# Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay

These are the official results of the women's 4 × 100 metres relay event at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany. The event was held on 9 and 10 September 1972. There were a total number of 15 nations competing.

## Records

These were the standing World and Olympic records (in seconds) prior to the 1972 Summer Olympics.
| World Record | 42.88 | Margaret Bailes Barbara Ferrell Mildrette Netter Wyomia Tyus | Mexico City (MEX) | 20 October 1968 |
| Olympic Record | 42.88 | Margaret Bailes Barbara Ferrell Mildrette Netter Wyomia Tyus | Mexico City (MEX) | 20 October 1968 |

## Results
### Final

* Held on 10 September 1972
| RANK | NATION | ATHLETES | TIME |
| | West Germany (FRG) | • Christiane Krause • Ingrid Mickler-Becker • Annegret Richter • Heide Rosendahl | 42.81 (WR) |
| | East Germany (GDR) | • Evelin Kaufer • Christina Heinich • Bärbel Struppert • Renate Stecher | 42.95 |
| | Cuba (CUB) | • Marlene Elejarde • Carmen Valdés • Fulgencia Romay • Silvia Chibás | 43.36 |
| 4. | United States (USA) | • Martha Watson • Mattline Render • Mildrette Netter • Iris Davis | 43.39 |
| 5. | Soviet Union (URS) | • Marina Sidorova • Galina Bukharina • Lyudmila Zharkova • Nadezhda Besfamilnaya | 43.59 |
| 6. | Australia (AUS) | • Maureen Caird • Raelene Boyle • Marion Hoffman • Penny Gillies | 43.61 |
| 7. | Great Britain (GBR) | • Andrea Lynch • Della Pascoe • Judy Vernon • Anita Neil | 43.71 |
| 8. | Poland (POL) | • Helena Kerner • Barbara Bakulin • Urszula Jóźwik • Danuta Jedrejek | 44.20 |

### Semifinals

* Held on 9 September 1972

#### Heat 1

| RANK | NATION | ATHLETES | TIME |
| 1. | Cuba (CUB) | • Marlene Elejarde • Carmen Valdés • Fulgencia Romay • Silvia Chibás | 43.67 |
| 2. | Soviet Union (URS) | • Marina Sidorova • Galina Bukharina • Lyudmila Zharkova • Nedezhda Bezfamilnaia | 43.77 |
| 3. | Australia (AUS) | • Maureen Caird • Pamela Ryan • Marion Hoffman • Raelene Boyle | 44.03 |
| 4. | Poland (POL) | • Helena Fliśnik • Barbara Bakulin • Urszula Jóźwik • Danuta Jędrejek | 44.19 |
| 5 | Italy (ITA) | • Maddalena Grassano • Alessandra Orselli • Laura Nappi • Cecilia Molinari | 44.62 |
| 6. | Finland (FIN) | • Tuula Rautanen • Mona-Lisa Strandvall • Pirjo Wilmi • Marika Eklund | 44.68 |
| 7. | Nigeria (NGR) | • Emilie Edet • Ashanti Obi • Helen Olaye • Modupe Oshikoya | 45.15 |
| — | Philippines (PHI) | • Lucila Salao • Carmen Torres • Aida Mantawel • Amelita Alanes | DSQ |

#### Heat 2

| RANK | NATION | ATHLETES | TIME |
| 1. | East Germany (GDR) | • Evelin Kaufer • Christina Heinich • Bärbel Struppert • Renate Stecher | 42.88 |
| 2. | West Germany (FRG) | • Christiane Krause • Ingrid Mickler-Becker • Annegret Richter • Heide Rosendahl | 42.97 |
| 3. | United States (USA) | • Martha Watson • Mattline Render • Mildrette Netter • Iris Davis | 43.07 |
| 4. | Great Britain (GBR) | • Andrea Lynch • Della Pascoe • Judy Vernon • Anita Neil | 43.76 |
| 5. | Bulgaria (BUL) | • Diana Yorgova • Ivanka Valkova • Ivanka Venkova • Yordanka Yankova | 43.95 |
| — | Jamaica (JAM) | • Lelieth Hodges • Vilma Charlton • Carol Cummings • Debbie Byfield | DSQ |
| — | Sweden (SWE) | • Anneli Olsson • Gunhild Olsson • Karin Lundgren • Linda Haglund | DSQ |