| | Event type

4 x 100 metres Medley Relay, Women

Date	20 – 21 August 2004
Status	Olympic
Location	Olympiako Kentro Ugrou Stivou, Olympiako Athletiko Kentro Athinon Spiros Loues, Athina (Main Pool)
Participants	77 from 16 countries

The medley relay at the 2004 Olympics boiled down into two separate contests, one between Australia and the USA for the gold medal and another between all the others for the bronze. The contest for the title neatly split into two halves as Natalie Coughlin and Amanda Beard put America into a clear lead at halfway but newly crowned Olympic champions Petria Thomas and Jodie Henry were still to come. Thomas closed down on Jenny Thompson and handed over to Henry with a lead that was built upon by Henry on the final leg for Australia to claim the Olympic title.

This marked the first time that a nation other the USA or the German Democratic Republic had won the gold medal in this event. With silver in this race, Jenny Thompson won a historic 12th medal. This beat the American record of 11 for any Olympic sport set by Mark Spitz in 1968-72 and lasted until Michael Phelps won his 13th career medal in Beijing.

Pos	Swimmer	NOC	R1	Final
1	Australia	AUS	4:01.17 (1 h2)	3:57.32 (1)	Gold
	Brooke Hanson • Jodie Henry • Leisel Jones • Alice Mills • Giaan Rooney • Jess Schipper • Petria Thomas
2	United States	USA	4:02.82 (1 h1)	3:59.12 (2)	Silver
	Amanda Beard • Tara Kirk • Rachel Komisarz • Amanda Weir • Haley Cope • Natalie Coughlin • Kara Lynn Joyce • Jenny Thompson
3	Germany	GER	4:04.16 (2 h1)	4:00.72 (3)	Bronze
	Antje Buschschulte • Daniela Götz • Sarah Poewe • Franziska van Almsick
4	People's Republic of China	CHN	4:05.97 (3 h2)	4:03.35 (4)
	Chen Xiujun • Luo Xuejuan • Zhou Yafei • Zhu Yingwen • Qi Hui • Zhan Shu
5	Japan	JPN	4:05.99 (3 h1)	4:04.83 (5)
	Noriko Inada • Tomoko Nagai • Reiko Nakamura • Junko Onishi • Masami Tanaka
6	Netherlands	NED	4:08.72 (5 h2)	4:07.36 (6)
	Madelon Baans • Inge de Bruijn • Stefanie Luiken • Marleen Veldhuis • Chantal Groot
7	Spain	ESP	4:06.90 (4 h2)	4:07.61 (7)
	María Peláez • Sara Pérez • Tatiana Rouba • Nina Zhivanevskaya
8	Great Britain	GBR	4:05.63 (2 h2)	– (DQ)
	Kirsty Balfour • Kathryn Evans • Georgina Lee • Melanie Marshall • Sarah Price • Katy Sexton
9	Denmark	DEN	4:08.89 (4 h1)	–
	Mette Jacobsen • Louise Ørnstedt • Jeanette Ottesen Gray • Majken Thorup
10	Ukraine	UKR	4:09.79 (5 h1)	–
	Svitlana Bondarenko • Yana Klochkova • Olha Mukomol • Kateryna Zubkova
11	Canada	CAN	4:09.84 (6 h2)	–
	Jennifer Fratesi • Erin Gammel • Brittany Reimer • Lauren Van Oosten
12	Russian Federation	RUS	4:10.18 (7 h2)	–
	Yelena Bogomazova • Nataliya Shalagina • Nataliya Sutyagina • Oksana Verevka
13	New Zealand	NZL	4:10.37 (6 h1)	–
	Annabelle Carey • Elizabeth Coster • Alison Fitch • Hannah McLean
14	France	FRA	4:11.42 (8 h2)	–
	Malia Metella • Aurore Mongel • Alexandra Putra • Laurie Thomassin
15	Switzerland	SUI	4:15.54 (7 h1)	–
	Dominique Diezi • Carmela Schlegel • Carla Stampfli • Nicole Zahnd
DQ	Italy	ITA	– (DQ h1)	–
	Chiara Boggiatto • Alessandra Cappa • Ambra Migliori • Federica Pellegrini

Round One (20 August 2004)

Fastest eight advanced to the final.

