2011 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 400 metres

The finish of the women's 400 metres at Daegu, Allyson Felix straining to try to catch Amantle Montsho
Official Video[permanent dead link]
Events at the
2011 World Championships
Track events
100 mmenwomen
200 mmenwomen
400 mmenwomen
800 mmenwomen
1500 mmenwomen
5000 mmenwomen
10,000 mmenwomen
100 m hurdleswomen
110 m hurdlesmen
400 m hurdlesmenwomen
3000 m
steeplechase		menwomen
4 × 100 m relaymenwomen
4 × 400 m relaymenwomen
Road events
Marathonmenwomen
20 km walkmenwomen
50 km walkmen
Field events
High jumpmenwomen
Pole vaultmenwomen
Long jumpmenwomen
Triple jumpmenwomen
Shot putmenwomen
Discus throwmenwomen
Hammer throwmenwomen
Javelin throwmenwomen
Combined events
Heptathlonwomen
Decathlonmen

The Women's 400 metres at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics 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 just three weeks before the championships. The only faster athlete that year was Russian champion Anastasiya Kapachinskaya, who had run a personal best of 49.35 sec. Three-time 200 m world champion, Allyson Felix, was also challenging for the 400 m title, while Amantle Montsho (ranked third that year) had five straight wins on the Diamond League circuit. Jamaica's Rosemarie Whyte, Novlene Williams-Mills and Shericka Williams were also contenders, as was 2009 third placer Antonina Krivoshapka.[1]

The event started in controversy when reigning Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu was disqualified in her preliminary race for a false 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. For the bronze medal, Anastasia Kapachinskaya was faster down the final 80 metres to pull away from Francena McCorory, who had run her personal best in the semi-finals.[2][3]

After the championships, Kapachinskaya was disqualified for a doping violation for having stanozol and turinabol in tests held during the 2008 Olympics. She received a lifetime ban.[4] In 2017, McCorory was advanced to the bronze medal.[5]

Medalists

Gold Silver Bronze
Amantle Montsho
 Botswana (BOT) 		Allyson Felix
 United States (USA) 		Francena McCorory
 United States (USA)

Records

Prior to the competition, the records were as follows:

World record  Marita Koch (GDR) 47.60 Canberra, Australia 6 October 1985
Championship record  Jarmila Kratochvílová (TCH) 47.99 Helsinki, Finland 10 August 1983
World Leading  Anastasia Kapachinskaya (RUS) 49.35 Cheboksary, Russia 22 July 2011
African Record  Falilat Ogunkoya (NGR) 49.10 Atlanta, GA, United States 29 July 1996
Asian Record  Yuqin Ma (CHN) 49.81 Beijing, China 11 September 1993
North, Central American and Caribbean record  Sanya Richards-Ross (USA) 48.70 Athens, Greece 16 September 2006
South American record  Ximena Restrepo (COL) 49.64 Barcelona, Spain 5 August 1992
European Record  Marita Koch (GDR) 47.60 Canberra, Australia 6 October 1985
Oceanian record  Cathy Freeman (AUS) 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  Botswana (BOT) 50.95 Q
2 1 Novlene Williams-Mills  Jamaica (JAM) 51.30 Q
3 2 Antonina Yefremova  Ukraine (UKR) 51.35 Q
4 5 Sanya Richards-Ross  United States (USA) 51.37 Q
5 3 Rosemarie Whyte  Jamaica (JAM) 51.38 Q
6 2 Anastasiya Kapachinskaya  Russia (RUS) 51.43 Q
7 1 Allyson Felix  United States (USA) 51.45 Q
8 3 Antonina Krivoshapka  Russia (RUS) 51.52 Q
9 5 Shericka Williams  Jamaica (JAM) 51.66 Q
10 3 Nataliya Pyhyda  Ukraine (UKR) 51.67 Q
11 1 Joanne Cuddihy  Ireland (IRL) 51.82 Q, SB
12 1 Marta Milani  Italy (ITA) 51.94 Q, SB
13 1 Geisa Coutinho  Brazil (BRA) 52.15 q
14 4 Francena McCorory  United States (USA) 52.18 Q
15 2 Ndeye Fatou Soumah  Senegal (SEN) 52.23 Q
15 3 Fantu Magiso  Ethiopia (ETH) 52.23 Q
17 5 Moa Hjelmer  Sweden (SWE) 52.26 Q
18 2 Jessica Beard  United States (USA) 52.40 Q
19 5 Denisa Rosolová  Czech Republic (CZE) 52.51 Q
20 5 Nicola Sanders  Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) 52.65 q
21 4 Lee McConnell  Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) 52.75 Q
22 4 Maris Mägi  Estonia (EST) 52.93 Q
23 4 Norma González  Colombia (COL) 53.35 q
24 3 Racheal Nachula  Zambia (ZAM) 53.49 q, SB
25 1 Pınar Saka  Turkey (TUR) 53.59
25 2 Aliann Pompey  Guyana (GUY) 53.59
27 4 Aymée Martínez  Cuba (CUB) 53.67
28 3 Daisurami Bonne  Cuba (CUB) 53.69
29 2 Tjipekapora Herunga  Namibia (NAM) 54.08
30 5 Kseniya Karandyuk  Ukraine (UKR) 54.10
31 4 Ambwene Simukonda  Malawi (MAW) 54.81
32 2 Alaa Hikmat Al-Qaysi  Iraq (IRQ) 55.62
33 5 Betty Burua  Papua New Guinea (PNG) 56.98
34 1 Graciela Martins  Guinea-Bissau (GBS) 58.22 PB
35 1 Sandrine Thiébaud-Kangni  Togo (TOG) 59.68
36 3 Evodie Lydie Saramandji  Central African Republic (CAF) 1:05.10 SB
3 Christine Ohuruogu  Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) DSQ

