# Swimming at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay

The women's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay event at the 1996 Summer Olympics took place on 22 July at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center in Atlanta, United States.

## Records

Prior to this competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows.
| World record | China (CHN) Le Ying (54.31) Shan Ying (54.38) Lü Bin (55.09) Le Jingyi (54.13) | 3:37.91 | Rome, Italy | 7 September 1994 |
| Olympic record | United States (USA) Nicole Haislett (55.33) Dara Torres (55.33) Angel Martino (54.79) Jenny Thompson (54.01) | 3:39.46 | Barcelona, Spain | 28 July 1992 |
The following new world and Olympic records were set during this competition.
| Date | Event | Name | Nationality | Time | Record |
| 22 July | Final | Angel Martino (55.34) Amy Van Dyken (53.91) Catherine Fox (55.93) Jenny Thompson (54.11) | United States | 3:39.29 | OR |

## Results
### Heats

Rule: The eight fastest teams advance to the final (Q).
| Rank | Heat | Lane | Nation | Swimmers | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 2 | 4 | United States | Jenny Thompson (55.04) Catherine Fox (55.03) Lisa Jacob (56.31) Melanie Valerio (55.98) | 3:42.36 | Q |
| 2 | 2 | 2 | Netherlands | Marianne Muis (55.60) Manon Masseurs (56.54) Wilma van Hofwegen (55.24) Minouche Smit (56.25) | 3:43.63 | Q |
| 3 | 3 | 4 | China | Shan Ying (56.03) Chao Na (56.57) Nian Yun (55.80) Le Jingyi (55.66) | 3:44.06 | Q |
| 4 | 3 | 5 | Germany | Simone Osygus (56.50) Antje Buschschulte (55.49) Meike Freitag (56.43) Franziska van Almsick (55.75) | 3:44.17 | Q |
| 5 | 2 | 3 | Sweden | Louise Jöhncke (56.81) Johanna Sjöberg (56.63) Louise Karlsson (56.23) Linda Olofsson (55.72) | 3:45.39 | Q |
| 6 | 3 | 3 | Canada | Shannon Shakespeare (56.05) Julie Howard (56.79) Andrea Moody (56.55) Marianne Limpert (56.27) | 3:45.66 | Q, NR |
| 7 | 1 | 5 | Russia | Svetlana Leshukova (57.31) Nataliya Sorokina (57.07) Yelena Nazemnova (56.59) Natalya Meshcheryakova (56.36) | 3:47.33 | Q |
| 8 | 1 | 4 | Australia | Anna Windsor (59.03) Sarah Ryan (55.59) Lise Mackie (57.02) Julia Greville (56.30) | 3:47.94 | Q |
| 9 | 1 | 3 | Great Britain | Sue Rolph (56.61) Alison Sheppard (57.52) Carrie Willmott (58.10) Karen Pickering (56.03) | 3:48.26 | |
| 10 | 1 | 6 | France | Solenne Figuès (57.12) Jacqueline Delord (57.56) Casey Legler (56.98) Marianne Le Verge (56.64) | 3:48.30 | |
| 11 | 2 | 6 | Romania | Lorena Diaconescu (56.89) Florina Herea (58.16) Andreea Trufaşu (57.18) Luminița Dobrescu (56.20) | 3:48.43 | |
| 12 | 2 | 5 | Japan | Sumika Minamoto (57.48) Naoko Imoto (56.81) Eri Yamanoi (58.19) Suzu Chiba (56.29) | 3:48.77 | |
| 13 | 3 | 6 | Denmark | Mette Nielsen (57.85) Mette Jacobsen (56.01) Karen Egdal (57.63) Ditte Jensen (57.44) | 3:48.93 | |
| 14 | 3 | 2 | Spain | Blanca Cerón (57.52) Fátima Madrid (57.85) Susanna Garabatos (57.91) Claudia Franco (56.19) | 3:49.47 | NR |
| 15 | 3 | 1 | Belarus | Sviatlana Zhidko (58.11) Inga Borodich (57.49) Natalya Baranovskaya (57.90) Alena Popchanka (56.72) | 3:50.22 | NR |
| 16 | 1 | 2 | Finland | Minna Salmela (57.13) Paula Harmokivi (57.56) Marja Pärssinen (57.16) Marja Heikkilä (58.48) | 3:50.33 | |
| 17 | 2 | 7 | Switzerland | Dominique Diezi (57.60) Nicole Zahnd (58.35) Lara Preacco (58.83) Sandrine Paquier (58.52) | 3:53.30 | |
| 18 | 3 | 7 | Chinese Taipei | Chang Wei-chia (58.49) Tsai Shu-min (59.79) Lin Chien-ju (58.38) Lin Chi-chan (59.73) | 3:56.39 | |
| 19 | 1 | 7 | South Korea | Lee Bo-eun (58.77) Seo So-yung (58.72) Lee Jie-hyun (59.38) Jeong Eun-na (1:00.96) | 3:57.83 | |

### Final

| Rank | Lane | Nation | Swimmers | Time | Notes |
| | 4 | United States | Angel Martino (55.34) Amy Van Dyken (53.91) Catherine Fox (55.93) Jenny Thompson (54.11) | 3:39.29 | OR |
| | 3 | China | Le Jingyi (54.79) Chao Na (55.40) Nian Yun (55.42) Shan Ying (54.87) | 3:40.48 | |
| | 6 | Germany | Sandra Völker (55.70) Simone Osygus (56.05) Antje Buschschulte (55.20) Franziska van Almsick (54.53) | 3:41.48 | |
| 4 | 5 | Netherlands | Marianne Muis (55.73) Minouche Smit (56.15) Wilma van Hofwegen (55.53) Karin Brienesse (54.99) | 3:42.40 | NR |
| 5 | 2 | Sweden | Linda Olofsson (55.75) Louise Jöhncke (56.32) Louise Karlsson (56.07) Johanna Sjöberg (56.77) | 3:44.91 | NR |
| 6 | 8 | Australia | Sarah Ryan (56.06) Julia Greville (56.27) Lise Mackie (57.03) Susie O'Neill (55.95) | 3:45.31 | |
| 7 | 7 | Canada | Shannon Shakespeare (56.07) Julie Howard (57.03) Andrea Moody (56.74) Marianne Limpert (56.43) | 3:46.27 | |
| | 1 | Russia | Yelena Nazemnova Natalya Sorokina Svetlana Leshukova Natalya Meshcheryakova | DSQ | |