Swimming at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships – Women's 400 metre individual medley
The women's 400 metre individual medley competition of the swimming events at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships was held on July 31 with the heats the final.Records
Prior to the competition, the existing world and championship records were as follows.
| Name | Nation | Time | Location | Date |
| World record | Stephanie Rice | | 4:29.45 | Beijing | August 10, 2008 |
| Championship record | Katinka Hosszú | | 4:30.31 | Rome | August 2, 2009 |
Results
Heats
36 swimmers participated in 5 heats.
| Rank | Heat | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 3 | 4 | Elizabeth Beisel | | 4:34.95 | Q |
| 2 | 4 | 5 | Mireia Belmonte García | | 4:36.36 | Q |
| 3 | 3 | 5 | Caitlin Leverenz | | 4:36.78 | Q |
| 4 | 5 | 8 | Barbora Zavadova | | 4:36.96 | Q, NR |
| 5 | 5 | 2 | Stephanie Rice | | 4:37.32 | Q |
| 6 | 5 | 4 | Hannah Miley | | 4:37.39 | Q |
| 7 | 5 | 3 | Li Xuanxu | | 4:37.61 | Q |
| 8 | 4 | 4 | Ye Shiwen | | 4:38.18 | Q |
| 9 | 4 | 7 | Alexa Komarnycky | | 4:38.82 | |
| 10 | 5 | 6 | Zsuzsanna Jakabos | | 4:38.84 | |
| 11 | 3 | 1 | Kathryn Meaklim | | 4:41.07 | |
| 12 | 4 | 6 | Anja Klinar | | 4:41.23 | |
| 13 | 4 | 8 | Jördis Steinegger | | 4:41.33 | NR |
| 14 | 4 | 3 | Kirsty Coventry | | 4:42.52 | |
| 15 | 5 | 5 | Katinka Hosszú | | 4:42.96 | |
| 16 | 5 | 1 | Stina Gardell | | 4:44.53 | |
| 17 | 3 | 8 | Stephanie Horner | | 4:44.85 | |
| 18 | 4 | 1 | Alessia Polieri | | 4:45.26 | |
| 19 | 3 | 3 | Samantha Hamill | | 4:45.32 | |
| 20 | 5 | 7 | Yana Martynova | | 4:45.53 | |
| 21 | 3 | 6 | Lara Grangeon | | 4:47.41 | |
| 22 | 2 | 4 | Georgina Bardach | | 4:48.09 | |
| 23 | 2 | 5 | Ganna Dzerkal | | 4:48.17 | |
| 24 | 3 | 2 | Stephanie Proud | | 4:48.31 | |
| 25 | 4 | 2 | Stefania Pirozzi | | 4:48.40 | |
| 26 | 2 | 2 | Kim Hye-Rim | | 4:48.97 | |
| 27 | 2 | 6 | Charetzeni Escobar | | 4:49.95 | =NR |
| 28 | 2 | 7 | Nadia Vieira | | 4:51.65 | |
| 29 | 2 | 1 | Sarra Lajnef | | 4:51.89 | |
| 30 | 2 | 3 | Marina Ribi | | 4:52.49 | |
| 31 | 2 | 8 | Samantha Arevalo | | 4:58.87 | |
| 32 | 1 | 4 | Natthanan Junkrajang | | 5:03.07 | |
| 33 | 1 | 5 | Maria Coy | | 5:11.28 | |
| 34 | 1 | 3 | Ana Maria Castellanos | | 5:16.41 | |
| 35 | 1 | 6 | Daniella van den Berg | | 5:18.27 | |
| 36 | 1 | 2 | Anum Bandey | | 5:37.11 | NR |
| – | 3 | 7 | Gráinne Murphy | | | DNS |
Final
The final was held at 19:19.
| Rank | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 4 | Elizabeth Beisel | | 4:31.78 | |
| 7 | Hannah Miley | | 4:34.22 | |
| 2 | Stephanie Rice | | 4:34.23 | |
| 4 | 5 | Mireia Belmonte García | | 4:34.94 | |
| 5 | 8 | Ye Shiwen | | 4:35.15 | |
| 6 | 1 | Li Xuanxu | | 4:35.78 | |
| 7 | 6 | Barbora Zavadova | | 4:38.04 | |
| 8 | 3 | Caitlin Leverenz | | 4:38.80 | |
