Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 100 metre medley relay

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Women's 4 × 100 metre medley relay
at the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad
Venue Olympic Aquatic Centre
DatesAugust 20, 2004 (heats)
August 21, 2004 (final)
Competitors77 from 16 nations
Winning time3:57.32 WR
Medalists
Gold medal icon.svgFlag of Australia.svg  Australia  (AUS)
Giaan Rooney, Leisel Jones, Petria Thomas, Jodie Henry, Brooke Hanson*, Alice Mills*, Jessicah Schipper*
Silver medal icon.svgFlag of the United States.svg  United States  (USA)
Natalie Coughlin, Amanda Beard, Jenny Thompson, Kara Lynn Joyce, Haley Cope*, Tara Kirk*, Rachel Komisarz*, Amanda Weir*
Bronze medal icon.svg

Flag of Germany.svg  Germany  (GER)
Antje Buschschulte, Sarah Poewe, Franziska van Almsick, Daniela Götz


*Indicates the swimmer only competed in the preliminary heats.
  2000
2008  

The women's 4 × 100 metre medley relay took place on 20–21 August at the Olympic Aquatic Centre of the Athens Olympic Sports Complex in Athens, Greece. [1]

The Australians reinforced their claim to become the strongest women's team in the world with a convincing triumph over their American rivals in the event. Giaan Rooney, Leisel Jones, Petria Thomas, and Jodie Henry broke almost a full second off the world record set by Team USA in 2000, stopping the clock at 3:57.32. At the start of the race, the U.S. team got off to a flying start in the backstroke, until the Australians reeled them in on the butterfly leg. Thomas blasted a remarkable split of 56.67, the fastest of all-time in Olympic history, to overhaul Jenny Thompson of the U.S. team, and eventually move the Aussies in front of the race. The anchor freestyle leg left Henry to go up against Kara Lynn Joyce, and the Australians looked unbeatable with Henry, touching the wall first in 52.97, the second-fastest split of all-time. [2] [3]

Meanwhile, the U.S. team of Thompson, Joyce, Natalie Coughlin, and Amanda Beard settled only for the silver in 3:59.12, almost two seconds behind the Aussies. The Germans maintained their pace to earn a bronze, and finished in a European record of 4:00.72. [2] [4]

Competing in her fourth Olympics for Team USA, Thompson became the most decorated American athlete in history with her twelfth career medal, including 10 from the relays. [4]

Records

Prior to this competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows.

World recordFlag of the United States.svg  United States  (USA)
Barbara Bedford (1:01.39)
Megan Quann (1:06.29)
Jenny Thompson (57.25)
Dara Torres (53.37)
3:58.30 Sydney, Australia 23 September 2000
Olympic recordFlag of the United States.svg  United States  (USA)
Barbara Bedford (1:01.39)
Megan Quann (1:06.29)
Jenny Thompson (57.25)
Dara Torres (53.37)
3:58.30 Sydney, Australia 23 September 2000

The following new world and Olympic records were set during this competition.

DateEventSwimmersNationalityTimeRecord
August 21Final Giaan Rooney (1:01.18)
Leisel Jones (1:06.70)
Petria Thomas (56.67)
Jodie Henry (52.97)
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia 3:57.32 WR

