30.03	2:01.45	0.26	4:01.31 (7)
		Malin Svahnström		28.21	59.82	1:31.88	2:03.68	0.30	6:04.99 (8)
		Lotta Wänberg		28.83	1:00.00	1:31.64	2:03.35	0.47	8:08.34 (8)