Rank | Heat | Nation | Athletes | Time | Notes |
1 | 2 | | Michelle Freeman, Juliet Cuthbert, Dahlia Duhaney, Merlene Ottey | 42.28 | Q |
2 | 2 | | Beatrice Utondu, Faith Idehen, Christy Opara-Thompson, Mary Onyali | 42.39 | Q |
3 | 1 | | Olga Bogoslovskaya, Galina Malchugina, Marina Trandenkova, Irina Privalova | 42.42 | Q |
4 | 1 | | Evelyn Ashford, Esther Jones, Carlette Guidry, Michelle Finn | 42.50 | Q |
5 | 2 | | Patricia Girard, Odiah Sidibé, Laurence Bily, Marie-José Pérec | 42.58 | Q |
6 | 1 | | Andrea Philipp, Silke-Beate Knoll, Andrea Thomas, Sabine Günther | 43.32 | Q |
7 | 1 | | Melissa Moore, Melinda Gainsford, Kathy Sambell, Kerry Johnson | 43.49 | q |
8 | 2 | | Eusebia Riquelme, Aliuska López, Idalmis Bonne, Liliana Allen | 43.51 | q |
9 | 2 | | Minna Painilainen-Soon, Sisko Hanhijoki, Sanna Hernesniemi, Marja Tennivaara | 43.60 | |
10 | 1 | | Gao Han, Tian Yumei, Chen Zhaojing, Xiao Yehua | 43.70 | |
11 | 2 | | Karen van der Kooij, Jacqueline Poelman, Karin de Lange, Petra Huybrechtse | 43.91 | |
12 | 1 | | Nednapa Chommuak, Reawadee Srithoa, Ratjai Sripet, Pornpim Srisurat | 44.94 | |
13 | 1 | | Léone Mani, Georgette N'Koma, Monique Kengné, Louisette Thobi | 44.97 | |
| 2 | | Louise Ayétotché, Alimata Koné, Olga Mutanda, Patricia Foufoué Ziga | | |