| Times held | 30 |
|---|---|
| Total participants | 1354 |
| Total countries | 169 |
| Year | Event | Status | Participants | NOCs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 | 400 metres, Men | Olympic | 7 | 4 |
| 1900 | 400 metres, Men | Olympic | 15 | 6 |
| 1904 | 400 metres, Men | Olympic | 12 | 3 |
| 1906 | 400 metres, Men | Intercalated | 25 | 8 |
| 1908 | 400 metres, Men | Olympic | 38 | 11 |
| 1912 | 400 metres, Men | Olympic | 49 | 16 |
| 1920 | 400 metres, Men | Olympic | 37 | 16 |
| 1924 | 400 metres, Men | Olympic | 60 | 27 |
| 1928 | 400 metres, Men | Olympic | 50 | 20 |
| 1932 | 400 metres, Men | Olympic | 27 | 15 |
| 1936 | 400 metres, Men | Olympic | 42 | 25 |
| 1948 | 400 metres, Men | Olympic | 53 | 28 |
| 1952 | 400 metres, Men | Olympic | 71 | 35 |
| 1956 | 400 metres, Men | Olympic | 43 | 23 |
| 1960 | 400 metres, Men | Olympic | 54 | 41 |
| 1964 | 400 metres, Men | Olympic | 50 | 33 |
| 1968 | 400 metres, Men | Olympic | 55 | 36 |
| 1972 | 400 metres, Men | Olympic | 64 | 49 |
| 1976 | 400 metres, Men | Olympic | 44 | 29 |
| 1980 | 400 metres, Men | Olympic | 50 | 32 |
| 1984 | 400 metres, Men | Olympic | 80 | 57 |
| 1988 | 400 metres, Men | Olympic | 75 | 55 |
| 1992 | 400 metres, Men | Olympic | 68 | 52 |
| 1996 | 400 metres, Men | Olympic | 62 | 42 |
| 2000 | 400 metres, Men | Olympic | 68 | 44 |
| 2004 | 400 metres, Men | Olympic | 62 | 48 |
| 2008 | 400 metres, Men | Olympic | 55 | 40 |
| 2012 | 400 metres, Men | Olympic | 49 | 38 |
| 2016 | 400 metres, Men | Olympic | 53 | 35 |
| 2020 | 400 metres, Men | Olympic | 48 | 33 |
| NOC | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | USA |
20 | 13 | 12 | 45 |
| Great Britain | GBR |
2 | 4 | 2 | 8 |
| Jamaica | JAM |
2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| South Africa | RSA |
2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Grenada | GRN |
1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Soviet Union | URS |
1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Cuba | CUB |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| The Bahamas | BAH |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Germany | GER |
0 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Australia | AUS |
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Canada | CAN |
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | TTO |
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Colombia | COL |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Côte d'Ivoire | CIV |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Dominican Republic | DOM |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Kenya | KEN |
0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Denmark | DEN |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| East Germany | GDR |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Finland | FIN |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Poland | POL |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Sweden | SWE |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Uganda | UGA |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Athlete | Nat | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Johnson | USA |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Kirani James | GRN |
1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Wyndham Halswelle | GBR |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Steve Lewis | USA |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Jeremy Wariner | USA |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |