# Swimming at the 1928 Summer Olympics – Women's 400 metre freestyle

The women's 400 metre freestyle was a swimming event held as part of the swimming at the 1928 Summer Olympics programme. It was the second appearance of the event, which was established in 1924 after 1920 a 300-metre event was held. The competition was held from Saturday to Monday, 4 to 6 August 1928.
Twenty swimmers from nine nations competed. The winning margin was an astonishing 15 seconds which as of 2023 is the only time this event has been won by more than 8 seconds at the Olympics.

## Records

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in minutes) prior to the 1928 Summer Olympics.
| World Record | 5:49.6 | Martha Norelius | New York City (USA) | 30 June 1928 |
| Olympic Record | 6:02.2 | Martha Norelius | Paris (FRA) | 15 July 1924 |
In the first heat Martha Norelius set a new world record with 5:45.4 minutes. In the final she bettered her own record to 5:42.8 minutes.

## Results
### Heats

Saturday 4 August 1928: The fastest two in each heat and the fastest third-placed from across the heats advanced.

#### Heat 1

| Rank | Swimmer | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Martha Norelius | United States | 5:45.4 | Q, WR |
| 2 | Cissie Stewart | Great Britain | 6:12.3 | Q |
| 3 | Truus Baumeister | Netherlands | 6:26.4 | |
| 4 | Marguerite Ledoux | France | Unknown | |
| 5 | Mary Bedford | South Africa | Unknown | |
| 6 | Dora Schönemann | Germany | 6:37.0 | |

#### Heat 2

| Rank | Swimmer | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Ethel McGary | United States | 6:04.6 | Q |
| 2 | Iris Tanner | Great Britain | 6:11.0 | Q |
| 3 | Edna Davey | Australia | 6:12.0 | |
| 4 | Charlotte Lehmann | Germany | 6:28.0 | |
| 5 | Rhoda Rennie | South Africa | Unknown | |
| 6 | Georgina Roty | France | Unknown | |

#### Heat 3

| Rank | Swimmer | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Josephine McKim | United States | 6:10.0 | Q |
| 2 | Kathleen Miller | New Zealand | 6:16.8 | Q |
| 3 | Fritzi Löwy | Austria | 6:20.0 | |
| 4 | Disa Lindberg | Finland | Unknown | |

#### Heat 4

| Rank | Swimmer | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Marie Braun | Netherlands | 5:53.8 | Q |
| 2 | Freddie van der Goes | South Africa | 6:03.6 | Q |
| 3 | Edith Mayne | Great Britain | 6:10.4 | q |
| 4 | Reni Erkens | Germany | Unknown | |

### Semifinals

Sunday 5 August 1928: The fastest three in each semi-final advanced to the final.

#### Semifinal 1

| Rank | Swimmer | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Martha Norelius | United States | 5:58.0 | Q |
| 2 | Freddie van der Goes | South Africa | 6:01.6 | Q |
| 3 | Cissie Stewart | Great Britain | 6:06.4 | Q |
| 4 | Ethel McGary | United States | Unknown | |
| 5 | Kathleen Miller | New Zealand | Unknown | |

#### Semifinal 2

| Rank | Swimmer | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Marie Braun | Netherlands | 5:54.6 | Q |
| 2 | Josephine McKim | United States | 5:55.0 | Q |
| 3 | Iris Tanner | Great Britain | 6:09.0 | Q |
| 4 | Edith Mayne | Great Britain | Unknown | |

### Final

Monday 6 August 1928:
| Rank | Swimmer | Nation | Time | Notes |
| | Martha Norelius | United States | 5:42.8 | WR |
| | Marie Braun | Netherlands | 5:57.8 | |
| | Josephine McKim | United States | 6:00.2 | |
| 4 | Cissie Stewart | Great Britain | 6:07.0 | |
| 5 | Freddie van der Goes | South Africa | 6:07.2 | |
| 6 | Iris Tanner | Great Britain | 6:11.6 | |