Olympic Summer Games 2008 / Athletics - 400 m (women)

sport	athletics
discipline	400 meter run
gender	Women
place	Beijing National Stadium
Participants	50 athletes from 42 countries
Competition phase	August 16-19, 2008
Medalists
gold	Christine Ohuruogu ( GBR )
silver	Shericka Williams ( JAM )
bronze	Sanya Richards ( USA )

The women's 400-meter run at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing was held from August 16-19, 2008 in the National Stadium. Fifty athletes took part.

The Olympic champion was the Briton Christine Ohuruogu ahead of the Jamaican Shericka Williams . Sanya Richards from the United States won the bronze medal .

Current titleholders

Olympic Champion 2004	Tonique Williams-Darling ( Bahamas )	49.41 s	Athens 2004
World Champion 2007	Christine Ohuruogu ( Great Britain )	49.91 s	Osaka 2007
European Champion 2006	Wanja Stambolowa ( Bulgaria )	49.85 s	Gothenburg 2006
Pan American Champion 2007	Ana Guevara ( Mexico )	50.34 s	Rio de Janeiro 2007
Central America and Caribbean champion 2008	Indira Terrero ( Cuba )	50.98 s	Cali 2008
South American Champion 2007	Josiane Tito ( Brazil )	52.67 s	São Paulo 2007
Asian Champion 2007	Chitra Soman ( India )	53.03 s	Amman 2007
Africa Champion 2008	Amantle Montsho ( Botswana )	49.83 s	Addis Ababa 2008
Oceania Champion 2008	Salome Dell ( Papua New Guinea )	55.45 s	Saipan 2008

Existing records

World record	47.80 s	Marita Koch ( GDR )	Canberra , Australia	October 6, 1985
Olympic record	48.25 s	Marie-José Pérec ( France )	Atlanta Final , USA	July 29, 1996

doping

In this competition there were two doping sinners whose cheating was only revealed much later during follow-up checks. It was about the two Russian women Anastassija Kapatschinskaja and Tatiana Firowa . Both had reached the finals and were fifth - Kapatschinskaja - and six - Firowa - respectively. Due to their fraudulent behavior, they had prevented other athletes from reaching the semi-finals or the final, which, in contrast to the finals, could no longer be made good afterwards. Makelesi Bulikiobo-Batimala, Fiji, and the Hungarian Barbara Petráhn, who should have started in the semi-finals, were affected. The Jamaican Novlene Williams and the British Nicola Sanders would have been in the final.

Preliminary round

There were seven preliminary runs. The first three of each run - highlighted in light blue - and the three fastest athletes - highlighted in light green - qualified for the quarter-finals.

Note: Pre-run 7 is not specifically listed in the official report. The results mentioned in this article are taken from the summary overview of the official report.

Forward 1

August 16, 2008 , 12:10 p.m.

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	Rosemarie Whyte	Jamaica	51.00 s
2	Christine Amertil	Bahamas	51.39 s
3	Muizat Ajoke Odumosu	Nigeria	51.45 s	PB
4th	DeeDee Trotter	United States	51.41 s
5	Tiandra Ponteen	St. Kitts and Nevis	52.41 s
6th	Antonina Yefremova	Ukraine	53.22 s

Forward 2

August 16, 2008 , 12:17 p.m.

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	Libania Grenot	Italy	50.87 s	NO
2	Amantle Montsho	Botswana	50.91 s
3	Carline Muir	Canada	51.55 s	PB
4th	Indira Terrero	Cuba	51.56 s
5	Makelesi Bulikiobo-Batimala	Fiji	52.24 s	actually qualified for the semi-finals
6th	Mandeep Kaur	India	52.88 s
7th	Justine Bayigga	Uganda	54.15 s

Carol Rodríguez from Puerto Rico drops out fourth in her preliminary run

Forward 3

August 16, 2008 , 12:24 p.m.

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	Mary Wineberg	United States	51.46 s
2	Lee McConnell	Great Britain	51.87 s
3	Barbara Petráhn	Hungary	53.06 s	actually qualified for the semi-finals
4th	Carol Rodríguez	Puerto Rico	53.08 s
5	Ginou Etienne	Haiti	53.94 s
6th	Rachidatou Seini Maikido	Niger	60.19 s	NO
DOP	Anastassija Kapachinskaya	Russia	51.32 s	qualified for the semi-finals, later disqualified

Forward 4

August 16, 2008 , 12:31 p.m.

