The women's 4 × 100 metre medley relay event at the 2008 Olympic Games took place on 15 and 17 August at the

Beijing National Aquatics Center The National Aquatics Centre (), and colloquially known as the Water Cube () and the Ice Cube (), is an aquatics center at the Olympic Green in Beijing, China. The facility was originally constructed to host the aquatics competitions at the ...

Beijing, China } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

. Dominating the race from the start, the Aussie women's relay team solidified their triumph to destroy the world record and to defend the Olympic title over their American rivals for the second straight time. The foursome of

Emily Seebohm Emily Jane Seebohm, OAM (born 5 June 1992) is an Australian swimmer and television personality. She has appeared at four Olympic Games between 2008 and 2021; and won three Olympic gold medals, five world championship gold medals and seven Commo ...

(59.33),

Leisel Jones Leisel Marie Jones, OAM (born 30 August 1985) is an Australian former competition swimmer and Olympic gold medallist. A participant in the 2000 Summer Olympics – at just 15 years old – and 2004 Summer Olympics, she was part of gold-medal- ...

(1:04.58),

Jessicah Schipper Jessicah Lee Schipper OAM (born 19 November 1986) is an Australian former competition swimmer. Specialising in the 100 and 200 metres butterfly, she won several gold medals at the Olympic Games and the World Championships between 2004 and 20 ...

(56.25), and

Lisbeth Trickett Lisbeth Constance Trickett, OAM (; born 28 January 1985) is a retired Australian swimmer. She was a gold medallist at the 2004 Summer Olympics, the 2008 Summer Olympics, and the 2012 Summer Olympics. She was the world record holder in the shor ...

(52.53) put together a perfect ending with a blazing fast time of 3:52.69 to shave three seconds off their standard from the 2007 FINA World Championships in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

. Team USA's

Natalie Coughlin Natalie Anne Coughlin Hall (born August 23, 1982) is an American former competition swimmer and twelve-time Olympic medalist. While attending the University of California, Berkeley, she became the first woman ever to swim the 100-meter backstro ...

(58.94),

Rebecca Soni Rebecca Soni (born March 18, 1987) is an American former competition swimmer and breaststroke specialist who is a six-time Olympic medalist. She is a former world record-holder in the 100-meter breaststroke (short and long course) and the 200- ...

(1:05.95), Christine Magnuson (56.14), and legend

Dara Torres Dara Grace Torres (born April 15, 1967) is an American former competitive swimmer, who is a 12-time Olympic medalist and former world record-holder in three events. Torres is the first swimmer to represent the United States in five Olympic Gam ...

(52.27) trailed behind their greatest rivals in the pool by six-tenths of a second (0.60), but finished under a world-record time to take home a magnificent silver in a new American standard of 3:53.30. Competing in her fifth Olympics since 1984, at age 41, Torres also picked up her twelfth career medal to match

Jenny Thompson Jennifer Beth Thompson (born February 26, 1973) is an American former competition swimmer and anesthesiologist. She is one of the most decorated Olympians in history: twelve medals, including eight gold medals, in the 1992, 1996, 2000, and 200 ...

's record as the most successful American woman in Olympic history. Delighted by a raucous home crowd inside the Water Cube, the Chinese quartet of Zhao Jing (59.56), Sun Ye (1:06.75), Zhou Yafei (57.40), and

Pang Jiaying Pang Jiaying (; born January 6, 1985, in Shanghai) is a female Chinese freestyle swimmer who competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics, the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2012 Summer Olympics. Pang is one of the best Chinese women in middle and long-d ...

(52.40) ended on a spectacular fashion with a bronze medal in an Asian record of 3:56.11. Great Britain's

Gemma Spofforth Gemma Mary Spofforth (born 17 November 1987) is an English former competition swimmer who represented Great Britain in the Olympics, FINA world championships and European championships, and England in the Commonwealth Games. Spofforth is the f ...

(59.05),

Kate Haywood Kate Emma Haywood (born 1 April 1987) is an English former elite swimmer who competed for Great Britain in the Olympics, FINA world championships, and European championships, and represented England in the Commonwealth Games. She competed predo ...

