Rank | Heat | Nation | Athletes | Time | Notes |
1 | 1 | Jamaica (JAM) | Simone Facey, Shelly-Ann Fraser, Aleen Bailey, Kerron Stewart | 41.88 | Q, SB |
2 | 1 | Bahamas (BAH) | Sheniqua Ferguson, Chandra Sturrup, Christine Amertil, Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie | 42.66 | Q, SB |
3 | 2 | Germany (GER) | Marion Wagner, Anne Möllinger, Cathleen Tschirch, Verena Sailer | 42.96 | Q, SB |
4 | 3 | Brazil (BRA) | Rosemar Maria Neto, Lucimar Aparecida de Moura, Thaissa Presti, Vanda Gomes | 43.07 | Q, SB |
5 | 3 | Russia (RUS) | Yevgeniya Polyakova, Aleksandra Fedoriva, Yuliya Gushchina, Natalia Rusakova | 43.18 | Q, SB |
6 | 1 | Trinidad and Tobago (TRI) | Reyare Thomas, Kelly-Ann Baptiste, Ayanna Hutchinson, Semoy Hackett | 43.22 | q, NR |
7 | 2 | Colombia (COL) | Yomara Hinestroza, Felipa Palacios, Darlenis Obregón, Norma González | 43.30 | Q, SB |
8 | 2 | Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) | Laura Turner, Montell Douglas, Emily Freeman, Emma Ania | 43.34 | q |
9 | 3 | Poland (POL) | Iwona Ziółkowska, Marta Jeschke, Dorota Jędrusińska, Iwona Brzezińska | 43.63 | |
10 | 1 | Ukraine (UKR) | Olena Chebanu, Nataliya Pohrebnyak, Mariya Ryemyen, Hrystyna Stuy | 43.77 | |
11 | 1 | Saint Kitts and Nevis (SKN) | Tanika Liburd, Meritzer Williams, Tameka Williams, Virgil Hodge | 43.98 | |
12 | 1 | Belgium (BEL) | Olivia Borlée, Hanna Mariën, Élodie Ouédraogo, Anne Zagré | 43.99 | SB |
13 | 2 | Belarus (BLR) | Anna Bagdanovich, Aksana Drahun, Alena Kievich, Yulia Nestsiarenka | 44.12 | SB |
14 | 3 | Japan (JPN) | Chisato Fukushima, Momoko Takahashi, Mayumi Watanabe, Maki Wada | 44.24 | |
15 | 2 | Thailand (THA) | Sangwan Jaksunin, Orranut Klomdee, Jutamass Tawoncharoen, Jintara Seangdee | 44.59 | |
16 | 2 | Nigeria (NGR) | Olutoyin Augustus, Halimat Ismaila, Seun Adigun, Oludamola Osayomi | 46.54 | |
| 3 | United States (USA) | Lauryn Williams, Alexandria Anderson, Muna Lee, Carmelita Jeter | | DNF |
Key: DNF = Did not finish, DNS = Did not start, NR = National record, Q = qualification by place in heat, q = qualification by overall place, SB = Seasonal best
Final
Rank | Nation | Athletes | Time | Notes |
| Jamaica (JAM) | Simone Facey, Shelly-Ann Fraser, Aleen Bailey, Kerron Stewart | 42.06 | |
| Bahamas (BAH) | Sheniqua Ferguson, Chandra Sturrup, Christine Amertil, Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie | 42.29 | SB |
| Germany (GER) | Marion Wagner, Anne Möllinger, Cathleen Tschirch, Verena Sailer | 42.87 | SB |
4 | Russia (RUS) | Yevgeniya Polyakova, Aleksandra Fedoriva, Yuliya Gushchina, Yuliya Chermoshanskaya | 43.00 | SB |
5 | Brazil (BRA) | Rosemar Maria Neto, Lucimar Aparecida de Moura, Thaissa Presti, Vanda Gomes | 43.13 | |
6 | Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) | Laura Turner, Montell Douglas, Emily Freeman, Emma Ania | 43.16 | SB |
7 | Trinidad and Tobago (TRI) | Reyare Thomas, Kelly-Ann Baptiste, Ayanna Hutchinson, Semoy Hackett | 43.43 | |
8 | Colombia (COL) | Yomara Hinestroza, Felipa Palacios, Darlenis Obregón, Norma González | 43.71 | |
Key: SB = Seasonal best
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