| | Event type

400 metres, Women

Date	3 – 5 August 2012
Status	Olympic
Location	Olympic Stadium, Olympic Park, Stratford, London
Participants	48 from 38 countries

Sanya Richards-Ross was the favorite but she had a history of struggling to get gold in the biggest meets, although she had won gold in the event at the 2009 World Championships. But at the 2004 Olympics she had placed sixth, winning a bronze in 2008, and at the World Championships, she was fifth in 2007 and seventh in 2011, winning a silver medal in 2005. The 2011 World Champion was Botswana runner Amantle Montsho, the first international-class female runner from that African nation. Defending champion Christine Ohuruogu also qualified for the final and would be cheered on by the British fans. The best time of the year belonged to Russian Antonina Krivoshapka, with 49.16. She posted the fastest semi-final, winning the third heat in 49.81, just ahead of American DeeDee Trotter.

The final saw Krivoshapka take the lead at 100 metres in 11.8, barely up on Richards-Ross. The Russian kept it up through 200 metres, passing that in 23.2, leading Richards-Ross by 0.5 seconds, followed by Trotter, Francena McCorory (USA), and Montsho. But Richards-Ross was running a patient race and reeled in Krivo just past 300 metres to take the lead, with her teammates close behind. Ohuruogu was well back in fifth as they entered the straight. On the homestretch, Richards-Ross maintained her lead, increasing it slightly over Trotter, as Krivoshapka faded, eventually placing sixth. Ohuruogu closed the fastest, but was a metre back of Richards-Ross at the line, with Trotter just edged out for silver, and Montsho barely missing the podium.

Pos	Nr	Athlete	NOC	R1	SF	Final
1	3313	Sanya Richards-Ross	USA	51.78 (1 h4)	50.07 (1 h1)	49.55 (1)	Gold
2	1866	Christine Ohuruogu	GBR	50.80 (2 h1)	50.22 (2 h1)	49.70 (2)	Silver
3	3321	DeeDee Trotter	USA	50.87 (1 h3)	49.87 (1 h3)	49.72 (3)	Bronze
4	1214	Amantle Montsho	BOT	50.40 (1 h2)	50.15 (1 h2)	49.75 (4)
5	2213	Novlene Williams-Mills	JAM	50.88 (1 h6)	49.91 (2 h3)	50.11 (5)
6	3307	Francena McCorory	USA	50.78 (1 h1)	50.19 (2 h2)	50.33 (6)
7	2209	Rosemarie Whyte	JAM	50.90 (2 h3)	50.98 (3 h1)	50.79 (7)
3 h2 r2/3	2154	Libania Grenot	ITA	52.13 (3 h6)	51.18 (3 h2)	–
3 h3 r2/3	2585	Omolara Omotosho	NGR	52.11 (4 h3)	51.41 (3 h3)	–
4 h1 r2/3	2104	Joanne Cuddihy	IRL	52.09 (4 h1)	51.88 (4 h1)	–
4 h2 r2/3	2195	Christine Day	JAM	51.05 (2 h2)	51.19 (4 h2)	–
4 h3 r2/3	3182	Nataliya Pyhyda	UKR	51.09 (2 h6)	51.41 (4 h3)	–
5 h1 r2/3	2536	Tjipekapora Herunga	NAM	52.31 (3 h4)	52.53 (5 h1)	–
5 h2 r2/3	2581	Regina George	NGR	51.24 (1 h7)	51.35 (5 h2)	–
5 h3 r2/3	2750	Carol Rodríguez	PUR	52.19 (2 h4)	52.08 (5 h3)	–
6 h1 r2/3	1313	Jenna Martin	CAN	51.98 (3 h3)	52.83 (6 h1)	–
6 h2 r2/3	3172	Alina Lohvynenko	UKR	52.08 (1 h5)	51.38 (6 h2)	–
6 h3 r2/3	1864	Lee McConnell	GBR	52.23 (2 h5)	52.24 (6 h3)	–
7 h1 r2/3	2343	Joy Nakhumicha Sakari	KEN	51.85 (3 h1)	52.95 (7 h1)	–
7 h2 r2/3	1851	Shana Cox	GBR	52.01 (3 h2)	52.58 (7 h2)	–
7 h3 r2/3	2030	Marlena Wesh	HAI	51.98 (2 h7)	52.49 (7 h3)	–
8 h2 r2/3	2026	Aliann Pompey	GUY	52.10 (4 h2)	52.58 (8 h2)	–
3 h5 r1/3	3006	Moa Hjelmer	SWE	52.86 (3 h5)	–	–
4 h5 r1/3	2481	Amber Simukonda	MAW	54.20 (4 h5)	–	–
4 h6 r1/3	1249	Joelma Sousa	BRA	52.69 (4 h6)	–	–
3 h7 r1/3	2913	Amy Mbacké Thiam	SEN	53.23 (3 h7)	–	–
5 h1 r1/3	1235	Geisa Coutinho	BRA	53.43 (5 h1)	–	–
5 h2 r1/3	1018	Afia Charles	ANT	54.25 (5 h2)	–	–
5 h3 r1/3	1568	Raysa Sánchez	DOM	52.47 (5 h3)	–	–
5 h4 r1/3	1205	Sviatlana Vusovich	BLR	52.40 (4 h4)	–	–
5 h5 r1/3	1717	Danni Alakija	FIJ	56.77 (5 h5)	–	–
5 h6 r1/3	2772	Bianca Răzor	ROU	52.83 (5 h6)	–	–
4 h7 r1/3	2488	Olesea Cojuhari	MDA	53.64 (4 h7)	–	–
6 h1 r1/3	2284	Marina Maslyonko	KAZ	53.66 (6 h1)	–	–
6 h2 r1/3	2540	Ingrid Yahoska	NCA	59.55 (6 h2)	–	–
6 h3 r1/3	1644	Aauri Bokesa	ESP	53.67 (6 h3)	–	–
6 h4 r1/3	3011	Phumlile Ndzinisa	SWZ	53.95 (5 h4)	–	–
6 h6 r1/3	1263	Maziah Mahusin	BRU	59.28 (6 h6)	–	–
5 h7 r1/3	1883	Graciela Martins	GBS	58.30 (5 h7)	–	–
7 h1 r1/3	2946	Zamzam Mohamed Farah	SOM	1:20.48 (7 h1)	–	–
7 h3 r1/3	1555	Zourah Ali	DJI	1:05.37 (7 h3)	–	–
7 h4 r1/3	2520	Hristina Risteska	MKD	1:00.86 (6 h4)	–	–
AC h2 r1/3	1118	Shaunae Miller	BAH	– (DNF h2)	–	–
AC h6 r1/3	3361	Kineke Alexander	VIN	– (DNF h6)	–	–
AC h7 r1/3	1440	Yenifer Padilla	COL	– (DQ h7)	–	–
DQ	3100	Pınar Saka	TUR	[52.38] (DQ h4)	–	–		1
DQ	2873	Antonina Krivoshapka	RUS	[50.75] (DQ h5)	[49.81] (DQ h3)	[50.17] (DQ)		2
DQ	2862	Yuliya Gushchina	RUS	[51.54] (DQ h7)	[51.66] (DQ h1)	–		3
DNS	2008	Kanika Beckles	GRN	– (DNS h5)	–	–

