Swimming at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Women's 400 metre individual medley

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Women's 400 metre individual medley
at the Games of the XXXII Olympiad
Venue Tokyo Aquatics Centre
Dates24 July 2021 (heats)
25 July 2021 (final)
Competitors17 from 13 nations
Winning time4:32.08
Medalists
Gold medal icon.svg Yui Ohashi Flag of Japan.svg  Japan
Silver medal icon.svg Emma Weyant Flag of the United States.svg  United States
Bronze medal icon.svg Hali Flickinger Flag of the United States.svg  United States
  2016
2024  

The women's 400 metre individual medley event at the 2020 Summer Olympics was held on 24 and 25 July 2021 at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre. [1] It was the event's fifteenth consecutive appearance, having been held at every edition since 1964.

Summary

Japan's home favourite Yui Ohashi held off a late charge from the U.S.' Emma Weyant to win her nation's first Olympic title in the event (she would go on to win gold in the 200 m medley as well). Second at the halfway mark, Ohashi used a stunning breaststroke leg to separate herself from the tight field and touch in 4:32.08 for gold. Meanwhile, Weyant, 1.99 seconds behind Ohashi heading into the freestyle, stormed home to take silver in 4:32.76. Weyant's teammate Hali Flickinger moved through the field in the final lap to win bronze more than two seconds behind in 4:34.90.

Spain's defending bronze medallist Mireia Belmonte (4:35.13) could not repeat her podium efforts from Rio five years earlier and settled for fourth. In the hunt for a medal, Hungary's defending champion Katinka Hosszú faded down the stretch to take fifth in 4:35.98, almost 10 seconds off her world record set at the last Games. Hosszú's teammate Viktória Mihályvári-Farkas (4:37.75) took sixth, while Great Britain's Aimee Willmott (4:38.30) repeated her seventh-place finish from Rio five years earlier. Outside the sub 4:40 club, Italy's Ilaria Cusinato (4:40.65) rounded out the championship field.

Records

Prior to this competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows.

World recordFlag of Hungary.svg  Katinka Hosszú  (HUN)4:26.36 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 6 August 2016 [2]
Olympic recordFlag of Hungary.svg  Katinka Hosszú  (HUN)4:26.36 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 6 August 2016 [2]

No new records were set during the competition.

Qualification

The Olympic Qualifying Time for the event is 4:38.53. Up to two swimmers per National Olympic Committee (NOC) can automatically qualify by swimming that time at an approved qualification event. The Olympic Selection Time is 4:46.89. Up to one swimmer per NOC meeting that time is eligible for selection, allocated by world ranking until the maximum quota for all swimming events is reached. NOCs without a female swimmer qualified in any event can also use their universality place. [3]

Competition format

The competition consists of two rounds: heats and a final. The swimmers with the best 8 times in the heats advance to the final. Swim-offs are used as necessary to break ties for advancement to the next round. [4]

Schedule

All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) [1]

DateTimeRound
24 July20:05Heats
25 July11:12Final

Results

Heats

The swimmers with the top 8 times, regardless of heat, advance to the final. [5]

RankHeatLaneSwimmerNationTimeNotes
135 Emma Weyant Flag of the United States.svg  United States 4:33.55Q
236 Aimee Willmott Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain 4:35.28Q
324 Yui Ohashi Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 4:35.71Q
433 Mireia Belmonte Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 4:35.88Q
525 Hali Flickinger Flag of the United States.svg  United States 4:35.98Q
626 Viktória Mihályvári-Farkas Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary 4:35.99Q
734 Katinka Hosszú Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary 4:36.01Q
827 Ilaria Cusinato Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 4:37.37Q
932 Sara Franceschi Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 4:39.93
1031 Anja Crevar Flag of Serbia.svg  Serbia 4:40.50
1121 Yu Yiting Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China 4:41.64
1238 Ageha Tanigawa Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 4:41.76
1337 Fantine Lesaffre Flag of France.svg  France 4:41.98
1422 Tessa Cieplucha Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 4:44.54
1515 Katja Fain Civil Ensign of Slovenia.svg  Slovenia 4:44.66
1613 Azzahra Permatahani Flag of Indonesia.svg  Indonesia 4:54.54
1714 Virginia Bardach Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina 5:01.98
23 Sydney Pickrem Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada DNS

Final

[6]

RankLaneSwimmerNationTimeNotes
Gold medal icon.svg3 Yui Ohashi Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 4:32.08
Silver medal icon.svg4 Emma Weyant Flag of the United States.svg  United States 4:32.76
Bronze medal icon.svg2 Hali Flickinger Flag of the United States.svg  United States 4:34.90
46 Mireia Belmonte Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 4:35.13
51 Katinka Hosszú Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary 4:35.98
67 Viktória Mihályvári-Farkas Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary 4:37.75
75 Aimee Willmott Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain 4:38.30
88 Ilaria Cusinato Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 4:40.65

References

  1. 1 2 "Tokyo 2020: Swimming Schedule". Tokyo 2020 . Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  2. 1 2 Wolken, Dan (6 August 2016). "Katinka Hosszu shatters world record in 400 IM; Maya DiRado wins silver". USA Today . Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  3. "Tokyo 2020 – FINA Swimming Qualification System" (PDF). Tokyo 2020 . FINA . Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  4. "FINA Swimming Rulebook, 2017–21" (PDF). FINA. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  5. "Heats results" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 July 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  6. "Final results" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 August 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2021.