# Swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 100 metre medley relay

The women's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay event at the 1988 Summer Olympics took place on 24 September at the Jamsil Indoor Swimming Pool in Seoul, South Korea.

## Records

Prior to this competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows.
| World record | East Germany (GDR) Ina Kleber (1:00.59) Sylvia Gerasch (1:08.69) Ines Geißler (59.52) Birgit Meineke (54.89) | 4:03.69 | Moscow, Soviet Union | 24 August 1984 |
| Olympic record | East Germany (GDR) Rica Reinisch (1:01.51) Ute Geweniger (1:09.46) Andrea Pollack (1:00.14) Caren Metschuck (55.56) | 4:06.67 | Moscow, Soviet Union | 20 July 1980 |
The following new world and Olympic records were set during this competition.
| Date | Event | Name | Nationality | Time | Record |
| 24 September | Final | Kristin Otto (1:01.03) Silke Hörner (1:08.20) Birte Weigang (59.51) Katrin Meissner (55.00) | East Germany | 4:03.74 | OR |

## Results
### Heats

Rule: The eight fastest teams advance to the final (Q).
| Rank | Heat | Nation | Swimmers | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 2 | East Germany | Cornelia Sirch (1:02.34) Silke Hörner (1:09.37) Birte Weigang (1:00.75) Manuela Stellmach (56.07) | 4:08.53 | Q |
| 2 | 3 | United States | Betsy Mitchell (1:02.66) Tracey McFarlane (1:10.33) Mary T. Meagher (1:01.64) Dara Torres (55.75) | 4:10.38 | Q |
| 3 | 3 | Netherlands | Jolanda de Rover (1:04.03) Linda Moes (1:10.74) Conny van Bentum (1:00.62) Karin Brienesse (56.43) | 4:11.82 | Q |
| 4 | 3 | West Germany | Svenja Schlicht (1:03.56) Britta Dahm (1:12.56) Gabi Reha (1:01.54) Marion Aizpors (55.53) | 4:13.19 | Q |
| 5 | 2 | Canada | Lori Melien (1:03.80) Keltie Duggan (1:11.58) Jane Kerr (1:02.42) Patricia Noall (56.43) | 4:14.23 | Q |
| 6 | 1 | Australia | Nicole Livingstone (1:04.07) Lara Hooiveld (1:10.97) Fiona Alessandri (1:02.12) Karen van Wirdum (57.16) | 4:14.32 | Q |
| 7 | 1 | Italy | Lorenza Vigarani (1:03.64) Manuela Dalla Valle (1:11.17) Ilaria Tocchini (1:02.24) Silvia Persi (57.63) | 4:14.68 | Q |
| 8 | 2 | Bulgaria | Bistra Gospodinova (1:05.23) Tanya Dangalakova (1:09.31) Neviana Miteva (1:02.82) Natasha Khristova (57.86) | 4:15.22 | Q |
| 9 | 3 | Great Britain | Katherine Read (1:04.86) Suki Brownsdon (1:11.74) Caroline Foot (1:01.97) Joanna Coull (57.61) | 4:16.18 | |
| 10 | 3 | France | Laurence Guillou (1:05.28) Pascaline Louvrier (1:13.72) Catherine Plewinski (59.86) Jacqueline Delord (57.35) | 4:16.21 | |
| 11 | 2 | Sweden | Johanna Larsson (1:05.10) Anna-Karin Persson (1:12.40) Agneta Eriksson (1:02.95) Eva Nyberg (57.27) | 4:17.72 | |
| 12 | 1 | Japan | Satoko Morishita (1:05.23) Yoshie Nishioka (1:13.63) Kiyomi Takahashi (1:01.95) Ayako Nakano (58.07) | 4:18.88 | |
| 13 | 1 | Spain | Natalia Autric (1:06.74) Silvia Parera (1:14.87) María Luisa Fernández (1:02.45) Amaya Garbayo (57.78) | 4:21.84 | |
| 14 | 3 | South Korea | Hong Ji-hee (1:08.52) Park Sung-won (1:14.57) Lee Hong-mi (1:05.73) Han Young-hee (1:00.08) | 4:28.90 | |
| 15 | 2 | Costa Rica | Silvia Poll (1:04.02) Sigrid Niehaus (1:17.56) Marcela Cuesta (1:09.89) Carolina Mauri (1:00.28) | 4:31.75 | |
| 16 | 1 | Chinese Taipei | Wang Chi (1:10.75) Carwai Seto (1:15.45) Chang Hui-chien (1:07.95) Kimberly Chen (1:05.34) | 4:39.49 | |
| | 1 | China | Yang Wenyi Huang Xiaomin Qian Hong Zhuang Yong | DSQ | |
| | 2 | Denmark | Mette Jacobsen Pia Sørensen Annette Jørgensen Gitta Jensen | DSQ | |

### Final

| Rank | Lane | Nation | Swimmers | Time | Notes |
| | 4 | East Germany | Kristin Otto (1:01.03) Silke Hörner (1:08.20) Birte Weigang (59.51) Katrin Meissner (55.00) | 4:03.74 | OR |
| | 5 | United States | Beth Barr (1:02.56) Tracey McFarlane (1:10.22) Janel Jorgensen (59.84) Mary Wayte (55.28) | 4:07.90 | |
| | 2 | Canada | Lori Melien (1:04.25) Allison Higson (1:08.15) Jane Kerr (1:01.78) Andrea Nugent (56.31) | 4:10.49 | |
| 4 | 7 | Australia | Nicole Livingstone (1:03.43) Lara Hooiveld (1:10.49) Fiona Alessandri (1:00.87) Karen van Wirdum (56.78) | 4:11.57 | OC |
| 5 | 3 | Netherlands | Jolanda de Rover (1:03.76) Linda Moes (1:11.40) Conny van Bentum (1:00.30) Karin Brienesse (56.73) | 4:12.19 | |
| 6 | 8 | Bulgaria | Bistra Gospodinova (1:04.87) Tanya Dangalakova (1:07.95) Neviana Miteva (1:02.76) Natasha Khristova (56.78) | 4:12.36 | |
| 7 | 6 | West Germany | Svenja Schlicht (1:03.46) Britta Dahm (1:12.36) Gabi Reha (1:01.79) Marion Aizpors (55.28) | 4:12.89 | |
| 8 | 1 | Italy | Lorenza Vigarani (1:03.96) Manuela Dalla Valle (1:10.63) Ilaria Tocchini (1:01.93) Silvia Persi (57.33) | 4:13.85 | |