Swimming at the 1973 World Aquatics Championships – Women's 400 metre freestyle
The women's 400 metre freestyle competition of the swimming events at the 1973 World Aquatics Championships took place on September 7.Records
Prior to the competition, the existing world and championship records were as follows.
The following records were established during the competition:
| Date | Event | Name | Nationality | Time | Record |
| 7 September | Heat | Virginia Rickard | | 4:24.994 | CR |
| 7 September | Heat | Heather Greenwood | | 4:24.938 | CR |
| 7 September | Final | Heather Greenwood | | 4:20.287 | CR |
Results
Heats
26 swimmers participated in 4 heats, qualified swimmers are listed:
| Rank | Heat | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 3 | - | Heather Greenwood | | 4:24.938 | Q, CR |
| 2 | 1 | - | Virginia Rickard | | 4:24.994 | Q, CR |
| 3 | 4 | - | Keena Rothhammer | | 4:25.122 | Q |
| 4 | 1 | - | Gudrun Wegner | | 4:25.888 | Q |
| 5 | 2 | - | Novella Calligaris | | 4:27.089 | Q |
| 6 | 4 | - | Narelle Moras | | 4:30.288 | Q |
| 7 | 2 | - | Elke Sehmisch | | 4:31.630 | Q |
| 8 | 2 | - | Janice Stenhouse | | 4:32.040 | Q |
| 9 | 1 | - | Uta Schütz | | 4:33.186 | |
| 10 | 1 | - | Maria Guimarães | | 4:34.053 | |
| 11 | 2 | - | Irwi Johansson | | 4:34.166 | |
| 12 | 4 | - | Anne Marie McCaffrey | | 4:37.118 | |
| 13 | 4 | - | Federica Stabilini | | 4:38.899 | |
| 14 | 2 | - | Ileana Morales | | 4:39.976 | |
| 15 | 3 | - | Marie Sundeborg | | 4:45.292 | |
| 16 | 3 | - | Tamara Shelofastova | | 4:48.743 | |
| 17 | 4 | - | S. Arambatsis | | 4:49.187 | |
| 18 | 2 | - | E. Pilawska | | 4:49.474 | |
| 19 | 2 | - | S. Pavletic | | 4:53.004 | |
| 20 | 4 | - | Eleni Avlanitou | | 4:53.148 | |
| 21 | 1 | - | E. Tomandl | | 4:59.692 | |
| 22 | 4 | - | L. Moreda | | 5:00.252 | |
| 23 | 4 | - | María Mock | | 5:00.906 | |
| 24 | 3 | - | Myriam Mizouni | | 5:04.065 | |
| 25 | 3 | - | D. Garcia | | 5:07.040 | |
| 26 | 3 | - | Hansje Bunschoten | | - | DNS / DQ |
Final
The results of the final are below.
| Rank | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 4 | Heather Greenwood | | 4:20.287 | CR |
| 3 | Keena Rothhammer | | 4:21.507 | |
| 2 | Novella Calligaris | | 4:21.798 | ER |
| 5 | Virginia Rickard | | 4:23.486 | |
| 6 | Gudrun Wegner | | 4:24.641 | |
| 1 | Elke Sehmisch | | 4:30.940 | |
| 8 | Janice Stenhouse | | 4:31.923 | |
| 7 | Narelle Moras | | 4:34.948 | |
