World and Olympic record: 3:15.17 Soviet Union (Tatyana Ledovskaya, Olga Nazarova, Mariya Pinigina, Olga Bryzgina) Seoul, South Korea October 1, 1988
The USA were the fastest team in the heats with 3:22.29, featuring a
49.6 leg from Miles, while the Unified team ran 3:22.91. The former
Soviets were considered slight favourites with Nazarova and Bryzgina
saved for the final.
Britain, led off by their fastest runner, Smith, were the leaders at the
first exchange, just ahead of Kaiser and Ruzina, but Torrence took the
lead for the USA after 200m of the second leg, coming home with an
advantage of 4m, with Canada now third a further 7m behind. Miles ran
0.1 faster in the final than in the heats, but the experienced Nazarova
closed in on the American to hand over inches behind. The battle for
third had reverted to Britain, now some 10m ahead of Canada, but 25m
behind the top two teams. Stevens held off Bryzgina for 300m, but the
Ukrainian star went past the American with 60m to go, to win her third
Olympic gold medal by some 5m.
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