Heat One (11:55)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	Time	Reaction	Exchange (Pos)
1	4	United States	USA		4:02.82			Q
		Haley Cope		30.68	1:01.96	0.68	1:01.96 (1)
		Tara Kirk		31.41	1:07.08	0.39	2:09.04 (1)
		Rachel Komisarz		27.81	58.75	0.44	3:07.79 (1)
		Amanda Weir		26.50	55.03	0.42	4:02.82 (1)
2	5	Germany	GER		4:04.16			Q
		Antje Buschschulte		30.78	1:02.47	0.68	1:02.47 (4)
		Sarah Poewe		31.72	1:07.31	0.32	2:09.78 (2)
		Franziska van Almsick		27.90	59.77	0.00	3:09.55 (2)
		Daniela Götz		26.25	54.61	0.36	4:04.16 (2)
3	3	Japan	JPN		4:05.99			Q
		Noriko Inada		29.76	1:02.14	0.65	1:02.14 (2)
		Masami Tanaka		32.57	1:09.17	0.13	2:11.31 (3)
		Junko Onishi		28.09	59.45	0.18	3:10.76 (3)
		Tomoko Nagai		26.29	55.23	0.19	4:05.99 (3)
4	1	Denmark	DEN		4:08.89
		Louise Ørnstedt		30.71	1:02.71	0.71	1:02.71 (5)
		Majken Thorup		33.26	1:11.46	0.32	2:14.17 (6)
		Mette Jacobsen		27.69	59.21	0.30	3:13.38 (5)
		Jeanette Ottesen Gray		26.88	55.51	0.21	4:08.89 (4)
5	6	Ukraine	UKR		4:09.79
		Kateryna Zubkova		30.75	1:03.66	0.69	1:03.66 (7)
		Svitlana Bondarenko		33.08	1:09.36	0.45	2:13.02 (5)
		Yana Klochkova		27.85	1:00.16	0.41	3:13.18 (4)
		Olha Mukomol		27.02	56.61	0.53	4:09.79 (5)
6	7	New Zealand	NZL		4:10.37
		Hannah McLean		30.39	1:02.40	0.68	1:02.40 (3)
		Annabelle Carey		33.28	1:11.98	0.30	2:14.38 (7)
		Elizabeth Coster		28.09	1:00.38	0.41	3:14.76 (6)
		Alison Fitch		26.87	55.61	0.37	4:10.37 (6)
7	8	Switzerland	SUI		4:15.54
		Dominique Diezi		30.89	1:04.06	0.62	1:04.06 (8)
		Carmela Schlegel		33.55	1:12.04	0.32	2:16.10 (8)
		Carla Stampfli		28.53	1:03.37	0.42	3:19.47 (7)
		Nicole Zahnd		26.78	56.07	0.05	4:15.54 (7)
DQ	2	Italy	ITA		–				1
		Alessandra Cappa		30.42	1:03.11	0.68	1:03.11 (6)
		Chiara Boggiatto		32.76	1:09.66	0.10	2:12.77 (4)
		Ambra Migliori		–	–	-0.06	– (–)
		Federica Pellegrini		–	–	–	– (–)

Heat Two (12:01)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	Time	Reaction	Exchange (Pos)
1	5	Australia	AUS		4:01.17			Q
		Giaan Rooney		30.55	1:01.99	0.70	1:01.99 (4)
		Brooke Hanson		31.74	1:07.55	0.36	2:09.54 (1)
		Jess Schipper		27.07	58.09	0.32	3:07.63 (1)
		Alice Mills		25.62	53.54	0.22	4:01.17 (1)
2	6	Great Britain	GBR		4:05.63			Q
		Sarah Price		30.32	1:01.90	0.72	1:01.90 (2)
		Kirsty Balfour		32.33	1:09.19	0.14	2:11.09 (2)
		Georgina Lee		27.99	59.56	0.23	3:10.65 (2)
		Melanie Marshall		26.33	54.98	0.21	4:05.63 (2)
3	4	People's Republic of China	CHN		4:05.97			Q
		Zhan Shu		30.21	1:01.92	0.72	1:01.92 (3)
		Qi Hui		32.93	1:09.90	0.36	2:11.82 (4)
		Zhou Yafei		27.73	59.13	0.31	3:10.95 (3)
		Zhu Yingwen		26.27	55.02	0.27	4:05.97 (3)
4	7	Spain	ESP		4:06.90			Q
		Nina Zhivanevskaya		29.76	1:01.08	0.66	1:01.08 (1)
		Sara Pérez		33.02	1:10.52	0.17	2:11.60 (3)
		María Peláez		28.00	1:00.34	0.09	3:11.94 (4)
		Tatiana Rouba		26.58	54.96	0.22	4:06.90 (4)
5	2	Netherlands	NED		4:08.72			Q
		Stefanie Luiken		31.33	1:04.13	0.79	1:04.13 (6)
		Madelon Baans		31.86	1:09.53	0.09	2:13.66 (7)
		Chantal Groot		28.07	1:00.51	0.28	3:14.17 (7)
		Marleen Veldhuis		25.62	54.55	0.19	4:08.72 (5)
6	1	Canada	CAN		4:09.84
		Erin Gammel		30.56	1:02.57	0.60	1:02.57 (5)
		Lauren Van Oosten		32.94	1:09.57	0.17	2:12.14 (5)
		Jennifer Fratesi		28.83	1:01.60	0.15	3:13.74 (6)
		Brittany Reimer		26.64	56.10	0.24	4:09.84 (6)
7	8	Russian Federation	RUS		4:10.18
		Oksana Verevka		31.62	1:05.09	0.69	1:05.09 (8)
		Yelena Bogomazova		32.12	1:08.51	0.19	2:13.60 (6)
		Nataliya Sutyagina		27.67	58.98	0.25	3:12.58 (5)
		Nataliya Shalagina		27.28	57.60	0.27	4:10.18 (7)
8	3	France	FRA		4:11.42
		Alexandra Putra		31.70	1:04.81	0.71	1:04.81 (7)
		Laurie Thomassin		32.92	1:12.16	0.34	2:16.97 (8)
		Aurore Mongel		28.02	1:00.40	0.22	3:17.37 (8)
		Malia Metella		25.66	54.05	0.23	4:11.42 (8)

