These are the results of the Women's 400 metres event at the 1997 World Championships in Athletics

1997 World Championships in Athletics

The 6th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece between August 1 and August 10, 1997. In this event participated 1882 athletes from 198 participant nations...

 in Athens, Greece.

Medalists

Gold	Cathy Freeman Cathy Freeman Catherine Astrid Salome "Cathy" Freeman, OAM is former Australian sprinter, who specialised in the 400 metres event. She became the Olympic champion for the women's 400 metres at the 2000 Summer Olympics, at which she lit the Olympic Flame.Freeman was the first ever Aboriginal... Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...  (AUS)
Silver	Sandie Richards Sandie Richards Alexandra Richards is a Jamaican track and field athlete. She was a bronze medalist in the 4x400 m relay at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.... Jamaica Jamaica Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...  (JAM)
Bronze	Jearl Miles-Clark Jearl Miles-Clark Jearl Atawa Miles Clark is an American athlete who competed mainly in the 400 and 800 meters.She holds the American record in the women's 800m at 1:56.40.... United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...  (USA)

Heats

First 4 of each Heat (Q) and the next 4 fastest (q) qualified for the quarterfinals.

Rank	Heat	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
	1	Helena Dziurova-Fuchsová		51.05	Q, PB
	4	Grit Breuer Grit Breuer Grit Breuer is a former East German athlete, who competed in the women's 200m, 400m, 4x100m, and 4x400m events....		51.43	Q
	5	Lorraine Graham		51.45	Q
	5	Cathy Freeman Cathy Freeman Catherine Astrid Salome "Cathy" Freeman, OAM is former Australian sprinter, who specialised in the 400 metres event. She became the Olympic champion for the women's 400 metres at the 2000 Summer Olympics, at which she lit the Olympic Flame.Freeman was the first ever Aboriginal...		51.53	Q
	4	Olga Kotlyarova Olga Kotlyarova Olga Kotlyarova is a Russian runner. She used to compete mainly in 400 metres, and has an Olympic bronze medal from 2000 in relay...		51.55	Q
	2	Sandie Richards Sandie Richards Alexandra Richards is a Jamaican track and field athlete. She was a bronze medalist in the 4x400 m relay at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece....		51.57	Q
	5	Maicel Malone-Wallace Maicel Malone-Wallace Maicel Malone-Wallace is a former track and field athlete who specialised in the 400 meters. She was the 1996 Olympic Games gold medalist in the women's 4 x 400 meters relay for the United States.-External links:...		51.57	Q
	1	Tatyana Alekseyeva Tatyana Alekseyeva Tatyana Alekseyeva is a former 400 metres runner from Russia. Her personal best result was 49.98.- Achievements :-External reference:...		51.61	Q
	5	Pauline Davis-Thompson		51.61	Q
10	2	Jearl Miles-Clark Jearl Miles-Clark Jearl Atawa Miles Clark is an American athlete who competed mainly in the 400 and 800 meters.She holds the American record in the women's 800m at 1:56.40....		51.77	Q
10	4	Falilat Ogunkoya Falilat Ogunkoya Falilat Ogunkoya is a Nigerian athlete.Ogunkoya has won a number of national championships, including a gold medal in 1996 in the 400 metres, gold in the 200 metres and 400 m in 1998, and gold again in 1999 and 2001 in the 400 m. At the 1987 All Africa Games in Kenya she won the silver medal in...		51.77	Q
12	5	Anja Rucker Anja Rücker Anja Rücker is a retired German sprinter who specialized in the 400 metres.At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, she won a bronze medal in the 4 x 400 metres relay with her teammates Uta Rohländer, Linda Kisabaka and Grit Breuer...		51.84	q