Round One (3 August 2012 — 12:00)

Top three in each heat and next three fastest advanced to the semi-finals.

Heat #1 (12:00)

Pos	Nr	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)	Reaction Time
1	6	Francena McCorory	USA	50.78	0.299	Q
2	5	Christine Ohuruogu	GBR	50.80	0.282	Q
3	7	Joy Nakhumicha Sakari	KEN	51.85	0.200	Q
4	4	Joanne Cuddihy	IRL	52.09	0.175	q
5	8	Geisa Coutinho	BRA	53.43	0.187
6	3	Marina Maslyonko	KAZ	53.66	0.192
7	2	Zamzam Mohamed Farah	SOM	1:20.48	0.405

Heat #2 (12:08)

Pos	Nr	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)	Reaction Time
1	4	Amantle Montsho	BOT	50.40	0.186	Q
2	5	Christine Day	JAM	51.05	0.178	Q
3	2	Shana Cox	GBR	52.01	0.181	Q
4	8	Aliann Pompey	GUY	52.10	0.174	q
5	6	Afia Charles	ANT	54.25	0.180
6	7	Ingrid Yahoska	NCA	59.55	0.221
DNF	3	Shaunae Miller	BAH	–	0.176

Heat #3 (12:16)

Pos	Nr	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)	Reaction Time
1	8	DeeDee Trotter	USA	50.87	0.268	Q
2	4	Rosemarie Whyte	JAM	50.90	0.219	Q
3	7	Jenna Martin	CAN	51.98	0.174	Q
4	3	Omolara Omotosho	NGR	52.11	0.221	q
5	6	Raysa Sánchez	DOM	52.47	0.190
6	2	Aauri Bokesa	ESP	53.67	0.158
7	5	Zourah Ali	DJI	1:05.37	–

Heat #4 (12:24)