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	Christine Ohuruogu	Great Britain	51.00 s
2	Julia Gushchina	Russia	51.18 s
3	Gabriela Medina	Mexico	51.96 s
4th	Tamsyn Lewis	Australia	52.38 s
5	Maria Laura Almirão	Brazil	53.26 s
6th	Joanne Cuddihy	Ireland	53.32 s
7th	Ghada Ali	Libya	66.19 s

Forward 5

August 16, 2008 , 12:38 p.m.

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	Sanya Richards	United States	50.54 s
2	Aliann Pompey	Guyana	50.99 s
3	Folashade Abugan	Nigeria	51.45 s
4th	Asami Tanno	Japan	52.60 s
5	Dimitra Dova	Greece	52.69 s
6th	Olga Tereshkova	Kazakhstan	53.36 s
7th	Kia Davis	Liberia	53.99 s

Forward 6

August 16, 2008 , 12:45 p.m.

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	Novlene Williams	Jamaica	51.52 s
2	Nicola Sanders	Great Britain	51.81 s
3	Nwal Eljack	Sudan	52.77 s
4th	Kineke Alexander	St. Vincent and the Grenadines	52.87 s
5	Trish Bartholomew	Grenada	52.88 s
6th	Tsholofelo Thipe	South Africa	54.11 s
7th	Klodiana Shala	Albania	54.84 s
8th	Batgereliin Möngontuyaa	Mongolia	58.14 s

Forward 7

August 16, 2008 , 12:52 p.m.

Note: This preliminary run is not specifically listed in the official report. The results are taken from the summary overview of this report.

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	Shericka Williams	Jamaica	50.57 s
2	Racheal Nachula	Zambia	51.62 s
3	Joy Amechi Eze	Nigeria	51.97 s
4th	Alissa Kallinikou	Cyprus	52.40 s
5	Monika Bejnar	Poland	52.80 s
6th	Sandrine Thiébaud-Kangni	Togo	54.16 s
7th	Temalangeni Dlamini	Swaziland	59.91 s
DOP	Tatiana Firowa	Russia	50.59 s	qualified for the semi-finals, later disqualified

Semifinals

From the three semi-finals, the first two of each run - highlighted in light blue - as well as the next two fastest athletes - highlighted in light green - qualified for the final.

The American Mary Wineberg reached 51.13 s and failed in fourth of her run in the semifinals

Run 1

August 17, 2008 , 9:00 p.m.

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	Christine Ohuruogu	Great Britain	50.14 s
2	Shericka Williams	Jamaica	50.28 s
3	Aliann Pompey	Guyana	50.93 s	NRe
4th	Mary Wineberg	United States	51.13 s
5	Indira Terrero	Cuba	51.80 s
6th	Muizat Ajoke Odumosu	Nigeria	52.45 s
7th	Gabriela Medina	Mexico	52.97 s
DOP	Tatiana Firowa	Russia	50.31 s	qualified for the final, later disqualified

Run 2

August 17, 2008 , 9:07 pm

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	Sanya Richards	United States	49.90 s
2	Novlene Williams	Jamaica	51.06 s	actually qualified for the final
3	Christine Amertil	Bahamas	51.31 s
4th	Joy Amechi Eze	Nigeria	51.87 s
5	Lee McConnell	Great Britain	52.11 s
6th	Carline Muir	Canada	52.37 s
7th	Racheal Nachula	Zambia	52.67 s
DOP	Anastassija Kapachinskaya	Russia	50.30 s	qualified for the final, later disqualified

The British Nicola Sanders did not reach the final because of the two Russian doping fraudsters involved

