The women's 400 metre individual medley event at the
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
took place on 28 July at the
London Aquatics Centre in
London, United Kingdom
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
.
At only 16 years of age, China's
Ye Shiwen
Ye Shiwen (; ; born 1 March 1996) is a Chinese swimmer. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, she won gold medals in the 400 metres and 200 metres individual medley, breaking the world record in the 400 m event and the Olympic record in the 200 m event ...
blasted a new world record to capture the Olympic title in the event. She trailed behind American teenager
Elizabeth Beisel
Elizabeth Lyon Beisel (born August 18, 1992) is an American competition swimmer who specializes in backstroke and individual medley events. Beisel placed second in the 400m individual medley at the 2016 US Olympic Swimming Trials, qualifying fo ...
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
Stephanie Louise Rice, OAM (born 17 June 1988) is an Australian former competitive swimmer. She won three gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, and was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia on 26 January 2009.
On 9 April 2 ...
in Beijing four years earlier by more than a second. Meanwhile, Beisel enjoyed the race with a powerful lead on the breaststroke leg, but felt satisfied to claim the silver in 4:31.27. 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).
Great Britain's home favorite
Hannah Miley
Hannah Louise Miley (born 8 August 1989) is a Scottish former competitive swimmer who specialised in the Individual Medley. Miley trained when she was younger at Inverurie Swimming Centre. She has represented Great Britain at three Olympic Gam ...
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. Spain's
Mireia Belmonte García
]
Mireia Belmonte García (born 10 November 1990) is a Spanish Olympic, world, and European champion Swimming (sport), swimmer. She is the world record holder in the short course 200-metre butterfly and 400-metre individual medley. Formerl ...
rounded out the final roster in 4:35.62.
[
]
Records
Prior to this competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows.
The following records were established during the competition:
Results
Heats
Final
References
External links
NBC Olympics Coverage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics - Women's 400 metre individual medley
Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Women's 400 metre individual medley
Olympics
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...
2012 in women's swimming
Women's events at the 2012 Summer Olympics