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The Women'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 27, 28 and 29.

The defending champion was Sanya Richards-Ross and despite her poor form earlier in the season, she ran 49.66 seconds in London

London Grand Prix

The Aviva London Grand Prix is an annual athletics event at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre in London, England.Previously one of the five IAAF Super Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League...

 just three weeks before the championships. The only faster athlete that year was Russian champion Anastasiya Kapachinskaya

Anastasiya Kapachinskaya

Anastasiya Alexandrovna Kapachinskaya is a sprint athlete.At the IAAF World Indoor Championships in 2004 she won the 200 m, but was stripped of the title after testing positive for the banned anabolic steroid stanozolol...

, who had run a personal best of 49.35 sec. Two-time 200 m world champion, Allyson Felix

Allyson Felix

Allyson Felix is a track and field sprint athlete, who competes internationally for the United States, primarily in the 200 meters. She also competes at the 100 meters and the 400 meters distances...

, was also challenging for the 400 m title, while Amantle Montsho

Amantle Montsho

Amantle Montsho is a female sprinter from Botswana who specializes in the 400 metres. She represented her country at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, reaching the final at the latter edition...

 (ranked third that year) had five straight wins on the Diamond League circuit. Jamaica's Rosemarie Whyte

Rosemarie Whyte

Rosemarie Whyte is the 2008 Jamaican national 400m champion. She represented Jamaica at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.-References:...

, Novlene Williams-Mills and Shericka Williams

Shericka Williams

Shericka Williams is a Jamaican sprinter and former student of St. Elizabeth Technical High School....

 were also contenders, as was 2009 third placer Antonina Krivoshapka

Antonina Krivoshapka

Antonina Vladimirovna Krivoshapka is a Russian sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres...

.

The event started in controversy when reigning Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu

Christine Ohuruogu

Christine Ijeoma Ohuruogu MBE is an English athlete, who specialises in the 400 metres; the event for which she is the current Olympic and former World and Commonwealth Champion...

 was disqualified in her preliminary race for a false start

False start

In sports, a false start is a movement by a participant before being signaled or otherwise permitted by the rules to start...

. 2011 was the first year of a new IAAF rule allowing no leniency for a false start.

In the final, Montsho was a clear leader off of the turn, with Felix closing fast at the end to make the race close. This was Felix's personal best. Not only was this Montsho's personal best, but also the National record for Botswana

Botswana

Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...

. For the bronze medal, Anastasia Kapachinskaya was faster down the final 80 metres to pull away from Francena McCorory

Francena McCorory

Francena McCorory is an American track and field athlete, known primarily for running the 400 metres. She is the NCAA and American indoor record holder in that event and is a United States representative to the 2011 World Championships in Athletics.McCorory attended Bethel High School in Hampton,...

, who had run her personal best in the semi-finals.

Medalists

Gold	Silver	Bronze
Amantle Montsho Amantle Montsho Amantle Montsho is a female sprinter from Botswana who specializes in the 400 metres. She represented her country at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, reaching the final at the latter edition... '	Allyson Felix Allyson Felix Allyson Felix is a track and field sprint athlete, who competes internationally for the United States, primarily in the 200 meters. She also competes at the 100 meters and the 400 meters distances... '	Anastasiya Kapachinskaya Anastasiya Kapachinskaya Anastasiya Alexandrovna Kapachinskaya is a sprint athlete.At the IAAF World Indoor Championships in 2004 she won the 200 m, but was stripped of the title after testing positive for the banned anabolic steroid stanozolol... '

Records

Prior to the competition, the records were as follows:

World record		47.60	Canberra Canberra Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne... , 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...	6 October 1985
Championship record		47.99	Helsinki Helsinki Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is... , Finland Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...	10 August 1983
World Leading		49.35	Cheboksary Cheboksary -Twin towns/sister cities:Cheboksary is twinned with: Eger in Hungary Antalya in Turkey Santa Clara in CubaAlso Partnerships are shown with: Rundu in Namibia -External links:****... , Russia Russia Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...	22 July 2011
African Record		49.10	Atlanta, GA, United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	29 July 1996
Asian Record		49.81	Beijing Beijing Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's... , China People's Republic of China China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...	11 September 1993
North, Central American and Caribbean record		48.70	Athens Athens Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state... , Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....	16 September 2006
South American record		49.64	Barcelona Barcelona Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of... , 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...	5 August 1992
European Record		47.60	Canberra, Australia	6 October 1985
Oceanian record		48.63	Atlanta, GA, United States	29 July 1996