Pos	Nr	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)	Reaction Time
1	6	Sanya Richards-Ross	USA	51.78	0.216	Q
2	8	Carol Rodríguez	PUR	52.19	0.187	Q
3	4	Tjipekapora Herunga	NAM	52.31	0.197	Q
4	3	Sviatlana Vusovich	BLR	52.40	0.206
5	7	Phumlile Ndzinisa	SWZ	53.95	0.224
6	2	Hristina Risteska	MKD	1:00.86	0.214
DQ	5	Pınar Saka	TUR	[52.38]	[0.199]		4

Heat #5 (12:32)

Pos	Nr	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)	Reaction Time
1	2	Alina Lohvynenko	UKR	52.08	0.184	Q
2	4	Lee McConnell	GBR	52.23	0.222	Q
3	5	Moa Hjelmer	SWE	52.86	0.189
4	6	Amber Simukonda	MAW	54.20	0.241
5	7	Danni Alakija	FIJ	56.77	0.289
DQ	8	Antonina Krivoshapka	RUS	[50.75]	[0.223]	Q	5
DNS	3	Kanika Beckles	GRN	–	–

Heat #6 (12:40)

Pos	Nr	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)	Reaction Time
1	4	Novlene Williams-Mills	JAM	50.88	0.269	Q
2	7	Nataliya Pyhyda	UKR	51.09	0.190	Q
3	6	Libania Grenot	ITA	52.13	0.205	Q
4	3	Joelma Sousa	BRA	52.69	0.182
5	5	Bianca Răzor	ROU	52.83	0.195
6	8	Maziah Mahusin	BRU	59.28	0.194
DNF	2	Kineke Alexander	VIN	–	0.206

Heat #7 (12:48)

Pos	Nr	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)	Reaction Time
1	6	Regina George	NGR	51.24	0.175	Q
2	4	Marlena Wesh	HAI	51.98	0.192	Q
3	5	Amy Mbacké Thiam	SEN	53.23	0.227
4	2	Olesea Cojuhari	MDA	53.64	0.183
5	3	Graciela Martins	GBS	58.30	0.237
DQ	7	Yenifer Padilla	COL	–	[0.187]
DQ	8	Yuliya Gushchina	RUS	[51.54]	[0.190]	Q	6

Semi-Finals (4 August 2012 — 20:05)

Top two in each heat and next two fastest advanced to the final.

Heat #1 (20:05)

Pos	Nr	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)	Reaction Time
1	4	Sanya Richards-Ross	USA	50.07	0.149	Q
2	7	Christine Ohuruogu	GBR	50.22	0.222	Q
3	6	Rosemarie Whyte	JAM	50.98	0.197	q
4	2	Joanne Cuddihy	IRL	51.88	0.209
5	3	Tjipekapora Herunga	NAM	52.53	0.200
6	9	Jenna Martin	CAN	52.83	0.185
7	8	Joy Nakhumicha Sakari	KEN	52.95	0.196
DQ	5	Yuliya Gushchina	RUS	[51.66]	[0.166]		7

Heat #2 (20:13)

Pos	Nr	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)	Reaction Time
1	5	Amantle Montsho	BOT	50.15	0.205	Q
2	6	Francena McCorory	USA	50.19	0.246	Q
3	2	Libania Grenot	ITA	51.18	0.163
4	7	Christine Day	JAM	51.19	0.194
5	4	Regina George	NGR	51.35	0.151
6	9	Alina Lohvynenko	UKR	51.38	0.194
7	8	Shana Cox	GBR	52.58	0.185
8	3	Aliann Pompey	GUY	52.58	0.147

Heat #3 (20:21)

Pos	Nr	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)	Reaction Time
1	4	DeeDee Trotter	USA	49.87	0.187	Q
2	7	Novlene Williams-Mills	JAM	49.91	0.247	q
3	3	Omolara Omotosho	NGR	51.41	0.195
4	6	Nataliya Pyhyda	UKR	51.41	0.176
5	8	Carol Rodríguez	PUR	52.08	0.210
6	2	Lee McConnell	GBR	52.24	0.219
7	9	Marlena Wesh	HAI	52.49	0.251
DQ	5	Antonina Krivoshapka	RUS	[49.81]	[0.198]	Q	8

Final (5 August 2012 — 21:10)

Pos	Nr	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)	Reaction Time
1	6	Sanya Richards-Ross	USA	49.55	0.189
2	8	Christine Ohuruogu	GBR	49.70	0.174
3	4	DeeDee Trotter	USA	49.72	0.167
4	7	Amantle Montsho	BOT	49.75	0.198
5	2	Novlene Williams-Mills	JAM	50.11	0.258
6	9	Francena McCorory	USA	50.33	0.196
7	3	Rosemarie Whyte	JAM	50.79	0.184
DQ	5	Antonina Krivoshapka	RUS	[50.17]	[0.175]	9