Run 3

August 17, 2008 , 9:14 pm

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	Julia Gushchina	Russia	50.48 s
2	Amantle Montsho	Botswana	50.54 s
3	Rosemarie Whyte	Jamaica	50.63 s
4th	Nicola Sanders	Great Britain	50.71 s	actually qualified for the final
5	Libania Grenot	Italy	50.83 s	NO
6th	Folashade Abugan	Nigeria	51.30 s
7th	DeeDee Trotter	United States	51.87 s
8th	Nwal Eljack	Sudan	54.18 s

final

space	Surname	nation	time	annotation
1	Christine Ohuruogu	Great Britain	49.61 s
2	Shericka Williams	Jamaica	49.69 s	PB
3	Sanya Richards	United States	49.93 s
4th	Julia Gushchina	Russia	50.01 s	PB
5	Rosemarie Whyte	Jamaica	50.68 s
6th	Amantle Montsho	Botswana	51.18 s
DOP	Anastassija Kapachinskaya	Russia	50.03 s
	Tatiana Firowa	Russia	50.11 s

August 19, 2008 , 10:10 p.m.

British world champion Christine Ohuruogu had a slight favorite position . Competitors were her compatriot Nicola Sanders, last year as vice world champion only thinly beaten by Ohuruogu, the world championship third Novlene Williams from Jamaica, the US American vice world champion from 2005 Sanya Richards and the Mexican Ana Guevara as world championship third from 2005 and world championships - Fourth of 2007. Of the favorites mentioned, however, Sanders, Williams and Guevara did not reach the final, with Sanders and Williams only being eliminated in the semifinals by doping fraud between two Russians.

In the final, two Jamaicans and one runner each from Botswana, Great Britain, Russia and the United States faced each other. In addition, the two Russian women Anastassija Kapatschinskaja and Tatiana Firowa, who were later disqualified for doping fraud, were there. In their place, the Jamaican Novlene Williams and the British Nicola Sanders would have been eligible to start.

Richards started the race very quickly. She was ahead and came to the home straight with a clear lead. Behind her, Russian Julia Guschtschina was second. Ohuruogu followed a little behind the Jamaican Shericka Williams. But the leading American woman ran out of strength and Gushchina could not hold her position. From behind, Ohuruogu pulled past the top with her great stamina. Then Shericka Williams flew up with a very good finish. But Christine Ohuruogu's lead was too big, after her world championship she now also won the Olympic gold medal from Shericka Williams. Sanya Richards saved bronze in front of Julija Guschtschina. The places five and six went to the Jamaican Rosemarie Whyte and Amantle Montsho from Botswana.

• 

  Olympic Champion Christine Ohuruogu, Great Britain

• 

  Silver medalist Shericka Williams, Jamaica

• 

  Bronze medalist Sanya Richards, USA

• 

  The Russian Olympic champion Julija Guschtschina

• 

  The Jamaican Rosemarie Whyte finished fifth in the final

• 

  Amantle Montsho from Botswana is sixth in the Olympics

Web links

• SportsReference 400m , accessed June 18, 2018
• Results on the IAAF website, accessed June 18, 2018
• Official Report of the XXVIIIth Olympiad, Results Athletics , English / French (PDF, 3054 KB), accessed on June 21, 2018

Video

• 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Womens 400m Final , posted on youtube.com on October 2, 2011, accessed on June 21, 2018

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Campeonato CAC de Atletismo 2008 on athlecac.org, accessed on June 18, 2018
2. ↑ Campeonato Sudamericano de Atletismo 2007 on athlecac.org, accessed on June 18, 2018
3. ↑ 17th Asian Athletics Championship 2007 ( Memento of the original from July 14, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. at athleticsasia.org (PDF, 417 KB), accessed June 18, 2018 
4. ↑ Oceania Area Championships - 25/06/2008 to 28/06/2008 on athletics-oceania.com (PDF, 130 KB), accessed on June 18, 2018
5. ↑ IAAF records, 400 m women , accessed on June 21, 2018
6. ↑ ^{a b} athlete spokeswoman scolds: "The worst games we have ever had" Stern, August 20, 2016; accessed on June 21, 2018
7. ↑ ^{a b} 2008 medal winners will be disqualified. Beijing follow-up tests: IOC takes action. www.sport1.de, August 31, 2016; accessed on June 21, 2018
8. ↑ ^{a b} Official Report of the XXVIIIth Olympiad, Results Athletics  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , English / French (PDF, 3054 KB), accessed on June 21, 2018