# 2011 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships – Women's 500 metres

The women's 500 metre at the 2011 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships took place 12 March at the Sheffield Arena.

## Results
### Heats

Top two athletes from each heat and the next four fastest thirds qualified for heats.
| Rank | Athlete | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Fan Kexin | China | 44.948 | Q |
| 2 | Yui Sakai | Japan | 45.033 | Q |
| 3 | Szandra Lajtos | Hungary | 46.268 | q |
| 4 | Yang Shin-young | South Korea | 46.858 | |
| Rank | Athlete | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Katherine Reutter | United States | 45.152 | Q |
| 2 | Martina Valcepina | Italy | 45.925 | Q |
| 3 | Annita van Doorn | Netherlands | 1:02.485 | |
| 4 | Bernadett Heidum | Hungary | 1:30.943 | |
| Rank | Athlete | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Marianne St-Gelais | Canada | 45.425 | Q |
| 2 | Park Seung-Hi | South Korea | 45.448 | Q |
| 3 | Lana Gehring | United States | 1:19.514 | |
| 4 | Patrycja Maliszewska | Poland | 1:21.624 | |
| Rank | Athlete | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Jessica Hewitt | Canada | 45.549 | Q |
| 2 | Li Jianrou | China | 45.579 | Q |
| 3 | Jorien ter Mors | Netherlands | 45.722 | q |
| 4 | Marina Georgieva-Nikolova | Bulgaria | 45.970 | |
| Rank | Athlete | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Liu Qiuhong | China | 45.157 | Q |
| 2 | Cho Ha-Ri | South Korea | 45.573 | Q |
| 3 | Kateřina Novotná | Czech Republic | 45.779 | q |
| 4 | Vera Antanenka | Belarus | 47.183 | |
| Rank | Athlete | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Arianna Fontana | Italy | 45.408 | Q |
| 2 | Marie-Ève Drolet | Canada | 45.527 | Q |
| 3 | Bianca Walter | Germany | 46.777 | q |
| 4 | Olga Belyakova | Russia | 47.213 | |

### Quarterfinals

Top two athletes from each heat qualified for semifinals.
| Rank | Athlete | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Liu Qiuhong | China | 44.776 | Q |
| 2 | Katherine Reutter | United States | 44.858 | Q |
| 3 | Martina Valcepina | Italy | 44.893 | |
| 4 | Jessica Hewitt | Canada | 45.091 | |
| Rank | Athlete | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Park Seung-Hi | South Korea | 45.488 | Q |
| 2 | Marie-Ève Drolet | Canada | 45.589 | Q |
| 3 | Kateřina Novotná | Czech Republic | 46.101 | |
| 4 | Bianca Walter | Germany | 46.686 | |
| Rank | Athlete | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Fan Kexin | China | 44.765 | Q |
| 2 | Marianne St-Gelais | Canada | 45.057 | Q |
| 3 | Yui Sakai | Japan | 45.183 | |
| 4 | Cho Ha-Ri | South Korea | 49.036 | |
| Rank | Athlete | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Arianna Fontana | Italy | 45.347 | Q |
| 2 | Li Jianrou | China | 45.463 | Q |
| 3 | Jorien ter Mors | Netherlands | 45.612 | |
| 4 | Szandra Lajtos | Hungary | 45.873 | |

### Semifinals

Top two athletes from each heat qualified for final.
| Rank | Athlete | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Liu Qiuhong | China | 45.076 | Q |
| 2 | Li Jianrou | China | 45.174 | Q |
| 3 | Katherine Reutter | United States | 45.181 | |
| 4 | Marie-Ève Drolet | Canada | 45.473 | |
| Rank | Athlete | Country | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Fan Kexin | China | 44.975 | Q |
| 2 | Arianna Fontana | Italy | 45.082 | Q |
| 3 | Park Seung-Hi | South Korea | 45.190 | |
| 4 | Marianne St-Gelais | Canada | 1:13.133 | |

### Final

| Rank | Athlete | Country | Time |
| | Fan Kexin | China | 44.620 |
| | Arianna Fontana | Italy | 44.687 |
| | Liu Qiuhong | China | 44.784 |
| 4 | Li Jianrou | China | 44.879 |