13	3	Kim Graham Kim Graham Kimberly Elaine Graham is a former American sprinter who specialised in the 400 metres event. She represented the United States at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, where she received a gold medal in women's 4x400 metres relay with Rochelle Stevens, Maicel Malone, and Jearl Miles...		51.92	Q
14	2	Allison Curbishley Allison Curbishley Allison Curbishley is a former British athlete from Teesside but who represented Scotland. She specialised in the 400m. A play scheme in the summer holiday when she was ten years old got Curbishley interested in sport and although athletics was the sport she eventually chose she also reached...	United Kingdom	51.97	Q
15	1	Damayanthi Dharsha Damayanthi Dharsha Damayanthi Dharsha is a retired Sri Lankan athlete who competed in the 200 and 400 metres. Dharsha made an initial impact at just 16 years when she won the 100 metres gold medal at the Colombo SAF Games in 1991 with a new record...		51.99	Q, NR Sri Lankan records in athletics The following are the national records in athletics in Sri Lanka maintained by Athletic Association of Sri Lanka .-Men:-Women:-Men:-Women:+ = en route to a longer distanceht = hand timing-External links:* * *...
16	1	Olabisi Afolabi Olabisi Afolabi Olabisi Afolabi is a retired female track and field athlete from Nigeria, who specialized in the 400 metres during her career. She was a member of the Nigerian team that won the silver medal in the 1996 Olympics 4 x 400 metres relay.She won the World Junior Championships in 1994...		52.13	Q
17	4	Naděžda Koštovalová		52.15	Q
18	2	Norfalia Carabali		52.18	Q
19	3	Donna Fraser Donna Fraser Donna Karen Fraser in Thornton Heath, Croydon is an English athlete who mainly competed in the 200 and 400 metres.-Career:...	United Kingdom	52.21	Q
20	1	Tonique Williams		52.30	q
21	3	Ladonna Antoine		52.44	q
22	4	Adri De Jongh		52.47	q
23	3	Patrizia Spuri		52.54	Q
24	3	Tatyana Chebykina Tatyana Chebykina Tatyana Chebykina is a former Russian athlete who mainly competed in the 400 metres. Over the course of her career her greatest success came in relay races.She is married to the race walker Nikolay Matyukhin.-Achievements:-External links:...		52.57	Q
25	2	Hana Benešová		52.74
26	5	Marina Filipović		53.16
27	5	Svetlana Bodritskaya Svetlana Bodritskaya Svetlana Aleksandrovna Bodritskaya is a retired female sprinter Kazakhstan, who specialized in the 400 metres. Her personal best time is 51.78 seconds, achieved in June 2004 in Almaty.-Achievements:-References:*...		53.28
28	3	Inez Turner Inez Turner Inez Turner is a retired female sprinter and middle-distance runner from Jamaica. She won the 800m gold at the 1994 Commonwealth Games. Together with Lorraine Fenton, Deon Hemmings and Sandie Richards she claimed a bronze medal in the women's 4 x 400 metres relay at the 1997 World Championships...		53.34
29	2	Mayra Gonzalez Mayra González Mayra González Borroto is a female rower from Cuba. She is a two-time Olympian for her native country, and twice won a gold medal at the Pan American Games .-References:*...		53.63
30	1	Maria Magnolia Figueiredo		53.95
31	4	Zoila Stewart		54.03
32	3	Christina Panagou		54.23
33	2	Nadjina Kaltouma		54.49
34	4	Dijana Kojić	Bosnia and Herzegovina	55.06	PB
35	3	Grace Dinkins		55.19
36	2	Cathalina Staye	Saint Lucia	55.54	NR Saint Lucian records in athletics The following are the national records in athletics in Saint Lucia maintained by its national athletics federation: Saint Lucia Athletics Association .-Men:-Women:-Men:...
37	1	Charmaine Smit		55.67
38	4	Olga Conte		55.82

