| Final 10:46 | time | gap | L | Reac | 200m | 400m | 600m |  | 1. Kathleen Ledecky |   United States | 8:12.57 |   | 4 | 0.65 | 2:00.061. | 4:04.701. | 6:09.281. |  | 2. Ariarne Titmus |   Australia | 8:13.83 | 1.26s | 7 | 0.74 | 2:01.012. | 4:05.922. | 6:11.002. |  | 3. Simona Quadarella |   Italy | 8:18.35 | 5.78s | 3 | 0.74 | 2:02.865. | 4:08.134. | 6:13.443. |  | 4. Katie Grimes |   United States | 8:19.38 | 6.81s | 5 | 0.66 | 2:01.863. | 4:08.113. | 6:15.184. |  | 5. Jianjiahe Wang |   China | 8:21.93 | 9.36s | 8 | 0.72 | 2:02.374. | 4:08.965. | 6:16.565. |  | 6. Kiah Melverton |   Australia | 8:22.25 | 9.68s | 1 | 0.74 | 2:03.246. | 4:10.256. | 6:17.637.  |  | 7. Sarah Kohler |   Germany | 8:24.56 | 11.99s | 6 | 0.72 | 2:03.578. | 4:10.517. | 6:17.536. |  | 8. Anastasiia Kirpichnikova |   ROC | 8:26.30 | 13.73s | 2 | 0.74 | 2:03.287. | 4:10.528. | 6:18.658. |   
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| Final Ranking |  | 1. Kathleen Ledecky |  USA |  | 2. Ariarne Titmus |  AUS  |  | 3. Simona Quadarella |  ITA  |   
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| World and Olympic Record: Kathleen Ledecky, United States 8:04.79 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 12th August 2016 |   
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  |  | Best 8 times advanced to Final.  |   
| 1. Katie Ledecky |   United States | 8:15.67 |   | 4 | 935 | 2:01.29 | 4:06.28 | 8:11.36 | 24 |  | 2. Katie Grimes |   United States | 8:17.05 | +1.38s | 6 | 927 | 2:01.65 | 4:07.51 | 6:13.80 | 15 |  | 3. Simona Quadarella |   Italy | 8:17.32 | +1.65s | 5 | 926 | 2:03.08 | 4:08.25 | 6:13.66 | 22 |  | 4. Sarah Wellbrock |   Germany | 8:17.33 | +1.66s | 3 | 926 | 2:02.76 | 4:07.88 | 6:13.45 | 27 |  | 12.Merve Tuncel |   Turkey | 8:25.62 | +9.95s | 8 | 881 | 2:04.09 | 4:10.66 | 6:18.18 | 16 |  | 14.Mireia Belmonte Garcia |   Spain | 8:26.71 | +11.04s | 7 | 875 | 2:04.67 | 4:12.07 | 6:19.99 | 30 |  | 20.Martina Rita Caramignoli |   Italy | 8:33.15 | +17.48s | 2 | 843 | 2:05.52 | 4:14.85 | 6:24.96 | 30 |  | -. Anna Egorova |    ~$DNS |   | 1 | - |   |   |   | 23 |   
| 5. Anastasiia Kirpichnikova |   ROC | 8:18.77 | +3.10s | 6 | 918 | 2:02.87 | 4:09.25 | 6:15.04 | 21 |  | 6. Ariarne Titmus |   Australia | 8:18.99 | +3.32s | 5 | 917 | 2:02.95 | 4:09.30 | 6:14.68 | 20 |  | 7. Kiah Melverton |   Australia | 8:20.45 | +4.78s | 3 | 909 | 2:03.58 | 4:10.39 | 6:16.90 | 24 |  | 8. Jianjiahe Wang |   China | 8:20.58 | +4.91s | 4 | 908 | 2:03.28 | 4:09.61 | 6:16.14 | 19 |  | 9. Isabel Gose |   Germany | 8:21.79 | +6.12s | 8 | 901 | 2:03.28 | 4:09.46 | 6:16.13 | 19 |  | 10.Bingjie Li |   China | 8:22.49 | +6.82s | 1 | 898 | 2:03.91 | 4:10.70 | 6:17.35 | 19 |  | 13.Ajna Kesely |   Hungary | 8:26.20 | +10.53s | 2 | 878 | 2:04.21 | 4:11.11 | 6:18.51 | 19 |  | 27.Delfina Pignatiello |   Argentina | 8:44.85 | +29.18s | 7 | 788 | 2:06.76 | 4:18.58 | 6:31.91 | 21 |   
