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 | 4:29.45 | Beijing, China | August 10, 2008 | |
| Pan American Games record | 4:38.46 | Winnipeg, Canada | August 2, 1999 |
Qualification
Each National Olympic Committee was able to enter up to two entrants providing they had met the A standard in the qualifying period. NOCs were also permitted to enter one athlete providing they had met the B standard 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 | 4:51.78 | QA | |
| 2 | 3 | 4 | Allysa Vavra | 4:53.76 | QA | |
| 3 | 2 | 4 | Joanna Maranhão | 4:54.51 | QA | |
| 4 | 3 | 5 | Georgina Bardach | 4:57.58 | QA | |
| 5 | 4 | 5 | Karyn Jewell | 4:57.81 | QA | |
| 6 | 4 | 3 | Susana Escobar | 4:58.57 | QA | |
| 7 | 2 | 5 | Hanna Pierse | 4:59.76 | QA | |
| 8 | 3 | 3 | Samantha Arevalo | 5:02.29 | QA | |
| 9 | 3 | 6 | Julia Arino | 5:06.78 | QB | |
| 10 | 3 | 2 | Eliana Barrios | 5:07.70 | QB | |
| 11 | 2 | 3 | Montserrat Ortuño | 5:08.47 | QB | |
| 12 | 4 | 6 | Larissa Cieslak | 5:09.86 | QB | |
| 13 | 4 | 7 | Patricia Quevedo | 5:13.30 | QB | |
| 14 | 4 | 2 | Barbara Caraballo | 5:17.07 | QB | |
| 15 | 2 | 2 | Zara Bailey | 5:19.46 | QB | |
| 16 | 2 | 1 | Lani Cabrera | 5:19.66 | QB | |
| 17 | 1 | 5 | Daniela Reyes | 5:20.05 | ||
| 18 | 1 | 3 | Laura Rodriguez | 5:22.28 | ||
| 19 | 4 | 8 | Daniella van den Berg | 5:24.75 | ||
| 20 | 3 | 7 | Ana Castellanos | 5:26.80 | ||
| 21 | 2 | 7 | Maria Alejandra Torres | 5:27.30 | ||
| 22 | 4 | 1 | Karen Vilorio | 5:30.42 | ||
| 23 | 3 | 1 | Lara Maria Butler | 5:35.96 | ||
| 24 | 1 | 4 | Amara Gibbs | 5:38.27 | ||
| 2 | 6 | Daniela Victoria |
B Final
The B final was also held on October 15.| Rank | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 9 | 4 | Julia Arino | 5:01.20 | ||
| 10 | 3 | Montserrat Ortuño | 5:04.07 | ||
| 11 | 5 | Eliana Barrios | 5:04.10 | ||
| 12 | 6 | Larissa Cieslak | 5:12.83 | ||
| 13 | 7 | Barbara Caraballo | 5:17.61 | ||
| 14 | 1 | Zara Bailey | 5:17.72 | ||
| 15 | 2 | Patricia Quevedo | 5:20.50 | ||
| 16 | 8 | Lani Cabrera | 5:22.06 |
A Final
The A final was held on October 15.| Rank | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 4 | Julia Smit | 4:46.15 | |||
| 3 | Joanna Maranhão | 4:46.33 | |||
| 5 | Allysa Vavra | 4:48.05 | |||
| 4 | 1 | Hanna Pierse | 4:52.95 | ||
| 5 | 6 | Georgina Bardach | 4:53.81 | ||
| 6 | 7 | Susana Escobar | 4:54.49 | ||
| 7 | 2 | Karyn Jewell | 4:57.65 | ||
| 8 | 8 | Samantha Arevalo | 4:58.27 |