Results

Heats

RankHeatLaneNationSwimmersTimeNotes
125Flag of Australia.svg  Australia Giaan Rooney (1:01.99)
Brooke Hanson (1:07.55)
Jessicah Schipper (58.09)
Alice Mills (53.54)
4:01.17Q
214Flag of the United States.svg  United States Haley Cope (1:01.96)
Tara Kirk (1:07.08)
Rachel Komisarz (58.75)
Amanda Weir (55.03)
4:02.82Q
315Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Antje Buschschulte (1:02.47)
Sarah Poewe (1:07.31)
Franziska van Almsick (59.77)
Daniela Götz (54.61)
4:04.16Q
426Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Sarah Price (1:01.90)
Kirsty Balfour (1:09.19)
Georgina Lee (59.56)
Melanie Marshall (54.98)
4:05.63Q
524Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China Zhan Shu (1:01.92)
Qi Hui (1:09.90)
Zhou Yafei (59.13)
Zhu Yingwen (55.02)
4:05.97Q
613Flag of Japan.svg  Japan Noriko Inada (1:02.14)
Masami Tanaka (1:09.17)
Junko Onishi (59.45)
Tomoko Nagai (55.23)
4:05.99Q
727Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Nina Zhivanevskaya (1:01.08)
Sara Pérez (1:10.52)
María Peláez (1:00.34)
Tatiana Rouba (54.96)
4:06.90Q
822Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Stefanie Luiken (1:04.13)
Madelon Baans (1:09.53)
Chantal Groot (1:00.51)
Marleen Veldhuis (54.55)
4:08.72Q
911Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark Louise Ørnstedt (1:02.71)
Majken Thorup (1:11.46)
Mette Jacobsen (59.21)
Jeanette Ottesen (55.51)
4:08.89
1016Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine Kateryna Zubkova (1:03.66)
Svitlana Bondarenko (1:09.36)
Yana Klochkova (1:00.16)
Olga Mukomol (56.61)
4:09.79
1121Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Erin Gammel (1:02.57)
Lauren van Oosten (1:09.57)
Jennifer Fratesi (1:01.60)
Brittany Reimer (56.10)
4:09.84
1228Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Oxana Verevka (1:05.09)
Elena Bogomazova (1:08.51)
Natalya Sutyagina (58.98)
Nataliya Shalagina (57.60)
4:10.18
1317Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand Hannah McLean (1:02.40)
Annabelle Carey (1:11.98)
Elizabeth Coster (1:00.38)
Alison Fitch (55.61)
4:10.37
1423Flag of France.svg  France Alexandra Putra (1:04.81)
Laurie Thomassin (1.12.16)
Aurore Mongel (1:00.40)
Malia Metella (54.05)
4:11.42
1518Flag of Switzerland.svg  Switzerland Dominique Diezi (1:04.06)
Carmela Schlegel (1:12.04)
Carla Stampfli (1:03.37)
Nicole Zahnd (56.07)
4:15.54
12Flag of Italy (2003-2006).svg  Italy Alessandra Cappa (1:03.11)
Chiara Boggiatto (1:09.66)
Ambra Migliori
Federica Pellegrini
DSQ

Final

RankLaneNationSwimmersTimeTime behindNotes
Gold medal icon.svg4Flag of Australia.svg  Australia Giaan Rooney (1:01.18) OC
Leisel Jones (1:06.50)
Petria Thomas (56.67)
Jodie Henry (52.97)
3:57.32 WR
Silver medal icon.svg5Flag of the United States.svg  United States Natalie Coughlin (59.68) OR
Amanda Beard (1:06.32)
Jenny Thompson (58.81)
Kara Lynn Joyce (54.31)
3:59.121.80
Bronze medal icon.svg3Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Antje Buschschulte (1:00.72)
Sarah Poewe (1:07.08)
Franziska van Almsick (58.54)
Daniela Götz (54.38)
4:00.723.40 EU
42Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China Chen Xiujun (1:02.00)
Luo Xuejuan (1:08.82)
Zhou Yafei (58.10)
Zhu Yingwen (54.43)
4:03.356.03
57Flag of Japan.svg  Japan Reiko Nakamura (1:01.05)
Masami Tanaka (1:09.09)
Junko Onishi (59.14)
Tomoko Nagai (55.55)
4:04.837.51
68Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Stefanie Luiken (1:04.83)
Madelon Baans (1:09.55)
Inge de Bruijn (58.85)
Marleen Veldhuis (54.13)
4:07.3610.04
71Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Nina Zhivanevskaya (1:01.29)
Sara Pérez (1:10.62)
María Peláez (1:00.74)
Tatiana Rouba (54.96)
4:07.6110.29
6Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Katy Sexton (1:02.36)
Kirsty Balfour (1:07.98)
Georgina Lee (59.63)
Kathryn Evans
DSQ

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References

  1. "Swimming schedule". BBC Sport. 5 August 2004. Retrieved 17 June 2007.
  2. 1 2 Thomas, Stephen (21 August 2004). "Aussie Women Smash the World Record in the 400m Medley Relay". Swimming World Magazine. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
  3. "Australia win sprint medley". BBC Sport. 21 August 2004. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
  4. 1 2 "Records tumble at last day in pool". CNN. 21 August 2004. Retrieved 10 May 2013.