Women's 400 metre freestyle at the Games of the XXXII Olympiad | |||||||||||||
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Venue | Tokyo Aquatics Centre | ||||||||||||
Dates | 25 July 2021 (heats) 26 July 2021 (final) | ||||||||||||
Competitors | 26 from 19 nations | ||||||||||||
Winning time | 3:56.69 | ||||||||||||
Medalists | |||||||||||||
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Swimming at the 2020 Summer Olympics | |||
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![]() | |||
Qualification | |||
Freestyle | |||
50 m | men | women | |
100 m | men | women | |
200 m | men | women | |
400 m | men | women | |
800 m | men | women | |
1500 m | men | women | |
Backstroke | |||
100 m | men | women | |
200 m | men | women | |
Breaststroke | |||
100 m | men | women | |
200 m | men | women | |
Butterfly | |||
100 m | men | women | |
200 m | men | women | |
Individual medley | |||
200 m | men | women | |
400 m | men | women | |
Freestyle relay | |||
4 × 100 m | men | women | |
4 × 200 m | men | women | |
Medley relay | |||
4 × 100 m | men | mixed | women |
Marathon | |||
10 km | men | women | |
The women's 400 metre freestyle event at the 2020 Summer Olympics was held from 25 to 26 July 2021 at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre. [1] It was the event's twenty-third consecutive appearance, having been held at every edition since 1924.
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In one of the most anticipated races at these Games, Australia's Ariarne Titmus came from behind to hand the U.S.' defending Olympic champion Katie Ledecky her first-ever individual Olympic loss and become the first Australian to win the event since Shane Gould in 1972. Trailing Ledecky by nearly a body length at the halfway mark, Titmus launched a blistering final hundred to win the gold in 3:56.69, registering the second fastest time in history. While Ledecky took the early lead, she was unable to overtake Titmus in the final lap, settling for the silver in 3:57.36.
Meanwhile, China's Li Bingjie reset her Asian Record for the second time in as many days to take the bronze nearly four seconds back in 4:01.08. Whilst Canada's Summer McIntosh was third at the final turn, she faded down the stretch to finish fourth in a Canadian Record of 4:02.42. China's Tang Muhan (4:04.10), Germany's Isabel Gose (4:04.98), the U.S. Paige Madden (4:06.81) and New Zealand's Erika Fairweather (4:08:81) rounded out the championship field, with all four swimmers slower than their preliminary times.
The medals for competition were presented by John Coates, IOC Vice-President, and the gifts were presented by Penny Heyns, FINA Bureau Member.
Prior to this competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows.
World record | ![]() | 3:56.46 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 7 August 2016 | [2] [3] |
Olympic record | ![]() | 3:56.46 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 7 August 2016 | [2] [3] |
No new records were set during the competition.
The Olympic Qualifying Time for the event was 4:07.90. Up to two swimmers per National Olympic Committee (NOC) could automatically qualify by swimming that time at an approved qualification event. The Olympic Selection Time was 4:15.34. Up to one swimmer per NOC meeting that time was eligible for selection, allocated by world ranking until the maximum quota for all swimming events was reached. NOCs without a female swimmer qualified in any event could also use their universality place. [4]
The competition consisted of two rounds: heats and a final. The swimmers with the best 8 times in the heats advanced to the final. Swim-offs were to be used as necessary to break ties for advancement to the next round. [5]
All times are Japan standard time (UTC+9) [1]
Date | Time | Round |
---|---|---|
Sunday, 25 July 2021 | 20:06 | Heats |
Monday, 26 July 2021 | 11:20 | Final |
The swimmers with the top 8 times, regardless of heat, advanced to the final. [6]
Rank | Heat | Lane | Swimmer | Nation | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 3 | 4 | Katie Ledecky | ![]() | 4:00.45 | Q |
2 | 3 | 5 | Li Bingjie | ![]() | 4:01.57 | Q, AS |
3 | 4 | 4 | Ariarne Titmus | ![]() | 4:01.66 | Q |
4 | 4 | 8 | Erika Fairweather | ![]() | 4:02.28 | Q, NR |
5 | 3 | 6 | Summer McIntosh | ![]() | 4:02.72 | Q, NR |
6 | 3 | 2 | Isabel Gose | ![]() | 4:03.21 | Q, NR |
7 | 4 | 6 | Paige Madden | ![]() | 4:03.98 | Q |
8 | 4 | 2 | Tang Muhan | ![]() | 4:04.07 | Q |
9 | 4 | 3 | Tamsin Cook | ![]() | 4:04.80 | |
10 | 4 | 5 | Ajna Késely | ![]() | 4:05.34 | |
11 | 4 | 1 | Waka Kobori | ![]() | 4:05.57 | |
12 | 2 | 3 | Julia Hassler | ![]() | 4:06.98 | NR |
13 | 2 | 5 | Joanna Evans | ![]() | 4:07.50 | |
14 | 3 | 7 | Anastasiya Kirpichnikova | ![]() | 4:08.01 | |
15 | 3 | 3 | Anna Egorova | ![]() | 4:08.24 | |
16 | 3 | 8 | Beril Böcekler | ![]() | 4:08.27 | |
17 | 2 | 6 | Marlene Kahler | ![]() | 4:08.37 | NR |
18 | 4 | 7 | Leonie Kullmann | ![]() | 4:10.25 | |
19 | 2 | 4 | Merve Tuncel | ![]() | 4:11.06 | |
20 | 3 | 1 | Miyu Namba | ![]() | 4:13.49 | |
21 | 2 | 2 | Han Da-kyung | ![]() | 4:16.49 | |
22 | 2 | 7 | Sasha Gatt | ![]() | 4:19.75 | |
23 | 2 | 1 | Tiana Rabarijaona | ![]() | 4:28.41 | |
24 | 1 | 4 | Eda Zeqiri | ![]() | 4:38.02 | |
25 | 1 | 5 | Talita Te Flan | ![]() | 4:38.92 | |
26 | 1 | 3 | Natalia Kuipers | ![]() | 4:39.42 |
Rank | Lane | Swimmer | Nation | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | 3 | Ariarne Titmus | ![]() | 3:56.69 | OC |
![]() | 4 | Katie Ledecky | ![]() | 3:57.36 | |
![]() | 5 | Li Bingjie | ![]() | 4:01.08 | AS |
4 | 2 | Summer McIntosh | ![]() | 4:02.42 | NR |
5 | 8 | Tang Muhan | ![]() | 4:04.10 | |
6 | 7 | Isabel Gose | ![]() | 4:04.98 | |
7 | 1 | Paige Madden | ![]() | 4:06.81 | |
8 | 6 | Erika Fairweather | ![]() | 4:08.01 |