| 11.Summer Mcintosh |   Canada | 8:25.04 | +9.37s | 3 | 884 | 2:02.84 | 4:09.55 | 6:17.91 | 14 |  | 15.Julia Hassler |   Liechtenstain | 8:26.99 | +11.32s | 6 | 874 | 2:04.57 | 4:12.14 | 6:20.06 | 28 |  | 16.Waka Kobori |   Japan | 8:28.90 | +13.23s | 5 | 864 | 2:06.06 | 4:15.20 | 6:23.02 | 20 |  | 17.Miyu Namba |   Japan | 8:32.04 | +16.37s | 4 | 848 | 2:06.53 | 4:15.74 | 6:25.22 | 19 |  | 21.Jimena Perez Blanco |   Spain | 8:33.98 | +18.31s | 7 | 839 | 2:07.27 | 4:16.68 | 6:25.97 | 23 |  | 22.Marlene Kahler |   Austria | 8:36.16 | +20.49s | 8 | 828 | 2:05.79 | 4:14.76 | 6:24.86 | 20 |  | 23.Deniz Ertan |   Turkey | 8:36.29 | +20.62s | 1 | 827 | 2:07.32 | 4:17.05 | 6:26.99 | 17 |  | 25.Tamila Holub |   Portugal | 8:40.04 | +24.37s | 2 | 810 | 2:07.00 | 4:16.76 | 6:27.49 | 22 |   
| 18.Eve Thomas |   New Zealand | 8:32.51 | +16.84s | 3 | 846 | 2:06.98 | 4:16.10 | 6:25.57 | 20 |  | 19.Kristel Kobrich |   Chile | 8:32.58 | +16.91s | 4 | 846 | 2:06.40 | 4:15.79 | 6:24.57 | 35 |  | 24.Viviane Jungblut |   Brazil | 8:38.88 | +23.21s | 5 | 815 | 2:06.82 | 4:16.84 | 6:27.82 | 25 |  | 26.Katja Fain |   Slovenia | 8:41.13 | +25.46s | 6 | 805 | 2:05.25 | 4:17.39 | 6:30.46 | 19 |  | 28.Dakyung HAN |   South Korea | 8:46.66 | +30.99s | 2 | 779 | 2:07.39 | 4:20.14 | 6:34.20 | 21 |  | 29.Arianna Valloni |   San Marino | 8:54.78 | +39.11s | 1 | 744 | 2:11.24 | 4:25.58 | 6:40.35 | 20 |  | 30.Anh Vien Nguyen |   Vietnam | 9:03.56 | +47.89s | 7 | 709 | 2:09.45 | 4:25.93 | 6:44.72 | 24 |   
| Final Ranking | Heats | Final |  | 1. Kathleen Ledecky |   United States | 8:15.671. | 8:12.57 |  | 2. Ariarne Titmus |   Australia | 8:18.996. | 8:13.83 |  | 3. Simona Quadarella |   Italy | 8:17.323. | 8:18.35 |  | 4. Katie Grimes |   United States | 8:17.052. | 8:19.38 |  | 5. Jianjiahe Wang |   China | 8:20.588. | 8:21.93 |  | 6. Kiah Melverton |   Australia | 8:20.457. | 8:22.25 |  | 7. Sarah Kohler |   Germany | 8:17.334. | 8:24.56 |  | 8. Anastasiia Kirpichnikova |   ROC | 8:18.775. | 8:26.30 |  |  eliminated in Heats |  | 9. Isabel Gose |   Germany | 8:21.79 |   |  | 10.Bingjie Li |   China | 8:22.49 |   |  | 11.Summer McIntosh |   Canada | 8:25.04 |   |  | 12.Merve Tuncel |   Turkey | 8:25.62 |   |  | 13.Ajna Kesely |   Hungary | 8:26.20 |   |  | 14.Mireia Belmonte |   Spain | 8:26.71 |   |  | 15.Julia Hassler |   Liechtenstain | 8:26.99 |   |  | 16.Waka Kobori |   Japan | 8:28.90 |   |  | 17.Miyu Namba |   Japan | 8:32.04 |   |  | 18.Eve Thomas |   New Zealand | 8:32.51 |   |  | 19.Kristel Kobrich |   Chile | 8:32.58 |   |  | 20.Martina Rita Caramignoli |   Italy | 8:33.15 |   |  | 21.Jimena Perez Blanco |   Spain | 8:33.98 |   |  | 22.Marlene Kahler |   Austria | 8:36.16 |   |  | 23.Deniz Ertan |   Turkey | 8:36.29 |   |  | 24.Viviane Jungblut |   Brazil | 8:38.88 |   |  | 25.Tamila Holub |   Portugal | 8:40.04 |   |  | 26.Katja Fain |   Slovenia | 8:41.13 |   |  | 27.Delfina Pignatiello |   Argentina | 8:44.85 |   |  | 28.Dakyung Han |   South Korea | 8:46.66 |   |  | 29.Arianna Valloni |   San Marino | 8:54.78 |   |  | 30.Anh Vien Nguyen Thi Anh |   Vietnam | 9:03.56 |   |  | 31.Anna Egorova |   ROC | DNS |   |   
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