(1:07.51), Jemma Lowe (58.13), and

Francesca Halsall Francesca Jean Halsall (born 12 April 1990) is a retired English competitive swimmer who has represented Great Britain at the Olympics, FINA world championships, and European championships, and England at the Commonwealth Games. She competed ...

(52.81) missed the podium by over a single second, but powered home with a fourth-place effort in a European record of 3:57.50, holding off the Russian foursome of Anastasia Zuyeva (59.16),

Yuliya Yefimova Yuliya Andreyevna Yefimova (russian: Юлия Андреевна Ефимова, also romanized Efimova; born 3 April 1992) is a Russian competitive swimmer. She is the Russian record holder in the 200 metre individual medley (short course), ...

(1:06.46),

Natalya Sutyagina Natalya Sutyagina (born 17 January 1980 in Penza) is a butterfly swimmer from Russia, who won the gold medal in the 50 m butterfly at the 2004 European Aquatics Championships. She is trained by Vladimir Timofeev. Sutyagina competed at three cons ...

(58.09), and Anastasia Aksenova (54.13) by 0.34 seconds, a fifth-place time of 3:57.84. Japan's

Reiko Nakamura is a Japanese Olympic and Asian record-holding swimmer. She swam in the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games, winning the bronze medals in the 200m backstroke at both editions. In doing so, she became the first Japanese woman in 72 years to win medals at ...

(59.74),

Asami Kitagawa (born October 3, 1987) is a Japanese Olympic and Nation Record holding swimmer. She swam for Japan at the 2008 Olympics. Major achievements 2006 Doha Asian Games * 50m breaststroke 2nd (32.27) * 100m breaststroke 1st (1:09.13) * 200m breastst ...

(1:07.04),

Yuka Kato is a Japanese people, Japanese Butterfly stroke, butterfly swimmer. Major achievements Swimming at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships, 2007 World Championships * 50 m butterfly 10th (26.91) 2008 Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics, ...

(58.17), and

Haruka Ueda is a Japanese freestyle swimmer. She married swimmer Kazuya Kaneda in 2014. Major achievements * 2005 World Championships – 200m freestyle 22nd (2:01.65) * 2007 World Championships A world championship is generally an international com ...

(54.59) cleared a four-minute barrier to claim a sixth spot in 3:59.54, leaving Canada's

Julia Wilkinson Julia Rose Wilkinson (born June 12, 1987) is a Canadian former competitive swimmer who swam in major international championships. Wilkinson competed in backstroke, medley and freestyle events. Career 2008 Olympics At the 2008 Canadian Olymp ...

(1:01.35),

Annamay Pierse Annamay Pierse (born December 5, 1983) is a former competitive swimmer who represented Canada in major international swimming championships including the Summer Olympics, FINA World Championships, Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championshi ...

(1:06.91),

Audrey Lacroix Audrey Lacroix (born November 17, 1983) is a retired Canadian competitive swimmer from Montreal, Quebec. She is the Canadian record-holder in the 200-metre butterfly (short-course and long-course). She is a former world record-holder in the sh ...

(59.01), and

Erica Morningstar Erica Rachelle Morningstar (born March 3, 1989) is a Canadian swimmer who has competed in international events including the 2008 Summer Olympics, and 2012 Summer Olympics. Early life Morningstar was born in Regina, Saskatchewan. She began swim ...

(54.08) out of the fence in 4:01.35. As the entire field came to a dramatic finish in the pool, Sweden was disqualified from the race because of an early relay takeoff on the final exchange by freestyle anchor

Josefin Lillhage Josefin Lillhage (born 15 March 1980) is a former swimmer from Sweden, who won the bronze medal in the 200 m freestyle at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She competed in four Olympiads: in 1996, 2000, 200 ...

Records

Prior to this competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows. The following new world and Olympic records were set during this competition.

Results

Heats

Final

2008 Australian Olympic team Leisel Jones - Sarah Ewart

References

External links

Official Olympic Report
{{DEFAULTSORT:Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics - Women's 4 by 100 metre medley relay Women's medley relay 4 x 100 metre 4 × 100 metre medley relay 2008 in women's swimming Women's events at the 2008 Summer Olympics