Swimming at the 2013 World Aquatics Championships – Women's 400 metre freestyle
The women's 400 meter freestyle event in swimming at the 2013 World Aquatics Championships took place on 28 July at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona, Spain.Records
Prior to this competition, the existing world and championship records were:Results
Heats
The heats were held at 11:22.
| Rank | Heat | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 3 | 5 | Katie Ledecky | | 4:03.05 | Q |
| 2 | 4 | 6 | Melanie Costa | | 4:04.20 | Q |
| 3 | 2 | 5 | Jazmin Carlin | | 4:04.85 | Q |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | Lauren Boyle | | 4:04.96 | Q |
| 5 | 2 | 3 | Kylie Palmer | | 4:05.01 | Q |
| 6 | 4 | 4 | Camille Muffat | | 4:05.53 | Q |
| 7 | 2 | 6 | Boglárka Kapás | | 4:05.61 | Q, NR |
| 8 | 3 | 2 | Andreina Pinto | | 4:06.02 | Q, NR |
| 9 | 4 | 3 | | | 4:06.76 | |
| 10 | 4 | 2 | Chloe Sutton | | 4:07.16 | |
| 11 | 3 | 7 | Martina de Memme | | 4:08.42 | |
| 12 | 3 | 6 | Shao Yiwen | | 4:09.16 | |
| 13 | 3 | 4 | Bronte Barratt | | 4:09.65 | |
| 14 | 2 | 4 | Coralie Balmy | | 4:10.70 | |
| 15 | 3 | 1 | Chihiro Igarashi | | 4:12.44 | |
| 16 | 4 | 1 | Savannah King | | 4:12.47 | |
| 17 | 4 | 7 | Ellie Faulkner | | 4:13.18 | |
| 18 | 4 | 0 | Susana Escobar | | 4:13.37 | |
| 19 | 2 | 7 | Diletta Carli | | 4:13.89 | |
| 20 | 2 | 2 | Zhang Wenqing | | 4:14.66 | |
| 21 | 3 | 8 | Julia Hassler | | 4:14.68 | |
| 22 | 2 | 9 | Lynette Lim | | 4:14.76 | |
| 23 | 2 | 1 | Sarah Köhler | | 4:16.13 | |
| 24 | 4 | 8 | Nina Rangelova | | 4:18.94 | |
| 25 | 4 | 9 | Kyna Pereira | | 4:19.66 | |
| 26 | 2 | 8 | Natthanan Junkrajang | | 4:19.77 | |
| 27 | 1 | 5 | Katya Bachrouche | | 4:20.46 | |
| 28 | 2 | 0 | Tjasa Oder | | 4:20.82 | |
| 29 | 3 | 0 | Carolina Bilich | | 4:21.40 | |
| 30 | 3 | 9 | Khoo Cai Lin | | 4:23.67 | |
| 31 | 1 | 3 | Andrea Cedrón | | 4:28.78 | |
| 32 | 1 | 4 | Raina Ramdhani | | 4:29.61 | |
| 33 | 1 | 6 | Daniela Benavides | | 4:35.85 | |
| 34 | 1 | 2 | Alexis Clarke | | 4:42.82 | |
| 35 | 1 | 1 | San Khant Khant Su | | 4:54.89 | |
| 36 | 1 | 7 | Monica Saili | | 4:55.49 | |
| 37 | 1 | 8 | Victoria Chentsova | | 4:59.78 | |
| 4 | 5 | Lotte Friis | | | |
Final
The final was held at 18:57.
| Rank | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 4 | Katie Ledecky | | 3:59.82 | AM |
| 5 | Melanie Costa | | 4:02.47 | NR |
| 6 | Lauren Boyle | | 4:03.89 | |
| 4 | 3 | Jazmin Carlin | | 4:04.03 | |
| 5 | 1 | Boglárka Kapás | | 4:05.90 | |
| 6 | 8 | Andreina Pinto | | 4:07.14 | |
| 7 | 7 | Camille Muffat | | 4:07.67 | |
| 8 | 2 | Kylie Palmer | | 4:08.13 | |
