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The men's 400 metres

400 metres

The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...

 at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics

2011 World Championships in Athletics

The 13th IAAF World Championships in Athletics was an international athletics competition that was held in Daegu, South Korea. It started on 27 August 2011 and finished on 4 September 2011....

 was held at the Daegu Stadium on August 28, 29 and 30.

Going into the Championships, defending champion LaShawn Merritt

LaShawn Merritt

LaShawn Merritt is an American track and field athlete who competes in sprinting events, specializing in the 400 meters. He is the reigning Olympic champion over the distance and his personal best of 43.75 seconds makes him the fifth fastest of all time...

 was serving a 2 year ban. The ban was still in effect during the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships

USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships

The USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships is an annual track and field competition organized by USA Track & Field, which serves as the American national championships for the sport...

, so Merritt was unable to compete. Ordinarily, since 1997, the defending champion is automatically invited to the championships, but the United States stipulates that the champion must compete in the national championships. It took a special decision by USATF to allow Merritt to enter. Merritt had minimal racing opportunities prior to the championships.

In qualifying, ordinarily athletes try to use the minimum effort to advance to the next round, but Merritt ran the year's world leading time of 44.35 in heat 3. The media focused on double amputee Oscar Pistorius

Oscar Pistorius

Oscar Leonard Carl Pistorius is a South African sprint runner. Known as the "Blade Runner" and "the fastest man on no legs", Pistorius, who has a double amputation, is the world record holder in the 100, 200 and 400 metres events and runs with the aid of Cheetah Flex-Foot carbon fibre transtibial...

, who ran 45.39 to qualify into the semi-finals.

In the semi finals, Merritt ran a more controlled and relaxed 44.76 in semi 1, while Jermaine Gonzales

Jermaine Gonzales

Jermaine Gonzales is a Jamaican 400 metres runner. He is currently being coached by Glen Mills and Bertland Cameron.He had a successful start to international athletics in the young age categories, taking the 400 m bronze at the 2001 World Youth Championships in Athletics and stepping up a...

 controlled semi 3 in 44.99 and 18 year old Kirani James

Kirani James

Kirani James is a Grenadian sprinter who specializes in the 200 and 400 metres. He is the reigning 400 metres world champion.Prodigious from a young age, he ran the fastest 400 m times ever by a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old...

 ran an easy 45.20 to take semi 2. Rondell Bartholomew also qualified, placing two athletes from tiny Grenada

Grenada

Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...

 in the final. Also twins Kévin

Kevin Borlée

Kevin Borlée is a Belgian sprinter, who specializes in the 400 metres. He was a semi-finalist at both the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2009 World Championships, and is the current European Champion on this distance....

 and Jonathan Borlée placed two athletes from Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 in the final. While his time from the trials would have made the final, Pistorius ran 46.19 in his semi and did not advance. Kirani James won the final beating LaShawn Merritt on the line with a time of 44.60.

Medalists

Gold	Silver	Bronze
Kirani James Kirani James Kirani James is a Grenadian sprinter who specializes in the 200 and 400 metres. He is the reigning 400 metres world champion.Prodigious from a young age, he ran the fastest 400 m times ever by a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old... '	LaShawn Merritt LaShawn Merritt LaShawn Merritt is an American track and field athlete who competes in sprinting events, specializing in the 400 meters. He is the reigning Olympic champion over the distance and his personal best of 43.75 seconds makes him the fifth fastest of all time... '	Kévin Borlée Kevin Borlée Kevin Borlée is a Belgian sprinter, who specializes in the 400 metres. He was a semi-finalist at both the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2009 World Championships, and is the current European Champion on this distance.... '

Records

Prior to the competition, the established records were as follows.

World record		43.18	Seville Seville Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level... , Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...	26 August 1999
Championship record
World Leading		44.61	London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , Great Britain Great Britain Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...	5 August 2011
African record		44.10	Stuttgart Stuttgart Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million .... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...	9 September 2006
Asian record		44.56	Budapest Budapest Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter... , Hungary Hungary Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...	12 August 1988
North, Central American and Caribbean record		43.18	Seville, Spain	26 August 1999
South American record		44.29	Seville, Spain	26 August 1999
European record		44.33	Rome Rome Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half... , Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...	3 September 1987
Oceanian record		44.38	Seoul Seoul Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world... , South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...	26 September 1988

Qualification standards

A time	B time
45.25	45.70

Schedule

Date	Time	Round
August 28, 2011	11:15	Heats
August 29, 2011	20:00	Semifinals
August 30, 2011	21:45	Final

Results

KEY:	q	Fastest non-qualifiers	Q	Qualified	NR	National record	PB	Personal best	SB	Seasonal best

Heats

Qualification: First 4 in each heat (Q) and the next 4 fastest (q) advance to the semifinals.