} || 3 ||align=left| Charity Opara

Charity Opara

Charity Opara is a former Nigerian athlete who mainly competed in the 400 metres. She was in particular a successful relay runner, winning the silver medal at the 1996 Olympics....

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Quarterfinals

First 4 of each Heat (Q) and the next 4 fastest (q) qualified for the semifinals.

Rank	Heat	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
	1	Sandie Richards Sandie Richards Alexandra Richards is a Jamaican track and field athlete. She was a bronze medalist in the 4x400 m relay at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece....		50.08	Q, PB
	1	Helena Dziurova-Fuchsová		50.36	Q, PB
	2	Falilat Ogunkoya Falilat Ogunkoya Falilat Ogunkoya is a Nigerian athlete.Ogunkoya has won a number of national championships, including a gold medal in 1996 in the 400 metres, gold in the 200 metres and 400 m in 1998, and gold again in 1999 and 2001 in the 400 m. At the 1987 All Africa Games in Kenya she won the silver medal in...		50.39	Q
	1	Pauline Davis-Thompson		50.53	Q, SB
	1	Olga Kotlyarova Olga Kotlyarova Olga Kotlyarova is a Russian runner. She used to compete mainly in 400 metres, and has an Olympic bronze medal from 2000 in relay...		50.63	Q, PB
	2	Grit Breuer Grit Breuer Grit Breuer is a former East German athlete, who competed in the women's 200m, 400m, 4x100m, and 4x400m events....		50.65	Q
	3	Jearl Miles-Clark Jearl Miles-Clark Jearl Atawa Miles Clark is an American athlete who competed mainly in the 400 and 800 meters.She holds the American record in the women's 800m at 1:56.40....		50.66	Q
	3	Cathy Freeman Cathy Freeman Catherine Astrid Salome "Cathy" Freeman, OAM is former Australian sprinter, who specialised in the 400 metres event. She became the Olympic champion for the women's 400 metres at the 2000 Summer Olympics, at which she lit the Olympic Flame.Freeman was the first ever Aboriginal...		50.75	Q
	1	Maicel Malone-Wallace Maicel Malone-Wallace Maicel Malone-Wallace is a former track and field athlete who specialised in the 400 meters. She was the 1996 Olympic Games gold medalist in the women's 4 x 400 meters relay for the United States.-External links:...		50.77	q
10	1	Allison Curbishley Allison Curbishley Allison Curbishley is a former British athlete from Teesside but who represented Scotland. She specialised in the 400m. A play scheme in the summer holiday when she was ten years old got Curbishley interested in sport and although athletics was the sport she eventually chose she also reached...	United Kingdom	50.76	q
11	2	Tatyana Alekseyeva Tatyana Alekseyeva Tatyana Alekseyeva is a former 400 metres runner from Russia. Her personal best result was 49.98.- Achievements :-External reference:...		50.90	Q
12	3	Lorraine Graham		51.03	Q
13	3	Olabisi Afolabi Olabisi Afolabi Olabisi Afolabi is a retired female track and field athlete from Nigeria, who specialized in the 400 metres during her career. She was a member of the Nigerian team that won the silver medal in the 1996 Olympics 4 x 400 metres relay.She won the World Junior Championships in 1994...		51.07	Q
14	3	Donna Fraser Donna Fraser Donna Karen Fraser in Thornton Heath, Croydon is an English athlete who mainly competed in the 200 and 400 metres.-Career:...	United Kingdom	51.11	q, PB
15	1	Anja Rucker Anja Rücker Anja Rücker is a retired German sprinter who specialized in the 400 metres.At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, she won a bronze medal in the 4 x 400 metres relay with her teammates Uta Rohländer, Linda Kisabaka and Grit Breuer...		51.36	q, SB
16	3	Norfalia Carabali		51.42	SB
17	3	Tatyana Chebykina Tatyana Chebykina Tatyana Chebykina is a former Russian athlete who mainly competed in the 400 metres. Over the course of her career her greatest success came in relay races.She is married to the race walker Nikolay Matyukhin.-Achievements:-External links:...		51.57
18	2	Kim Graham Kim Graham Kimberly Elaine Graham is a former American sprinter who specialised in the 400 metres event. She represented the United States at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, where she received a gold medal in women's 4x400 metres relay with Rochelle Stevens, Maicel Malone, and Jearl Miles...		51.72	Q
19	3	Patrizia Spuri		52.15	SB
20	2	Ladonna Antoine		52.37
21	2	Naděžda Koštovalová		52.61
22	2	Damayanthi Darsha		53.49
23	2	Tonique Williams		54.23

} || 1 ||align=left| Adri De Jongh ||align=left| || ||
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Semifinals

First 4 of each Semifinal qualified directly (Q) for the final.

