# Swimming at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships – Women's 400 metre individual medley

The women's 400 metre individual medley competition of the swimming events at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships was held on July 31 with the heats the final.

## Records

Prior to the competition, the existing world and championship records were as follows.
| | Name | Nation | Time | Location | Date |
| World record | Stephanie Rice | Australia | 4:29.45 | Beijing | August 10, 2008 |
| Championship record | Katinka Hosszú | Hungary | 4:30.31 | Rome | August 2, 2009 |

## Results
### Heats

36 swimmers participated in 5 heats.
| Rank | Heat | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 3 | 4 | Elizabeth Beisel | United States | 4:34.95 | Q |
| 2 | 4 | 5 | Mireia Belmonte García | Spain | 4:36.36 | Q |
| 3 | 3 | 5 | Caitlin Leverenz | United States | 4:36.78 | Q |
| 4 | 5 | 8 | Barbora Závadová | Czech Republic | 4:36.96 | Q, NR |
| 5 | 5 | 2 | Stephanie Rice | Australia | 4:37.32 | Q |
| 6 | 5 | 4 | Hannah Miley | Great Britain | 4:37.39 | Q |
| 7 | 5 | 3 | Li Xuanxu | China | 4:37.61 | Q |
| 8 | 4 | 4 | Ye Shiwen | China | 4:38.18 | Q |
| 9 | 4 | 7 | Alexa Komarnycky | Canada | 4:38.82 | |
| 10 | 5 | 6 | Zsuzsanna Jakabos | Hungary | 4:38.84 | |
| 11 | 3 | 1 | Kathryn Meaklim | South Africa | 4:41.07 | |
| 12 | 4 | 6 | Anja Klinar | Slovenia | 4:41.23 | |
| 13 | 4 | 8 | Jördis Steinegger | Austria | 4:41.33 | NR |
| 14 | 4 | 3 | Kirsty Coventry | Zimbabwe | 4:42.52 | |
| 15 | 5 | 5 | Katinka Hosszú | Hungary | 4:42.96 | |
| 16 | 5 | 1 | Stina Gardell | Sweden | 4:44.53 | |
| 17 | 3 | 8 | Stephanie Horner | Canada | 4:44.85 | |
| 18 | 4 | 1 | Alessia Polieri | Italy | 4:45.26 | |
| 19 | 3 | 3 | Samantha Hamill | Australia | 4:45.32 | |
| 20 | 5 | 7 | Yana Martynova | Russia | 4:45.53 | |
| 21 | 3 | 6 | Lara Grangeon | France | 4:47.41 | |
| 22 | 2 | 4 | Georgina Bardach | Argentina | 4:48.09 | |
| 23 | 2 | 5 | Ganna Dzerkal | Ukraine | 4:48.17 | |
| 24 | 3 | 2 | Stephanie Proud | Great Britain | 4:48.31 | |
| 25 | 4 | 2 | Stefania Pirozzi | Italy | 4:48.40 | |
| 26 | 2 | 2 | Kim Hye-Rim | South Korea | 4:48.97 | |
| 27 | 2 | 6 | Charetzeni Escobar | Mexico | 4:49.95 | =NR |
| 28 | 2 | 7 | Nadia Vieira | Portugal | 4:51.65 | |
| 29 | 2 | 1 | Sarra Lajnef | Tunisia | 4:51.89 | |
| 30 | 2 | 3 | Marina Ribi | Switzerland | 4:52.49 | |
| 31 | 2 | 8 | Samantha Arevalo | Ecuador | 4:58.87 | |
| 32 | 1 | 4 | Natthanan Junkrajang | Thailand | 5:03.07 | |
| 33 | 1 | 5 | Maria Coy | Guatemala | 5:11.28 | |
| 34 | 1 | 3 | Ana Maria Castellanos | Honduras | 5:16.41 | |
| 35 | 1 | 6 | Daniella van den Berg | Aruba | 5:18.27 | |
| 36 | 1 | 2 | Anum Bandey | Pakistan | 5:37.11 | NR |
| – | 3 | 7 | Gráinne Murphy | Ireland | | DNS |

### Final

The final was held at 19:19.
| Rank | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time |
| | 4 | Elizabeth Beisel | United States | 4:31.78 |
| | 7 | Hannah Miley | Great Britain | 4:34.22 |
| | 2 | Stephanie Rice | Australia | 4:34.23 |
| 4 | 5 | Mireia Belmonte García | Spain | 4:34.94 |
| 5 | 8 | Ye Shiwen | China | 4:35.15 |
| 6 | 1 | Li Xuanxu | China | 4:35.78 |
| 7 | 6 | Barbora Závadová | Czech Republic | 4:38.04 |
| 8 | 3 | Caitlin Leverenz | United States | 4:38.80 |