Qualification standards

A time	B time
51.50	52.30

Schedule

Date	Time	Round
August 27, 2011	20:05	Heats
August 28, 2011	18:55	Semifinals
August 29, 2011	21:05	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	4	Amantle Montsho Amantle Montsho Amantle Montsho is a female sprinter from Botswana who specializes in the 400 metres. She represented her country at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, reaching the final at the latter edition...		50.95	Q
2	1	Novlene Williams-Mills		51.30	Q
3	2	Antonina Yefremova Antonina Yefremova Antonina Yefremova is a Ukrainian sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres.She won the gold medal at the 2001 European U23 Championships, finished sixth at the 2002 European Championships and fourth at the 2008 World Indoor Championships...		51.35	Q
4	5	Sanya Richards-Ross		51.37	Q
5	3	Rosemarie Whyte Rosemarie Whyte Rosemarie Whyte is the 2008 Jamaican national 400m champion. She represented Jamaica at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.-References:...		51.38	Q
6	2	Anastasiya Kapachinskaya Anastasiya Kapachinskaya Anastasiya Alexandrovna Kapachinskaya is a sprint athlete.At the IAAF World Indoor Championships in 2004 she won the 200 m, but was stripped of the title after testing positive for the banned anabolic steroid stanozolol...		51.43	Q
7	1	Allyson Felix Allyson Felix Allyson Felix is a track and field sprint athlete, who competes internationally for the United States, primarily in the 200 meters. She also competes at the 100 meters and the 400 meters distances...		51.45	Q
8	3	Antonina Krivoshapka Antonina Krivoshapka Antonina Vladimirovna Krivoshapka is a Russian sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres...		51.52	Q
9	5	Shericka Williams Shericka Williams Shericka Williams is a Jamaican sprinter and former student of St. Elizabeth Technical High School....		51.66	Q
10	3	Nataliya Pyhyda		51.67	Q
11	1	Joanne Cuddihy Joanne Cuddihy Joanne Cuddihy is an Irish sprint athlete. She is the current Irish 400m outdoor women's record holder, having recorded a time of 50.73 seconds at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics in Osaka, Japan - this made her the first Irish woman to have run under 51 seconds at this distance.She won...		51.82	Q, SB
12	1	Marta Milani Marta Milani Marta Milani is an Italian sprint athlete, who specializes in the 400 metres.-Achievements:-References:...		51.94	Q, SB
13	1	Geisa Coutinho Geisa Coutinho Geisa Aparecida Muniz Coutinho is a Brazilian track and field athlete who competes in the 400 metres sprint. She represented Brazil at the 2004 Summer Olympics and is a three-time participant of the World Championships in Athletics...		52.15	q
14	4	Francena McCorory Francena McCorory Francena McCorory is an American track and field athlete, known primarily for running the 400 metres. She is the NCAA and American indoor record holder in that event and is a United States representative to the 2011 World Championships in Athletics.McCorory attended Bethel High School in Hampton,...		52.18	Q
15	2	Ndeye Fatou Soumah		52.23	Q
15	3	Fantu Magiso		52.23	Q
17	5	Moa Hjelmer Moa Hjelmer Moa Hjelmer is a Swedish athlete on 200 metres and 400 metres. Hjelmer won a silver medal in the Junior European Championships in 2011 in Ostrava. She beat the Swedish record time on 400 metres on August 14, 2011....		52.26	Q
18	2	Jessica Beard Jessica Beard Jessica Beard is an American sprinter who qualified for the 2009 IAAF World Championships in the 4x400-meter relay and 400 meters. She won the gold medal with the relay team...		52.40	Q
19	5	Denisa Rosolová		52.51	Q
20	5	Nicola Sanders Nicola Sanders Nicola Clare Sanders is a British sprinter and hurdler.-Early achievements:Nicola won a bronze medal in the 1999 European Athletics Junior Championships in Riga at 400 m hurdles. That same year she was 4th in the 400 m hurdles at the World Youth Championships...		52.65	q
21	4	Lee McConnell Lee McConnell Lee McConnell is a Scottish athlete, who competes in the 400 metres. She attended Holyrood R.C. Secondary School in Glasgow before graduating from Loughborough University in 2000 with a degree in Sports Science. She became the Scottish 200 metres champion in 2002, and 2005. She also won the 400...		52.75	Q
22	4	Maris Mägi Maris Mägi Maris Mägi is an Estonian sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres.-Achievements:-References:...		52.93	Q
23	4	Norma González		53.35	q
24	3	Racheal Nachula Racheal Nachula Racheal Nachula is a Zambian sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres.She won the bronze medal at the 2008 African Championships, in a personal best time of 51.39 seconds. She competed at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, the 2006 World Junior Championships, the 2008 World Indoor Championships, and...		53.49	q, SB
25	1	Pınar Saka Pinar Saka Pınar Saka is a Turkish female track running athlete in the sprint discipline competing in the categories 100 m, 200 m and 400 m. She is the Turkish national record holder for 400 m....		53.59
25	2	Aliann Pompey Aliann Pompey Aliann Pompey is a Guyanese sprinter who specializes in the 400 meters.Aliann graduated from Cohoes High School and received her bachelor's degree from Manhattan College in 1999....		53.59
27	4	Aymée Martínez Aymée Martínez Aymée Martínez is a Cuban sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres.Her personal best time is 51.74 seconds, achieved during the heats at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka.-Achievements:- References :...		53.67
28	3	Daisurami Bonne Daisurami Bonne Daisurami Bonne is a Cuban track and field sprint athlete who specialises in the 400 metres. A two-time participant at the World Championships in Athletics , her personal best for the event is 51.69 seconds. At the 2011 Pan American Games, she was the 400 m silver medallist and a relay...		53.69
29	2	Tjipekapora Herunga		54.08
30	5	Kseniya Karandyuk Kseniya Karandyuk Kseniya Karandyuk is a Ukrainian sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres.In the 4 x 400 metres relay she finished sixth at the 2006 European Championships...		54.10
31	4	Ambwene Simukonda		54.81
32	2	Alaa Hikmat Al-Qaysi		55.62
33	5	Betty Burua		56.98
34	1	Graciela Martins		58.22	PB
35	1	Sandrine Thiébaud-Kangni		59.68
36	3	Evodie Lydie Saramandji			SB
	3	Christine Ohuruogu Christine Ohuruogu Christine Ijeoma Ohuruogu MBE is an English athlete, who specialises in the 400 metres; the event for which she is the current Olympic and former World and Commonwealth Champion...

