# Swimming at the 1992 Summer Olympics – Women's 400 metre freestyle

The women's 400 metre freestyle event at the 1992 Summer Olympics took place on 28 July at the Piscines Bernat Picornell in Barcelona, Spain.

## Records

Prior to this competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows.
| World record | Janet Evans (USA) | 4:03.85 | Seoul, South Korea | 22 September 1988 |
| Olympic record | Janet Evans (USA) | 4:03.85 | Seoul, South Korea | 22 September 1988 |

## Results
### Heats

Rule: The eight fastest swimmers advance to final A (Q), while the next eight to final B (q).
| Rank | Heat | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 5 | 4 | Janet Evans | United States | 4:09.38 | Q |
| 2 | 5 | 3 | Dagmar Hase | Germany | 4:10.92 | Q |
| 3 | 5 | 5 | Erika Hansen | United States | 4:12.08 | Q |
| 4 | 4 | 3 | Kerstin Kielgaß | Germany | 4:12.50 | Q |
| 5 | 3 | 4 | Hayley Lewis | Australia | 4:12.95 | Q |
| 6 | 5 | 7 | Malin Nilsson | Sweden | 4:13.16 | Q |
| 7 | 3 | 3 | Isabelle Arnould | Belgium | 4:13.81 | Q |
| 8 | 5 | 6 | Suzu Chiba | Japan | 4:13.85 | Q |
| 9 | 3 | 6 | Phillippa Langrell | New Zealand | 4:14.00 | q, NR |
| 10 | 4 | 7 | Olga Šplíchalová | Czechoslovakia | 4:15.43 | q, NR |
| 11 | 4 | 5 | Irene Dalby | Norway | 4:16.05 | q |
| 12 | 3 | 5 | Beatrice Câșlaru | Romania | 4:16.23 | q |
| 13 | 4 | 2 | Mette Jacobsen | Denmark | 4:16.80 | q, WD |
| 14 | 5 | 2 | Carla Negrea | Romania | 4:17.00 | q |
| 15 | 3 | 2 | Sandra Cam | Belgium | 4:17.87 | q |
| 16 | 4 | 6 | Manuela Melchiorri | Italy | 4:19.18 | q |
| 17 | 5 | 1 | Hana Černá | Czechoslovakia | 4:19.87 | q |
| 18 | 4 | 4 | Julie McDonald | Australia | 4:20.16 | |
| 19 | 4 | 1 | Samantha Foggo | Great Britain | 4:22.26 | |
| 20 | 5 | 8 | Itziar Esparza | Spain | 4:22.27 | |
| 21 | 3 | 1 | Jeanine Steenkamp | South Africa | 4:23.33 | AF |
| 22 | 3 | 7 | Yan Ming | China | 4:23.69 | |
| 23 | 3 | 8 | Laura Sánchez | Mexico | 4:23.87 | |
| 24 | 2 | 5 | Judit Kiss | Hungary | 4:24.01 | |
| 25 | 4 | 1 | Elizabeth Arnold | Great Britain | 4:25.55 | |
| 26 | 2 | 3 | María José Marenco | El Salvador | 4:29.32 | |
| 27 | 1 | 6 | Thanya Sridama | Thailand | 4:29.64 | |
| 28 | 1 | 4 | Joscelin Yeo | Singapore | 4:29.76 | |
| 29 | 2 | 4 | Erika González | Mexico | 4:32.06 | |
| 30 | 1 | 5 | Robyn Lamsam | Hong Kong | 4:32.23 | |
| 31 | 2 | 6 | Claudia Fortin | Honduras | 4:37.58 | |
| 32 | 1 | 3 | May Ooi | Singapore | 4:37.77 | |
| 33 | 2 | 2 | Corinne Leclair | Mauritius | 4:43.53 | |

### Finals
#### Final B

| Rank | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 9 | 4 | Phillippa Langrell | New Zealand | 4:12.96 | NR |
| 10 | 7 | Sandra Cam | Belgium | 4:14.11 | |
| 11 | 3 | Irene Dalby | Norway | 4:14.46 | |
| 12 | 6 | Beatrice Câșlaru | Romania | 4:14.90 | |
| 13 | 2 | Carla Negrea | Romania | 4:14.92 | |
| 14 | 5 | Olga Šplíchalová | Czechoslovakia | 4:16.41 | |
| 15 | 1 | Manuela Melchiorri | Italy | 4:20.75 | |
| 16 | 8 | Hana Černá | Czechoslovakia | 4:21.50 | |

#### Final A

| Rank | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time |
| | 5 | Dagmar Hase | Germany | 4:07.18 |
| | 4 | Janet Evans | United States | 4:07.37 |
| | 2 | Hayley Lewis | Australia | 4:11.22 |
| 4 | 3 | Erika Hansen | United States | 4:11.50 |
| 5 | 6 | Kerstin Kielgaß | Germany | 4:11.52 |
| 6 | 1 | Isabelle Arnould | Belgium | 4:13.75 |
| 7 | 7 | Malin Nilsson | Sweden | 4:14.10 |
| 8 | 8 | Suzu Chiba | Japan | 4:15.71 |