# Swimming at the 2011 Pan American Games – Women's 400 metre freestyle

The women's 400 metre freestyle competition of the swimming events at the 2011 Pan American Games took place on October 17 at the Scotiabank Aquatics Center in the municipality of Zapopan, near Guadalajara, Mexico. The defending Pan American Games champion was Jessica Rodriquez of the United States.
This race consisted of eight lengths of the pool, all lengths being in freestyle.

## Records

Prior to this competition, the existing world and Pan American Games records were as follows:
| World record | Federica Pellegrini (ITA) | 3:59.15 | Rome, Italy | July 26, 2009 |
| Pan American Games record | Elizabeth Hill (USA) | 4:10.48 | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | August 13, 2003 |

## Qualification

Each National Olympic Committee (NOC) was able to enter up to two entrants providing they had met the A standard (4:19.9) in the qualifying period (January 1, 2010 to September 4, 2011). NOCs were also permitted to enter one athlete providing they had met the B standard (4:27.7) in the same qualifying period.

## Results

All times are in minutes and seconds.
| KEY: | q | Fastest non-qualifiers | Q | Qualified | NR | National record | PB | Personal best | SB | Seasonal best |

### Heats

The first round was held on October 17.
| Rank | Heat | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 2 | 4 | Andreina Pinto | Venezuela | 4:16.12 | QA |
| 2 | 3 | 5 | Kristel Kobrich | Chile | 4:16.23 | QA |
| 3 | 1 | 4 | Gillian Ryan | United States | 4:16.51 | QA |
| 4 | 1 | 5 | Patricia Castañeda | Mexico | 4:16.91 | QA |
| 5 | 1 | 6 | Cecilia Biagioli | Argentina | 4:16.96 | QA |
| 6 | 1 | 3 | Joanna Maranhão | Brazil | 4:18.85 | QA |
| 7 | 3 | 4 | Ashley Steenvoorden | United States | 4:19.16 | QA |
| 8 | 2 | 5 | Susana Escobar | Mexico | 4:20.16 | QA |
| 9 | 3 | 2 | Yanel Pinto | Venezuela | 4:22.56 | QB |
| 10 | 2 | 2 | Manuella Lyrio | Brazil | 4:22.97 | QB |
| 11 | 2 | 6 | Bridget Coley | Canada | 4:23.04 | QB |
| 12 | 1 | 2 | Samantha Arevalo | Ecuador | 4:24.81 | QB |
| 13 | 3 | 3 | Alexia Benitez | El Salvador | 4:26.05 | QB |
| 14 | 2 | 3 | Sherry Liu | Canada | 4:26.80 | QB |
| 15 | 3 | 6 | Virginia Bardach | Argentina | 4:30.23 | QB |
| 16 | 3 | 7 | Andrea Cedron | Peru | 4:33.75 | QB |
| 17 | 2 | 7 | Britany van Lange | Guyana | 4:57.58 | |

### B Final

The B final was also held on October 17.
| Rank | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time |
| 9 | 2 | Sherry Liu | Canada | 4:18.11 |
| 10 | 4 | Yanel Pinto | Venezuela | 4:20.13 |
| 11 | 6 | Alexia Benitez | El Salvador | 4:23.53 |
| 12 | 3 | Bridget Coley | Canada | 4:26.36 |
| 13 | 1 | Andrea Cedron | Peru | 4:26.76 |
| 14 | 7 | Virginia Bardach | Argentina | 4:27.31 |
| 15 | 5 | Manuella Lyrio | Brazil | 4:29.35 |

### A Final

The A final was also held on October 17.
| Rank | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time |
| | 3 | Gillian Ryan | United States | 4:11.58 |
| | 4 | Andreina Pinto | Venezuela | 4:11.81 |
| | 5 | Kristel Kobrich | Chile | 4:13.31 |
| 4 | 7 | Joanna Maranhão | Brazil | 4:13.71 |
| 5 | 2 | Cecilia Biagioli | Argentina | 4:15.41 |
| 6 | 6 | Patricia Castañeda | Mexico | 4:17.20 |
| 7 | 8 | Susana Escobar | Mexico | 4:17.55 |
| 8 | 1 | Ashley Steenvoorden | United States | 4:20.51 |