Prior to the competition, the records were as follows:
| World record
|
 Soviet Union
(Tatyana Ledovskaya, Olga Nazarova, Mariya Pinigina, Olga Bryzgina)
|
3:15.17
|
 Seoul, South Korea
|
1 October 1988
|
| Championship record
|
New event
|
| World Leading
|
 University of Texas
|
3:25.05
|
Philadelphia, United States
|
26 April 2014
|
| African Record
|
 Nigeria
(Olabisi Afolabi, Fatima Yusuf, Charity Opara, Falilat Ogunkoya)
|
3:21.04
|
Atlanta, United States
|
3 August 1996
|
| Asian Record
|
 Hebei province
(An Xiaohong, Bai Xiaoyun, Cao Chunying, Ma Yuqin)
|
3:24.28
|
Beijing, China
|
13 September 1993
|
| North, Central American and Caribbean record
|
United States
(Denean Howard, Diane Dixon, Valerie Brisco-Hooks, Florence Griffith Joyner)
|
3:15.51
|
Seoul, South Korea
|
1 October 1988
|
| South American Record
|
 BM&F Bovespa
(Geisa Aparecida Coutinho, Bárbara de Oliveira, Joelma Sousa, Jailma de Lima)
|
3:26.68
|
São Paulo, Brazil
|
7 August 2011
|
| European Record
|
Soviet Union
(Tatyana Ledovskaya, Olga Nazarova, Mariya Pinigina, Olga Bryzgina)
|
3:15.17
|
Seoul, South Korea
|
1 October 1988
|
| Oceanian record
|
 Australia
(Nova Peris, Tamsyn Manou, Melinda Gainsford-Taylor, Cathy Freeman)
|
3:23.81
|
Sydney, Australia
|
30 September 2000
|
| Date
|
Time
|
Round
|
| 24 May 2014 |
18:26 |
Heats
|
| 25 May 2014 |
18:12 |
Final
|
All times are local times (UTC−4)
| KEY:
|
q |
Fastest non-qualifiers
|
Q |
Qualified
|
NR |
National record
|
PB |
Personal best
|
SB |
Seasonal best
|
Qualification: First 3 of each heat (Q) plus the 2 fastest times (q) advanced to the final.[1]
| Rank |
Heat |
Lane |
Nation |
Athletes |
Time |
Notes
|
| 1 |
2 |
5 |
United States |
DeeDee Trotter, Sanya Richards-Ross, Monica Hargrove, Jessica Beard |
3:23.84 |
Q, CR
|
| 2 |
2 |
3 |
 Jamaica |
Christine Day, Anastasia Le-Roy, Shericka Jackson, Kaliese Spencer |
3:24.95 |
Q, SB
|
| 3 |
1 |
4 |
Nigeria |
Folasade Abugan, Regina George, Bukola Abogunloko, Patience Okon George |
3:27.07 |
Q, SB
|
| 4 |
2 |
4 |
 Great Britain |
Eilidh Child, Shana Cox, Emily Diamond, Margaret Adeoye |
3:27.30 |
Q, SB
|
| 5 |
2 |
6 |
 Poland |
Małgorzata Hołub, Patrycja Wyciszkiewicz, Agata Bednarek, Justyna Święty |
3:27.37 |
q, SB
|
| 6 |
2 |
8 |
 France |
Marie Gayot, Lenora Guion-Fermin, Estelle Perrossier, Floria Gueï |
3:28.93 |
q, SB
|
| 7 |
1 |
7 |
Brazil |
Joelma Sousa, Liliane Fernandes, Jailma de Lima, Geisa Aparecida Coutinho |
3:30.37 |
Q, SB
|
| 8 |
1 |
3 |
 Italy |
Chiara Bazzoni, Maria Enrica Spacca, Elena Maria Bonfanti, Libania Grenot |
3:30.67 |
Q, SB
|
| 9 |
1 |
8 |
 Trinidad and Tobago |
Shawna Fermin, Domonique Williams, Romona Modeste, Alena Brooks |
3:30.91 |
SB
|
| 10 |
2 |
7 |
Australia |
Anneliese Rubie, Jessica Gulli, Lyndsay Pekin, Morgan Mitchell |
3:30.92 |
SB
|
| 11 |
1 |
6 |
 Canada |
Carline Muir, Jenna Martin, Wendy Fawn Dorr, Noelle Montcalm |
3:34.60 |
SB
|
| 12 |
1 |
5 |
 Bahamas |
Lanece Clarke, Shakeitha Henfield, Christine Amertil, Miriam Byfield |
3:54.95 |
|
|
1 |
2 |
 Russia |
Yelena Zuykevich, Nadezhda Kotlyarova, Ayvika Malanova, Svetlana Rogozina |
DNS |
|
[2]
| Rank |
Lane |
Nation |
Athletes |
Time |
Notes
|
| 9 |
3 |
Australia |
Anneliese Rubie, Morgan Mitchell, Jessica Gulli, Lyndsay Pekin |
3:31.01 |
|
| 10 |
6 |
Bahamas |
Lanece Clarke, Christine Amertil, Shakeitha Henfield, Miriam Byfield |
3:31.71 |
SB
|
| 11 |
4 |
Canada |
Jenna Martin, Carline Muir, Sarah-Lynn Wells, Wendy Fawn Dorr |
3:32.58 |
SB
|
| 12 |
5 |
Trinidad and Tobago |
Shawna Fermin, Alena Brooks, Magnolia Howell, Romona Modeste |
3:33.21 |
|
[3]
| Rank |
Lane |
Nation |
Athletes |
Time |
Notes |
Points
|
 |
5 |
United States |
DeeDee Trotter, Sanya Richards-Ross, Natasha Hastings, Joanna Atkins |
3:21.73 |
CR |
8
|
 |
4 |
Jamaica |
Kaliese Spencer, Novlene Williams-Mills, Anastasia Le-Roy, Shericka Jackson |
3:23.26 |
SB |
7
|
 |
6 |
Nigeria |
Folasade Abugan, Regina George, Omolara Omotoso, Patience Okon George |
3:23.41 |
SB |
6
|
| 4 |
1 |
France |
Marie Gayot, Lénora Guion-Firmin, Agnès Raharolahy, Floria Gueï |
3:25.84 |
SB |
5
|
| 5 |
2 |
Poland |
Małgorzata Hołub, Patrycja Wyciszkiewicz, Joanna Linkiewicz, Justyna Święty |
3:27.37 |
=SB |
4
|
| 6 |
7 |
Italy |
Chiara Bazzoni, Maria Enrica Spacca, Elena Maria Bonfanti, Libania Grenot |
3:27.44 |
SB |
3
|
| 7 |
8 |
Great Britain |
Eilidh Child, Shana Cox, Christine Ohuruogu, Margaret Adeoye |
3:28.03 |
|
2
|
| 8 |
3 |
Brazil |
Joelma Sousa, Liliane Fernandes, Jailma de Lima, Geisa Aparecida Coutinho |
3:31.59 |
|
1
|
