Event: | Women's 400 metre individual medley |
Games: | 2012 Summer |
Venue: | London Aquatics Centre |
Date: | July 28, 2012 (heats & final) |
Competitors: | 36 |
Nations: | 29 |
Win Value: | 4:28.43 |
Gold: | Ye Shiwen |
Goldnoc: | CHN |
Silver: | Elizabeth Beisel |
Silvernoc: | USA |
Bronze: | Li Xuanxu |
Bronzenoc: | CHN |
Prev: | 2008 |
Next: | 2016 |
The women's 400 metre individual medley event at the 2012 Summer Olympics took place on 28 July at the London Aquatics Centre in London, United Kingdom.[1]
At only 16 years of age, China's Ye Shiwen blasted a new world record to capture the Olympic title in the event. She trailed behind American teenager Elizabeth Beisel more than halfway through the race, before pulling away with a superb freestyle leg to bring home the Olympic gold medal and the world record in a sterling time of 4:28.43. Her spectacular swim also demolished the previous standard from Australia's Stephanie Rice in Beijing four years earlier by more than a second.[2] [3] Meanwhile, Beisel enjoyed the race with a powerful lead on the breaststroke leg, but felt satisfied to claim the silver in 4:31.27.[4] [5] Ye's teammate Li Xuanxu stormed home on the final stretch to grab a bronze in 4:32.91, edging out Hungary's early leader Katinka Hosszú (4:33.49) by more than half a second (0.50).[6]
Great Britain's home favorite Hannah Miley finished fifth in 4:34.17, while Rice, the defending Olympic champion, matched United States' Caitlin Leverenz with an unexpected sixth-place time in 4:35.49.[7] [8] Spain's Mireia Belmonte García rounded out the final roster in 4:35.62.[6]
Prior to this competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows.
The following records were established during the competition:
Rank | Heat | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 5 | 4 | 4:31.68 | Q | |||
2 | 3 | 5 | 4:31.73 | Q | |||
3 | 3 | 4 | 4:33.77 | Q | |||
4 | 5 | 5 | 4:34.28 | Q | |||
5 | 5 | 3 | 4:34.70 | Q | |||
6 | 4 | 4 | 4:34.98 | Q | |||
7 | 4 | 5 | 4:35.76 | Q | |||
8 | 4 | 3 | 4:36.09 | Q | |||
9 | 3 | 3 | 4:37.37 | ||||
10 | 5 | 1 | 4:38.20 | ||||
11 | 5 | 2 | 4:38.87 | ||||
12 | 4 | 6 | 4:39.13 | ||||
13 | 5 | 6 | 4:40.42 | ||||
14 | 4 | 7 | 4:41.33 | ||||
15 | 3 | 6 | 4:41.84 | ||||
16 | 4 | 2 | 4:43.46 | ||||
17 | 2 | 5 | 4:43.99 | ||||
18 | 5 | 7 | 4:44.28 | ||||
19 | 3 | 8 | 4:44.78 | ||||
20 | 3 | 2 | 4:45.10 | ||||
21 | 2 | 4 | 4:45.49 | ||||
22 | 4 | 1 | 4:45.61 | ||||
23 | 4 | 8 | 4:45.80 | ||||
24 | 3 | 7 | 4:45.94 | ||||
25 | 3 | 1 | 4:46.80 | ||||
26 | 2 | 7 | 4:48.19 | ||||
27 | 2 | 6 | 4:48.64 | ||||
28 | 1 | 3 | 4:50.32 | ||||
29 | 1 | 4 | 4:50.57 | ||||
30 | 2 | 8 | 4:51.28 | ||||
31 | 2 | 1 | 4:52.50 | ||||
32 | 2 | 2 | 4:53.21 | ||||
33 | 1 | 5 | 4:53.54 | ||||
34 | 2 | 3 | 4:57.31 | ||||
35 | 1 | 6 | 5:34.64 | NR | |||
5 | 8 |
Rank | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 | 4:28.43 | |||||
4 | 4:31.27 | |||||
6 | 4:32.91 | |||||
4 | 3 | 4:33.49 | ||||
5 | 7 | 4:34.17 | ||||
6 | 1 | 4:35.49 | ||||
8 | ||||||
8 | 2 | 4:35.62 |