# Swimming at the 1980 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay

The women's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay event at the 1980 Summer Olympics was held on 27 July at the Swimming Pool at the Olimpiysky Sports Complex.

## Records

Prior to this competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows.
| World record | United States (USA) Tracy Caulkins (56.57) Stephanie Elkins (55.92) Jill Sterkel (55.70) Cynthia Woodhead (55.24) | 3:43.43 | West Berlin, West Germany | 26 August 1978 |
| Olympic record | United States (USA) Kim Peyton (56.95) Wendy Boglioli (55.81) Jill Sterkel (55.78) Shirley Babashoff (56.28) | 3:44.82 | Montreal, Canada | 25 July 1976 |
The following records were established during the competition:
| Date | Event | Name | Nationality | Time | Record |
| 27 July | Final | Barbara Krause (54.90) Caren Metschuck (55.61) Ines Diers (55.90) Sarina Hülsenbeck (56.30) | East Germany | 3:42.71 | WR |

## Results
### Heats

| Rank | Heat | Nation | Swimmers | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 2 | East Germany | Barbara Krause (56.09) Sarina Hülsenbeck (55.99) Caren Metschuck (55.81) Carmela Schmidt (57.30) | 3:45.19 | Q |
| 2 | 1 | Netherlands | Conny van Bentum (57.99) Wilma van Velsen (57.40) Reggie de Jong (58.34) Annelies Maas (57.57) | 3:51.30 | Q |
| 3 | 1 | Sweden | Carina Ljungdahl (57.85) Birgitta Jönsson (58.44) Helena Peterson (58.58) Tina Gustafsson (57.35) | 3:52.22 | Q |
| 4 | 1 | Great Britain | June Croft (57.30) Kaye Lovatt (58.47) Jacquelene Willmott (58.99) Sharron Davies (58.32) | 3:53.08 | Q |
| 5 | 2 | Australia | Lisa Curry (59.68) Karen Van de Graaf (58.73) Rosemary Brown (58.92) Michelle Pearson (58.91) | 3:56.24 | Q |
| 6 | 1 | Mexico | Isabel Reuss (58.86) Dagmar Erdman (1:00.31) Teresa Rivera (58.37) Hellen Plaschinski (59.33) | 3:56.87 | Q |
| 7 | 2 | Spain | Natalia Mas (58.86) Margarita Armengol (59.89) Laura Flaque (59.74) Gloria Casado (59.84) | 3:58.33 | Q |
| 8 | 1 | Bulgaria | Stoianka Dyngalakova (59.38) Rumyana Dobreva (59.75) Ani Kostova (1:01.01) Dobrinka Mincheva (59.51) | 3:59.65 | Q |
| | 2 | Soviet Union | Irina Gerasimova Natalya Strunnikova Larisa Tsaryova Olga Klevakina | DSQ | |
* The Soviet Union was disqualified in the heats for an improper changeover.

### Final

| Rank | Nation | Swimmers | Time | Notes |
| | East Germany | Barbara Krause (54.90) Caren Metschuck (55.61) Ines Diers (55.90) Sarina Hülsenbeck (56.30) | 3:42.71 | WR |
| | Sweden | Carina Ljungdahl (57.61) Tina Gustafsson (56.82) Agneta Mårtensson (57.93) Agneta Eriksson (56.57) | 3:48.93 | |
| | Netherlands | Conny van Bentum (57.50) Wilma van Velsen (57.38) Reggie de Jong (57.17) Annelies Maas (57.46) | 3:49.51 | |
| 4 | Great Britain | Sharron Davies (58.74) Kaye Lovatt (58.44) Jacquelene Willmott (57.68) June Croft (56.85) | 3:51.71 | |
| 5 | Australia | Lisa Curry (59.13) Karen Van de Graaf (57.79) Rosemary Brown (59.38) Michelle Pearson (57.86) | 3:54.16 | |
| 6 | Mexico | Isabel Reuss (57.99) Dagmar Erdman (1:01.17) Teresa Rivera (58.60) Hellen Plaschinski (57.65) | 3:55.41 | |
| 7 | Bulgaria | Dobrinka Mincheva (58.90) Rumiana Dobreva (59.79) Ani Kostova (59.72) Stoianka Dyngalakova (57.93) | 3:56.34 | |
| 8 | Spain | Natalia Mas (58.88) Margarita Armengol (1:00.08) Laura Flaque (1:00.05) Gloria Casado (59.72) | 3:58.73 | |