The women's 400 metre freestyle event at the

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from 1 ...

took place on 17 September at the

Sydney International Aquatic Centre The Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre (SOPAC) , formerly Sydney International Aquatic Centre (SIAC), is a swimming pool, swimming venue located in the Sydney Olympic Park in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Built in 1994, the SOPAC was a majo ...

Sydney, Australia Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and List of cities in Oceania by population, Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metro ...

Brooke Bennett Brooke Marie Bennett (born May 6, 1980) is an American former competition swimmer and three-time Olympic champion. Swimming career 1996 Summer Olympics ' Bennett's first gold medal came in the 800-meter freestyle race at the 1996 Summer Olymp ...

emerged as a major force in long-distance swimming, after effortlessly winning a first gold for the United States in the event since

Janet Evans Janet Beth Evans (born August 28, 1971) is an American former competition swimmer who specialized in distance freestyle events. Evans was a world champion and world record-holder, and won a total of four gold medals at the 1988 and the 1992 O ...

did so in 1988. She maintained a powerful lead from start to finish, and posted a lifetime best of 4:05.80, making her the third fastest all-time swimmer in history behind Evans and China's Chen Hua. At only 18 years of age,

Diana Munz Diana Marie Munz (born June 19, 1982), later known by her married name Diana DePetro, is an American former competition swimming (sport), swimmer and Olympic champion from Moreland Hills, Ohio. She represented the United States at the 2000 Summe ...

fought off a sprint challenge from Costa Rica's

Claudia Poll Claudia María Poll Ahrens (born 21 December 1972) is a former Costa Rican swimmer who competed in the 200 m to 800 m freestyle events. She is Costa Rica's only Olympic gold-medalist, having won the country's first Olympic gold medal ...

and Jamaica's

Janelle Atkinson Janelle Anya Monique Atkinson-McClave (born 30 September 1982), née Janelle Anya Monique Atkinson, is a Jamaican former competitive swimmer who won three silver medals at the 1999 Pan American Games. At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, she ...

on the final lap to take home the silver in 4:07.07, extending a distance swimming legacy for the Americans with a one–two finish. Meanwhile, Poll settled only for the bronze in 4:07.83. Atkinson made an Olympic milestone as the first Jamaican to reach a swimming final, but missed out the podium by almost a full second in a national record of 4:08.79. Russia's Nadezhda Chemezova finished fifth in 4:10.37, holding off a fast-pacing

Hannah Stockbauer Hannah Stockbauer (; born 7 January 1982) is a World Champion, Olympic and national-record holding swimmer from Germany. In 2003, she was named the female World Swimmer of the Year by ''Swimming World Magazine'', following her winning the 400, ...

of Germany (4:10.38) by a hundredth of a second (0.01). Netherlands'

Carla Geurts Carla Geurts (born 20 April 1971) is a former Dutch freestyle swimmer who competed at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia, and the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia for the Netherlands. Geurts won three silver medals during her care ...

(4:12.36), and China's Chen Hua (4:13.11), the second fastest all-time swimmer, rounded out the finale.

Records

Prior to this competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows.

Results

Heats

Final

References

External links

Official Olympic Report
{{DEFAULTSORT:Swimming at the 2000 Summer Olympics - Women's 400 metre freestyle F 2000 in women's swimming Women's events at the 2000 Summer Olympics