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

The women's 400 metre individual medley competition of the swimming events at the 2011 Pan American Games took place on the 15 of October at the Scotiabank Aquatics Center. The defending Pan American Games champion is Kathleen Hersey of the United States.
This race consisted of eight lengths of the pool. The first two lengths were swum using the butterfly stroke, the second pair with the backstroke, the third pair of lengths in breaststroke, and the final two were freestyle.

## Records

Prior to this competition, the existing world and Pan American Games records were as follows:
| World record | Stephanie Rice (AUS) | 4:29.45 | Beijing, China | August 10, 2008 |
| Pan American Games record | Joanne Malar (CAN) | 4:38.46 | Winnipeg, Canada | August 2, 1999 |

## Qualification

Each National Olympic Committee (NOC) was able to enter up to two entrants providing they had met the A standard (5:19.0) 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 (5:28.6) in the same qualifying period.

## Results

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

### Heats

The first round was held on October 15.
| Rank | Heat | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 4 | 4 | Julia Smit | United States | 4:51.78 | QA |
| 2 | 3 | 4 | Allysa Vavra | United States | 4:53.76 | QA |
| 3 | 2 | 4 | Joanna Maranhão | Brazil | 4:54.51 | QA |
| 4 | 3 | 5 | Georgina Bardach | Argentina | 4:57.58 | QA |
| 5 | 4 | 5 | Karyn Jewell | Canada | 4:57.81 | QA |
| 6 | 4 | 3 | Susana Escobar | Mexico | 4:58.57 | QA |
| 7 | 2 | 5 | Hanna Pierse | Canada | 4:59.76 | QA |
| 8 | 3 | 3 | Samantha Arevalo | Ecuador | 5:02.29 | QA |
| 9 | 3 | 6 | Julia Arino | Argentina | 5:06.78 | QB |
| 10 | 3 | 2 | Eliana Barrios | Venezuela | 5:07.70 | QB |
| 11 | 2 | 3 | Montserrat Ortuño | Mexico | 5:08.47 | QB |
| 12 | 4 | 6 | Larissa Cieslak | Brazil | 5:09.86 | QB |
| 13 | 4 | 7 | Patricia Quevedo | Peru | 5:13.30 | QB |
| 14 | 4 | 2 | Barbara Caraballo | Puerto Rico | 5:17.07 | QB |
| 15 | 2 | 2 | Zara Bailey | Jamaica | 5:19.46 | QB |
| 16 | 2 | 1 | Lani Cabrera | Barbados | 5:19.66 | QB |
| 17 | 1 | 5 | Daniela Reyes | Chile | 5:20.05 | |
| 18 | 1 | 3 | Laura Rodriguez | Dominican Republic | 5:22.28 | |
| 19 | 4 | 8 | Daniella van den Berg | Aruba | 5:24.75 | |
| 20 | 3 | 7 | Ana Castellanos | Honduras | 5:26.80 | |
| 21 | 2 | 7 | Maria Alejandra Torres | Peru | 5:27.30 | |
| 22 | 4 | 1 | Karen Vilorio | Honduras | 5:30.42 | |
| 23 | 3 | 1 | Lara Maria Butler | Cayman Islands | 5:35.96 | |
| 24 | 1 | 4 | Amara Gibbs | Barbados | 5:38.27 | |
| | 2 | 6 | Daniela Victoria | Venezuela | DNS | |

### B Final

The B final was also held on October 15.
| Rank | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time |
| 9 | 4 | Julia Arino | Argentina | 5:01.20 |
| 10 | 3 | Montserrat Ortuño | Mexico | 5:04.07 |
| 11 | 5 | Eliana Barrios | Venezuela | 5:04.10 |
| 12 | 6 | Larissa Cieslak | Brazil | 5:12.83 |
| 13 | 7 | Barbara Caraballo | Puerto Rico | 5:17.61 |
| 14 | 1 | Zara Bailey | Jamaica | 5:17.72 |
| 15 | 2 | Patricia Quevedo | Peru | 5:20.50 |
| 16 | 8 | Lani Cabrera | Barbados | 5:22.06 |

### A Final

The A final was held on October 15.
| Rank | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time |
| | 4 | Julia Smit | United States | 4:46.15 |
| | 3 | Joanna Maranhão | Brazil | 4:46.33 |
| | 5 | Allysa Vavra | United States | 4:48.05 |
| 4 | 1 | Hanna Pierse | Canada | 4:52.95 |
| 5 | 6 | Georgina Bardach | Argentina | 4:53.81 |
| 6 | 7 | Susana Escobar | Mexico | 4:54.49 |
| 7 | 2 | Karyn Jewell | Canada | 4:57.65 |
| 8 | 8 | Samantha Arevalo | Ecuador | 4:58.27 |