| | Final | time | | gap | L | pts | ___ | | 1. |  East Germany | 3:40.57 | WR | | 4 | 948 | | | Kristin Otto 54.73s WR, Manuela Stellmach 16 54.96s, Sabina Schulze 14 55.52s, Heike Friedrich 16 55.36s | | 2. |  United States | 3:44.04 | | +3.47s | 5 | 904 | | | Jenna Johnson 18 56.47s, Dara Torres 19 55.61s, Mary T Meagher 21 56.33s, Betsy Mitchell 20 55.63s | | 3. |  Netherlands | 3:46.89 | | +6.32s | 6 | 871 | | | Conny Van Bentum 21 56.51s, Laura Leideritz 57.25s, Karin Brienesse 17 56.87s, Annemarie Verstappen 20 56.26s | | 4. |  West Germany | 3:47.15 | | +6.58s | 3 | 868 | | | Iris Zscherpe 19 57.26s, Susanne Schuster 23 56.51s, Stephanie Bofinger 57.28s, Karin Seick 24 56.10s | | 5. |  Canada | 3:50.53 | | +9.96s | 2 | 830 | | | Andrea Nugent 17 57.83s, Jane Kerr 18 57.15s, Lori Melien 14 57.60s, Pamela Rai 20 57.95s | | 6. |  Sweden | 3:51.64 | | +11.07s | 1 | 818 | | | Suzanne Nilsson 19 58.21s, Agneta Eriksson 21 57.68s, Helena Kalvehed 18 58.17s, Eva Nyberg 17 57.58s | | 7. |  Italy | 3:52.14 | | +11.57s | 8 | 813 | | | Silvia Persi 20 57.76s, Tanya Vannini 17 57.79s, Ilaria Tocchini 19 58.04s, Manuela Dalla Valle 23 58.55s | | 8. |  Switzerland | 3:52.78 | | +12.21s | 7 | 806 | | | Marie-Therese Armentero 20 57.13s, Sibylle Spati 58.56s, Sabine Muller 58.90s, Sabine Aschlimann 58.19s |
| | Heat 1 | time | | gap | L | Rk | ___ | | 1. | East Germany | 3:47.18 | | | - | 1. | | | Kornelia Gressler 15 56.65s, Sabina Schulze 14 56.00s, Karen Konig 54.54s, Nadja Bergknecht 59.99s | | 5. | Canada | 3:50.74 | | +3.56s | - | 2. | | | Andrea Nugent 17 57.79s, Lori Melien 14 57.22s, Patricia Noall 16 58.27s, Pamela Rai 20 57.46s | | 7. | Sweden | 3:51.86 | | +4.68s | - | 3. | | | Christina Myhrbro 22 59.00s, Agneta Eriksson 21 58.04s, Suzanne Nilsson 19 57.76s, Eva Nyberg 17 57.06s | | 9. |  Norway | 3:54.08 | | +6.90s | - | 4. | | | Irene Dalby 15 58.94s, Merete Fuglem 58.69s, Anne Eriksen 58.56s, Beda Leirvaag 22 57.89s | | 10. |  Spain | 3:58.43 | | +11.25s | - | 5. | | | Imma Tarrago 59.59s, Alicia Cordero 59.24s, Amaya Garbayo 59.52s, Natalia Pulido 16 1:00.08 | | 11. |  Costa Rica | 4:03.96 | | +16.78s | - | 6. | | | Viviana Solis 1:03.85s, Marcela Cuesta 14 1:01.45, Carolina Mauri 16 1:00.49, Silvia Poll 15 58.17s | | 15. |  Chinese Taipei | 4:09.92 | | +22.74s | - | 7. | | | Hui-Chien Chang 16 1:01.87, Yu-Lan Lee 1:03.13, Wang Chi 16 1:03.89, Lisa Ann Wen 21 1:01.03 |
| | Heat 2 | time | | gap | L | Rk | ___ | | 2. | United States | 3:47.22 | | +0.04s | - | 1. | | | Laura Walker 16 57.13s, Aimee Berzins 58.10s, Dara Torres 19 55.84s, Mary Wayte 21 56.15s | | 3. | West Germany | 3:47.28 | | +0.10s | - | 2. | | | Iris Zscherpe 19 57.26s, Susanne Schuster 23 57.07s, Stephanie Bofinger 56.94s, Karin Seick 24 56.01s | | 4. | Netherlands | 3:47.63 | | +0.45s | - | 3. | | | Conny Van Bentum 21 56.17s, Karin Brienesse 17 57.54s, Laura Leideritz 57.51s, Annemarie Verstappen 20 56.41s | | 6. | Switzerland | 3:51.19 | | +4.01s | - | 4. | | | Sibylle Spati 57.88s, Marie-Therese Armentero 20 56.78s, Sabine Muller 58.47s, Sabine Aschlimann 58.06s | | 8. | Italy | 3:52.78 | | +5.60s | - | 5. | | | Silvia Persi 20 57.80s, Tanya Vannini 17 58.04s, Ilaria Tocchini 19 58.33s, Manuela Dalla Valle 23 58.61s | | 12. |  Brazil | 4:04.39 | | +17.21s | - | 6. | | | Adriana Pereira 21 1:00.27, Maruzza Silva 1:01.45, Debby Frochtengarten 1:01.99, Patricia Amorim 17 1:00.68 | | 13. |  Finland | 4:05.27 | | +18.09s | - | 7. | | | Maija Airas 59.77s, Eeva Ketola 1:03.37, Maria Santalo 1:01.38, Tiitta Latosuo 1:00.75 | | 14. |  Puerto Rico | 4:08.33 | | +21.15s | - | 8. | | | Vilma Aguilera 1:01.42, Marie E Nogueras 1:02.90, Rita Garay 15 1:02.83, Ana C Rios 1:01.18 |
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