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	3	Amantle Montsho Amantle Montsho Amantle Montsho is a female sprinter from Botswana who specializes in the 400 metres. She represented her country at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, reaching the final at the latter edition...		50.13	Q
2	2	Francena McCorory Francena McCorory Francena McCorory is an American track and field athlete, known primarily for running the 400 metres. She is the NCAA and American indoor record holder in that event and is a United States representative to the 2011 World Championships in Athletics.McCorory attended Bethel High School in Hampton,...		50.24	Q, PB
3	1	Allyson Felix Allyson Felix Allyson Felix is a track and field sprint athlete, who competes internationally for the United States, primarily in the 200 meters. She also competes at the 100 meters and the 400 meters distances...		50.36	Q
4	3	Anastasiya Kapachinskaya Anastasiya Kapachinskaya Anastasiya Alexandrovna Kapachinskaya is a sprint athlete.At the IAAF World Indoor Championships in 2004 she won the 200 m, but was stripped of the title after testing positive for the banned anabolic steroid stanozolol...		50.41	Q
5	2	Shericka Williams Shericka Williams Shericka Williams is a Jamaican sprinter and former student of St. Elizabeth Technical High School....		50.46	Q, SB
6	1	Novlene Williams-Mills		50.48	Q
7	1	Antonina Krivoshapka Antonina Krivoshapka Antonina Vladimirovna Krivoshapka is a Russian sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres...		50.55	q
8	2	Sanya Richards-Ross		50.66	q
9	2	Antonina Yefremova Antonina Yefremova Antonina Yefremova is a Ukrainian sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres.She won the gold medal at the 2001 European U23 Championships, finished sixth at the 2002 European Championships and fourth at the 2008 World Indoor Championships...		50.88
10	3	Rosemarie Whyte Rosemarie Whyte Rosemarie Whyte is the 2008 Jamaican national 400m champion. She represented Jamaica at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.-References:...		50.90
11	3	Jessica Beard Jessica Beard Jessica Beard is an American sprinter who qualified for the 2009 IAAF World Championships in the 4x400-meter relay and 400 meters. She won the gold medal with the relay team...		51.27
12	1	Nataliya Pyhyda		51.61
13	2	Marta Milani Marta Milani Marta Milani is an Italian sprint athlete, who specializes in the 400 metres.-Achievements:-References:...		51.86	PB
14	2	Geisa Coutinho Geisa Coutinho Geisa Aparecida Muniz Coutinho is a Brazilian track and field athlete who competes in the 400 metres sprint. She represented Brazil at the 2004 Summer Olympics and is a three-time participant of the World Championships in Athletics...		51.87
15	2	Lee McConnell Lee McConnell Lee McConnell is a Scottish athlete, who competes in the 400 metres. She attended Holyrood R.C. Secondary School in Glasgow before graduating from Loughborough University in 2000 with a degree in Sports Science. She became the Scottish 200 metres champion in 2002, and 2005. She also won the 400...		51.97
16	3	Ndeye Fatou Soumah		52.10
17	2	Norma González		52.29
18	1	Moa Hjelmer Moa Hjelmer Moa Hjelmer is a Swedish athlete on 200 metres and 400 metres. Hjelmer won a silver medal in the Junior European Championships in 2011 in Ostrava. She beat the Swedish record time on 400 metres on August 14, 2011....		52.35
19	1	Nicola Sanders Nicola Sanders Nicola Clare Sanders is a British sprinter and hurdler.-Early achievements:Nicola won a bronze medal in the 1999 European Athletics Junior Championships in Riga at 400 m hurdles. That same year she was 4th in the 400 m hurdles at the World Youth Championships...		52.47
20	3	Denisa Rosolová		52.53
21	1	Maris Mägi Maris Mägi Maris Mägi is an Estonian sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres.-Achievements:-References:...		53.27
22	3	Racheal Nachula Racheal Nachula Racheal Nachula is a Zambian sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres.She won the bronze medal at the 2008 African Championships, in a personal best time of 51.39 seconds. She competed at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, the 2006 World Junior Championships, the 2008 World Indoor Championships, and...		53.30	SB
23	1	Fantu Magiso		53.41
	3	Joanne Cuddihy Joanne Cuddihy Joanne Cuddihy is an Irish sprint athlete. She is the current Irish 400m outdoor women's record holder, having recorded a time of 50.73 seconds at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics in Osaka, Japan - this made her the first Irish woman to have run under 51 seconds at this distance.She won...