Rank	Heat	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
1	3	LaShawn Merritt LaShawn Merritt LaShawn Merritt is an American track and field athlete who competes in sprinting events, specializing in the 400 meters. He is the reigning Olympic champion over the distance and his personal best of 43.75 seconds makes him the fifth fastest of all time...		44.35	Q, WL
2	3	Kévin Borlée Kevin Borlée Kevin Borlée is a Belgian sprinter, who specializes in the 400 metres. He was a semi-finalist at both the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2009 World Championships, and is the current European Champion on this distance....		44.77	Q
3	1	Rondell Bartholomew Rondell Bartholomew Rondell Bartholomew is a Grenadian track and field sprinter who specialises in the 400 metres. He has represented his country at two World Championships in Athletics and was a 400 m world finalist in 2011. His personal best for the event is 44.65 seconds.He has won medals at junior level...		44.82	Q
4	1	Renny Quow Renny Quow Renny Quow is a male track and field sprinter from Trinidad and Tobago who specializes in the 400 metres. He was born in Tobago....		44.84	Q, SB
5	2	Jermaine Gonzales Jermaine Gonzales Jermaine Gonzales is a Jamaican 400 metres runner. He is currently being coached by Glen Mills and Bertland Cameron.He had a successful start to international athletics in the young age categories, taking the 400 m bronze at the 2001 World Youth Championships in Athletics and stepping up a...		45.12	Q
5	4	Kirani James Kirani James Kirani James is a Grenadian sprinter who specializes in the 200 and 400 metres. He is the reigning 400 metres world champion.Prodigious from a young age, he ran the fastest 400 m times ever by a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old...		45.12	Q
7	1	Greg Nixon Greg Nixon Greg Nixon is an American sprinter who specialises in the 400 meters. His success has come mostly in the 4×400-meter relay and he is a two-time World Indoor champion in the event....		45.16	Q
7	4	Jonathan Borlée		45.16	Q
9	3	Rabah Yousif		45.20	Q
10	1	Tabarie Henry Tabarie Henry Tabarie Joil Henry is a United States Virgin Islands sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres. His personal best time is 20.71 seconds in the 200 metres and 44.77 in the 400 metres, achieved in April 2009 in Arkansas City, Kansas...		45.22	Q
11	5	Chris Brown		45.29	Q
12	5	Martyn Rooney Martyn Rooney Martyn Joseph Rooney is an English sprinter who specialises in the 400 metres event. He reached the 400 m final at the 2008 Summer Olympics and also finished fourth in the 4×400 metres relay. At the 2009 World Championships in Athletics he won a silver medal with the Great Britain relay team...		45.30	Q, SB
13	4	Ramon Miller Ramon Miller Ramon Miller is a Bahamian sprinter. He was part of the Bahamas' silver-medal winning team in the men's 4x400m relay at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, after running in the heats....		45.31	Q, SB
14	5	Oscar Pistorius Oscar Pistorius Oscar Leonard Carl Pistorius is a South African sprint runner. Known as the "Blade Runner" and "the fastest man on no legs", Pistorius, who has a double amputation, is the world record holder in the 100, 200 and 400 metres events and runs with the aid of Cheetah Flex-Foot carbon fibre transtibial...		45.39	Q
15	5	Femi Seun Ogunode Femi Seun Ogunode Femi Seun Ogunode is a Nigerian-born sprint athlete who competes internationally for Qatar.He moved to Qatar in October 2009 and began international competition the following year. He won the 100 metres and 200 metres at the West Asian Championships and was entered into the 2010 Asian Games...		45.42	Q, SB
16	2	Jamaal Torrance Jamaal Torrance Jamaal Torrance is an American sprinter, who specializes in the 400 meters.-Career:In 2005, Torrance Anchored an NCAA Division II Outdoors 4 x 400 m runner up team and placed seventh at the NCAA Division II Outdoors .In 2006, Torrance came in fourth at the NCAA Division II Outdoors...		45.44	Q
17	5	Nery Brenes Nery Brenes Nery Antonio Brenes Cárdenas is a Costa Rican sprinter.He is one of Costa Rica's up-and-rising athletes and reached the semi-finals at the 400 metre sprint in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing....		45.47	q
18	2	Marcin Marciniszyn Marcin Marciniszyn Marcin Marciniszyn is a Polish sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres.-Achievements:-Personal bests:Outdoor*200 metres - 21.07 s *400 metres - 45.27 s Indoor...		45.51	Q
19	3	Yuzo Kanemaru Yuzo Kanemaru is a male Japanese sprinter. He set his 400 metres personal best at the 2009 Osaka Grand Prix, finishing in 45.16 seconds.-Competition record:-Personal bests:*100 metres – 10.32 s *200 metres – 20.69 s *400 metres – 45.16 s...		45.51	Q
20	2	Demetrius Pinder Demetrius Pinder Demetrius Pinder is a male track and field athlete from Grand Bahama in The Bahamas, who mainly competes in the 400m.-Career:...		45.53	Q
21	1	Riker Hylton		45.54	q
22	3	Pavel Trenikhin Pavel Trenikhin Pavel Aleksandrovich Trenikhin |Serov]]) is a Russian sprint athlete.-Achievements:-References:...		45.55	q, PB
23	4	William Collazo William Collazo William Collazo is a Cuban sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres.He won a bronze medal in the 4 x 400 metres relay at the 2005 Central American and Caribbean Championships...		45.89	Q
24	2	Erison Hurtault Erison Hurtault Erison Hurtault is an American sprinter who has represented Dominica in international events. He specializes in the 400 metres....		46.10	q
25	4	Park Bong-Go		46.42	SB
26	5	Tony McQuay		46.76
27	4	Pako Seribe		46.97
28	1	Mathieu Gnanligo Mathieu Gnanligo Mathieu Gnanligo is a Beninese sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres. His personal best time is 45.88 seconds, achieved in the heats of the 2008 African Championships in Addis Ababa....		47.01
29	4	Augusto Stanley		47.31
30	1	Nelson Stone		47.86
31	5	Ahmed Mohamed Al-Merjabi		47.99
32	3	Arnold Sorina		48.76	SB
33	4	Bahaa Al Farra		49.04	PB
34	2	Nicolau Palanca		49.37	SB
35	1	Kerfalla Camara		49.74	PB
36	2	Ak Hafiy Tajuddin Rositi		50.12
	5	Abdou Razack Rabo Samma
	3	Arismendy Peguero Arismendy Peguero Arismendy Peguero Thicket is a sprinter from the Dominican Republic who specializes in the 400 metres. He was born in La Romana....
	3	Gary Kikaya Gary Kikaya Gary Kikaya is an athlete competing internationally for the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the 400 metres. He was born in Lubumbashi....