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  Botswana (BOT) 50.13 Q
2 2 Francena McCorory  United States (USA) 50.24 Q, PB
3 1 Allyson Felix  United States (USA) 50.36 Q
4 3 Anastasiya Kapachinskaya  Russia (RUS) 50.41 Q
5 2 Shericka Williams  Jamaica (JAM) 50.46 Q, SB
6 1 Novlene Williams-Mills  Jamaica (JAM) 50.48 Q
7 1 Antonina Krivoshapka  Russia (RUS) 50.55 q
8 2 Sanya Richards-Ross  United States (USA) 50.66 q
9 2 Antonina Yefremova  Ukraine (UKR) 50.88
10 3 Rosemarie Whyte  Jamaica (JAM) 50.90
11 3 Jessica Beard  United States (USA) 51.27
12 1 Nataliya Pyhyda  Ukraine (UKR) 51.61
13 2 Marta Milani  Italy (ITA) 51.86 PB
14 2 Geisa Coutinho  Brazil (BRA) 51.87
15 2 Lee McConnell  Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) 51.97
16 3 Ndeye Fatou Soumah  Senegal (SEN) 52.10
17 2 Norma González  Colombia (COL) 52.29
18 1 Moa Hjelmer  Sweden (SWE) 52.35
19 1 Nicola Sanders  Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) 52.47
20 3 Denisa Rosolová  Czech Republic (CZE) 52.53
21 1 Maris Mägi  Estonia (EST) 53.27
22 3 Racheal Nachula  Zambia (ZAM) 53.30 SB
23 1 Fantu Magiso  Ethiopia (ETH) 53.41
3 Joanne Cuddihy  Ireland (IRL) DSQ

Final

Rank Lane Name Nationality Time Notes
1st place, gold medalist(s) 4 Amantle Montsho  Botswana (BOT) 49.56 NR
2nd place, silver medalist(s) 3 Allyson Felix  United States (USA) 49.59 PB
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 5 Francena McCorory  United States (USA) 50.45
4 2 Antonina Krivoshapka  Russia (RUS) 50.66
5 7 Shericka Williams  Jamaica (JAM) 50.79
6 1 Sanya Richards-Ross  United States (USA) 51.32
7 8 Novlene Williams-Mills  Jamaica (JAM) 52.89
— 6 Anastasiya Kapachinskaya  Russia (RUS) 50.24 DSQ

References

  1. ^ Johnson, Len (2011-08-23). Women's 400m - PREVIEW. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-08-23.
  2. ^ "Montsho scoops 400m title". Irish Independent. 30 August 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  3. ^ "World Athletics 2011: Day two as it happened". BBC Sport. 28 August 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  4. ^ "IOC strips Russia's 2008 4x400 silver medal in doping case". espn.com. 19 August 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  5. ^ "Ennis-Hill and US women's 4x400m team to receive reallocated gold medals in London | PRESS-RELEASE | World Athletics".