Final

Rank	Lane	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
	4	Amantle Montsho Amantle Montsho Amantle Montsho is a female sprinter from Botswana who specializes in the 400 metres. She represented her country at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, reaching the final at the latter edition...		49.56	NR
	3	Allyson Felix Allyson Felix Allyson Felix is a track and field sprint athlete, who competes internationally for the United States, primarily in the 200 meters. She also competes at the 100 meters and the 400 meters distances...		49.59	PB
	6	Anastasiya Kapachinskaya Anastasiya Kapachinskaya Anastasiya Alexandrovna Kapachinskaya is a sprint athlete.At the IAAF World Indoor Championships in 2004 she won the 200 m, but was stripped of the title after testing positive for the banned anabolic steroid stanozolol...		50.24
4	5	Francena McCorory Francena McCorory Francena McCorory is an American track and field athlete, known primarily for running the 400 metres. She is the NCAA and American indoor record holder in that event and is a United States representative to the 2011 World Championships in Athletics.McCorory attended Bethel High School in Hampton,...		50.45
5	2	Antonina Krivoshapka Antonina Krivoshapka Antonina Vladimirovna Krivoshapka is a Russian sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres...		50.66
6	7	Shericka Williams Shericka Williams Shericka Williams is a Jamaican sprinter and former student of St. Elizabeth Technical High School....		50.79
7	1	Sanya Richards-Ross		51.32
8	8	Novlene Williams-Mills		52.89

External links

• 400 metres results at IAAF website