Semifinals

Qualification: First 2 in each heat (Q) and the next 2 fastest (q) advance to the final.

Rank	Heat	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
1	1	LaShawn Merritt LaShawn Merritt LaShawn Merritt is an American track and field athlete who competes in sprinting events, specializing in the 400 meters. He is the reigning Olympic champion over the distance and his personal best of 43.75 seconds makes him the fifth fastest of all time...		44.76	Q
2	3	Jermaine Gonzales Jermaine Gonzales Jermaine Gonzales is a Jamaican 400 metres runner. He is currently being coached by Glen Mills and Bertland Cameron.He had a successful start to international athletics in the young age categories, taking the 400 m bronze at the 2001 World Youth Championships in Athletics and stepping up a...		44.99	Q
3	1	Kévin Borlée Kevin Borlée Kevin Borlée is a Belgian sprinter, who specializes in the 400 metres. He was a semi-finalist at both the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2009 World Championships, and is the current European Champion on this distance....		45.02	Q
4	3	Jonathan Borlée		45.14	Q
5	3	Rondell Bartholomew Rondell Bartholomew Rondell Bartholomew is a Grenadian track and field sprinter who specialises in the 400 metres. He has represented his country at two World Championships in Athletics and was a 400 m world finalist in 2011. His personal best for the event is 44.65 seconds.He has won medals at junior level...		45.17	q
6	2	Kirani James Kirani James Kirani James is a Grenadian sprinter who specializes in the 200 and 400 metres. He is the reigning 400 metres world champion.Prodigious from a young age, he ran the fastest 400 m times ever by a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old...		45.20	Q
7	3	Femi Seun Ogunode Femi Seun Ogunode Femi Seun Ogunode is a Nigerian-born sprint athlete who competes internationally for Qatar.He moved to Qatar in October 2009 and began international competition the following year. He won the 100 metres and 200 metres at the West Asian Championships and was entered into the 2010 Asian Games...		45.41	q, SB
8	1	Rabah Yousif		45.43
9	3	Greg Nixon Greg Nixon Greg Nixon is an American sprinter who specialises in the 400 meters. His success has come mostly in the 4×400-meter relay and he is a two-time World Indoor champion in the event....		45.51
10	2	Tabarie Henry Tabarie Henry Tabarie Joil Henry is a United States Virgin Islands sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres. His personal best time is 20.71 seconds in the 200 metres and 44.77 in the 400 metres, achieved in April 2009 in Arkansas City, Kansas...		45.53	Q
11	2	Chris Brown		45.54
12	3	Pavel Trenikhin Pavel Trenikhin Pavel Aleksandrovich Trenikhin |Serov]]) is a Russian sprint athlete.-Achievements:-References:...		45.68
13	1	Renny Quow Renny Quow Renny Quow is a male track and field sprinter from Trinidad and Tobago who specializes in the 400 metres. He was born in Tobago....		45.72
14	2	Jamaal Torrance Jamaal Torrance Jamaal Torrance is an American sprinter, who specializes in the 400 meters.-Career:In 2005, Torrance Anchored an NCAA Division II Outdoors 4 x 400 m runner up team and placed seventh at the NCAA Division II Outdoors .In 2006, Torrance came in fourth at the NCAA Division II Outdoors...		45.73
15	3	Demetrius Pinder Demetrius Pinder Demetrius Pinder is a male track and field athlete from Grand Bahama in The Bahamas, who mainly competes in the 400m.-Career:...		45.87
16	1	Ramon Miller Ramon Miller Ramon Miller is a Bahamian sprinter. He was part of the Bahamas' silver-medal winning team in the men's 4x400m relay at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, after running in the heats....		45.88
17	2	Nery Brenes Nery Brenes Nery Antonio Brenes Cárdenas is a Costa Rican sprinter.He is one of Costa Rica's up-and-rising athletes and reached the semi-finals at the 400 metre sprint in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing....		45.93
18	2	Marcin Marciniszyn Marcin Marciniszyn Marcin Marciniszyn is a Polish sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres.-Achievements:-Personal bests:Outdoor*200 metres - 21.07 s *400 metres - 45.27 s Indoor...		45.94
19	2	Martyn Rooney Martyn Rooney Martyn Joseph Rooney is an English sprinter who specialises in the 400 metres event. He reached the 400 m final at the 2008 Summer Olympics and also finished fourth in the 4×400 metres relay. At the 2009 World Championships in Athletics he won a silver medal with the Great Britain relay team...		46.09
20	1	Yuzo Kanemaru Yuzo Kanemaru is a male Japanese sprinter. He set his 400 metres personal best at the 2009 Osaka Grand Prix, finishing in 45.16 seconds.-Competition record:-Personal bests:*100 metres – 10.32 s *200 metres – 20.69 s *400 metres – 45.16 s...		46.11
21	1	William Collazo William Collazo William Collazo is a Cuban sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres.He won a bronze medal in the 4 x 400 metres relay at the 2005 Central American and Caribbean Championships...		46.13
22	3	Oscar Pistorius Oscar Pistorius Oscar Leonard Carl Pistorius is a South African sprint runner. Known as the "Blade Runner" and "the fastest man on no legs", Pistorius, who has a double amputation, is the world record holder in the 100, 200 and 400 metres events and runs with the aid of Cheetah Flex-Foot carbon fibre transtibial...		46.19
23	1	Erison Hurtault Erison Hurtault Erison Hurtault is an American sprinter who has represented Dominica in international events. He specializes in the 400 metres....		46.41
24	2	Riker Hylton		46.99