Rank	Heat	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
	1	Jearl Miles-Clark Jearl Miles-Clark Jearl Atawa Miles Clark is an American athlete who competed mainly in the 400 and 800 meters.She holds the American record in the women's 800m at 1:56.40....		50.05	Q
	1	Falilat Ogunkoya Falilat Ogunkoya Falilat Ogunkoya is a Nigerian athlete.Ogunkoya has won a number of national championships, including a gold medal in 1996 in the 400 metres, gold in the 200 metres and 400 m in 1998, and gold again in 1999 and 2001 in the 400 m. At the 1987 All Africa Games in Kenya she won the silver medal in...		50.06	Q
	1	Cathy Freeman Cathy Freeman Catherine Astrid Salome "Cathy" Freeman, OAM is former Australian sprinter, who specialised in the 400 metres event. She became the Olympic champion for the women's 400 metres at the 2000 Summer Olympics, at which she lit the Olympic Flame.Freeman was the first ever Aboriginal...		50.11	Q
	2	Sandie Richards Sandie Richards Alexandra Richards is a Jamaican track and field athlete. She was a bronze medalist in the 4x400 m relay at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece....		50.21	Q
	2	Grit Breuer Grit Breuer Grit Breuer is a former East German athlete, who competed in the women's 200m, 400m, 4x100m, and 4x400m events....		50.33	Q, SB
	2	Helena Dziurova-Fuchsová		50.69	Q
	1	Pauline Davis-Thompson		50.77	Q
	1	Lorraine Graham		50.90
	2	Tatyana Alekseyeva Tatyana Alekseyeva Tatyana Alekseyeva is a former 400 metres runner from Russia. Her personal best result was 49.98.- Achievements :-External reference:...		50.98	Q
10	1	Olga Kotlyarova Olga Kotlyarova Olga Kotlyarova is a Russian runner. She used to compete mainly in 400 metres, and has an Olympic bronze medal from 2000 in relay...		51.03
11	2	Maicel Malone-Wallace Maicel Malone-Wallace Maicel Malone-Wallace is a former track and field athlete who specialised in the 400 meters. She was the 1996 Olympic Games gold medalist in the women's 4 x 400 meters relay for the United States.-External links:...		51.40
12	2	Allison Curbishley Allison Curbishley Allison Curbishley is a former British athlete from Teesside but who represented Scotland. She specialised in the 400m. A play scheme in the summer holiday when she was ten years old got Curbishley interested in sport and although athletics was the sport she eventually chose she also reached...	United Kingdom	51.42
13	2	Olabisi Afolabi Olabisi Afolabi Olabisi Afolabi is a retired female track and field athlete from Nigeria, who specialized in the 400 metres during her career. She was a member of the Nigerian team that won the silver medal in the 1996 Olympics 4 x 400 metres relay.She won the World Junior Championships in 1994...		51.44
14	2	Kim Graham Kim Graham Kimberly Elaine Graham is a former American sprinter who specialised in the 400 metres event. She represented the United States at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, where she received a gold medal in women's 4x400 metres relay with Rochelle Stevens, Maicel Malone, and Jearl Miles...		51.54
15	1	Anja Rucker Anja Rücker Anja Rücker is a retired German sprinter who specialized in the 400 metres.At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, she won a bronze medal in the 4 x 400 metres relay with her teammates Uta Rohländer, Linda Kisabaka and Grit Breuer...		51.94

} || 1 ||align=left| Donna Fraser

Donna Fraser

Donna Karen Fraser in Thornton Heath, Croydon is an English athlete who mainly competed in the 200 and 400 metres.-Career:...

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Final

Rank	Lane	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
	1	Cathy Freeman Cathy Freeman Catherine Astrid Salome "Cathy" Freeman, OAM is former Australian sprinter, who specialised in the 400 metres event. She became the Olympic champion for the women's 400 metres at the 2000 Summer Olympics, at which she lit the Olympic Flame.Freeman was the first ever Aboriginal...		49.77
	5	Sandie Richards Sandie Richards Alexandra Richards is a Jamaican track and field athlete. She was a bronze medalist in the 4x400 m relay at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece....		49.79	PB
	4	Jearl Miles-Clark Jearl Miles-Clark Jearl Atawa Miles Clark is an American athlete who competed mainly in the 400 and 800 meters.She holds the American record in the women's 800m at 1:56.40....		49.90
4	6	Grit Breuer Grit Breuer Grit Breuer is a former East German athlete, who competed in the women's 200m, 400m, 4x100m, and 4x400m events....		50.06	SB
5	3	Falilat Ogunkoya Falilat Ogunkoya Falilat Ogunkoya is a Nigerian athlete.Ogunkoya has won a number of national championships, including a gold medal in 1996 in the 400 metres, gold in the 200 metres and 400 m in 1998, and gold again in 1999 and 2001 in the 400 m. At the 1987 All Africa Games in Kenya she won the silver medal in...		50.27
6	8	Helena Dziurova-Fuchsová		50.66
7	7	Pauline Davis-Thompson		50.68
8	2	Tatyana Alekseyeva Tatyana Alekseyeva Tatyana Alekseyeva is a former 400 metres runner from Russia. Her personal best result was 49.98.- Achievements :-External reference:...		51.37