| Rank | Lane | Nation | Swimmers | Time | Time behind | Notes |
| - | 4 | United States | Samantha Arsenault (1:59.92) Diana Munz (1:59.19) Lindsay Benko (1:59.34) Jenny Thompson (1:59.35) | 7:57.80 | - | OR |
| - | 5 | Australia | Susie O'Neill (1:58.70) Giaan Rooney (1:59.37) Kirsten Thomson (2:00.13) Petria Thomas (2:00.32) | 7:58.52 | 0.72 | OC |
| - | 2 | Germany | Franziska van Almsick (1:59.51) Antje Buschschulte (2:00.35) Sara Harstick (2:00.88) Kerstin Kielgass (1:57.90) | 7:58.64 | 0.84 | NR |
| 4 | 3 | Romania | Camelia Potec (1:59.10) Simona Păduraru (2:01.52) Lorena Diaconescu (2:01.47) Beatrice Câșlaru (1:59.54) | 8:01.63 | 3.83 | NR |
| 5 | 1 | Canada | Marianne Limpert (1:59.85) Shannon Shakespeare (2:01.78) Joanne Malar (2:00.50) Jessica Deglau (2:00.52) | 8:02.65 | 4.85 | - |
| 6 | 8 | Great Britain | Nicola Jackson (2:00.56) Karen Legg (2:01.55) Janine Belton (2:00.79) Karen Pickering (2:00.79) | 8:03.69 | 5.89 | - |
| 7 | 6 | Italy | Sara Parise (2:00.55) Cecilia Vianini (1:59.46) Luisa Striani (2:01.47) Sara Goffi (2:03.20) | 8:04.68 | 6.88 | - |
| 8 | 7 | France | Solenne Figuès (1:59.67) Laetitia Choux (2:01.86) Katarin Quelennec (2:03.19) Alicia Bozon (2:01.27) | 8:05.99 | 8.19 | - |