Finals

Rank	Lane	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
	5	Kirani James Kirani James Kirani James is a Grenadian sprinter who specializes in the 200 and 400 metres. He is the reigning 400 metres world champion.Prodigious from a young age, he ran the fastest 400 m times ever by a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old...		44.60
	4	LaShawn Merritt LaShawn Merritt LaShawn Merritt is an American track and field athlete who competes in sprinting events, specializing in the 400 meters. He is the reigning Olympic champion over the distance and his personal best of 43.75 seconds makes him the fifth fastest of all time...		44.63
	6	Kévin Borlée Kevin Borlée Kevin Borlée is a Belgian sprinter, who specializes in the 400 metres. He was a semi-finalist at both the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2009 World Championships, and is the current European Champion on this distance....		44.90
4	3	Jermaine Gonzales Jermaine Gonzales Jermaine Gonzales is a Jamaican 400 metres runner. He is currently being coached by Glen Mills and Bertland Cameron.He had a successful start to international athletics in the young age categories, taking the 400 m bronze at the 2001 World Youth Championships in Athletics and stepping up a...		44.99
5	8	Jonathan Borlée		45.07
6	2	Rondell Bartholomew Rondell Bartholomew Rondell Bartholomew is a Grenadian track and field sprinter who specialises in the 400 metres. He has represented his country at two World Championships in Athletics and was a 400 m world finalist in 2011. His personal best for the event is 44.65 seconds.He has won medals at junior level...		45.45
7	7	Tabarie Henry Tabarie Henry Tabarie Joil Henry is a United States Virgin Islands sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres. His personal best time is 20.71 seconds in the 200 metres and 44.77 in the 400 metres, achieved in April 2009 in Arkansas City, Kansas...		45.55
8	1	Femi Seun Ogunode Femi Seun Ogunode Femi Seun Ogunode is a Nigerian-born sprint athlete who competes internationally for Qatar.He moved to Qatar in October 2009 and began international competition the following year. He won the 100 metres and 200 metres at the West Asian Championships and was entered into the 2010 Asian Games...		45.55

External links

• 400 metres results at IAAF website