Final (21 August 2004 — 20:10)

Pos	Lane	Swimmer	NOC	50 m	Time	Reaction	Exchange (Pos)
1	4	Australia	AUS		3:57.32			WR
		Giaan Rooney		30.04	1:01.18	0.71	1:01.18 (4)
		Leisel Jones		30.94	1:06.50	0.24	2:07.68 (2)
		Petria Thomas		26.54	56.67	0.37	3:04.35 (1)
		Jodie Henry		25.61	52.97	0.28	3:57.32 (1)
2	5	United States	USA		3:59.12
		Natalie Coughlin		29.07	59.68	0.60	59.68 (1)
		Amanda Beard		31.20	1:06.32	0.19	2:06.00 (1)
		Jenny Thompson		27.43	58.81	0.26	3:04.81 (2)
		Kara Lynn Joyce		25.78	54.31	0.19	3:59.12 (2)
3	3	Germany	GER		4:00.72
		Antje Buschschulte		29.56	1:00.72	0.66	1:00.72 (2)
		Sarah Poewe		31.45	1:07.08	0.27	2:07.80 (3)
		Franziska van Almsick		27.15	58.54	0.30	3:06.34 (3)
		Daniela Götz		26.13	54.38	0.30	4:00.72 (3)
4	2	People's Republic of China	CHN		4:03.35
		Chen Xiujun		29.68	1:02.00	0.59	1:02.00 (6)
		Luo Xuejuan		31.89	1:08.82	0.27	2:10.82 (6)
		Zhou Yafei		27.10	58.10	0.22	3:08.92 (4)
		Zhu Yingwen		25.61	54.43	0.08	4:03.35 (4)
5	7	Japan	JPN		4:04.83
		Reiko Nakamura		29.56	1:01.05	0.64	1:01.05 (3)
		Masami Tanaka		32.30	1:09.09	0.15	2:10.14 (4)
		Junko Onishi		27.87	59.14	0.21	3:09.28 (5)
		Tomoko Nagai		26.44	55.55	0.24	4:04.83 (5)
6	8	Netherlands	NED		4:07.36
		Stefanie Luiken		31.36	1:04.83	0.73	1:04.83 (8)
		Madelon Baans		31.97	1:09.55	0.21	2:14.38 (8)
		Inge de Bruijn		26.80	58.85	0.28	3:13.23 (8)
		Marleen Veldhuis		25.24	54.13	0.12	4:07.36 (6)
7	1	Spain	ESP		4:07.61
		Nina Zhivanevskaya		29.81	1:01.29	0.68	1:01.29 (5)
		Sara Pérez		33.24	1:10.62	0.27	2:11.91 (7)
		María Peláez		28.27	1:00.74	0.37	3:12.65 (7)
		Tatiana Rouba		26.15	54.96	0.14	4:07.61 (7)
DQ	6	Great Britain	GBR		–				2
		Katy Sexton		30.70	1:02.36	0.76	1:02.36 (7)
		Kirsty Balfour		31.98	1:07.98	0.12	2:10.34 (5)
		Georgina Lee		28.31	59.63	0.36	3:09.97 (6)
		Kathryn Evans		–	–	-0.05	– (AC)