| Event: | Women's 400 metres hurdles |
| Competition: | European Athletics Championships |
The women's 400 metres hurdles at the 1978 European Athletics Championships was held in Prague, then Czechoslovakia, at Stadion Evžena Rošického on 1 and 2 September 1978.
| Gold | Tatyana Zelentsova | |
| Silver | Silvia Hollmann | |
| Bronze | Karin Roßley |
2 September
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align=left | align=left | 54.89 | WR | ||||
| align=left | align=left | 55.14 | NR | ||||
| align=left | align=left | 55.36 | NR | ||||
| 4 | align=left | align=left | 55.46 | ||||
| 5 | align=left | align=left |  | 55.55 | NR | ||
| 6 | align=left | align=left | 55.63 | ||||
| 7 | align=left | align=left | 55.97 | ||||
| 8 | align=left | align=left | | 57.72 |
2 September
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | align=left | align=left | 56.08 | CR Q | |||
| 2 | align=left | align=left | 56.19 | Q | |||
| 3 | align=left | align=left | | 56.20 | Q | ||
| 4 | align=left | align=left | 56.27 | Q | |||
| 5 | align=left | align=left |  | 57.36 | |||
| 6 | align=left | align=left | 57.49 | ||||
| 7 | align=left | align=left |  | 57.68 | |||
| align=left | align=left | DNF |
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | align=left | align=left | 55.89 | CR Q | |||
| 2 | align=left | align=left | 56.32 | Q | |||
| 3 | align=left | align=left | 56.55 | Q | |||
| 4 | align=left | align=left | | 56.67 | Q | ||
| 5 | align=left | align=left | 57.22 | ||||
| 6 | align=left | align=left |  | 58.35 | |||
| 7 | align=left | align=left | | 58.67 | |||
| 8 | align=left | align=left |  | 62.83 |
1 September
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | align=left | align=left | 56.83 | Q | |||
| 2 | align=left | align=left | | 57.18 | Q | ||
| 3 | align=left | align=left | 57.56 | Q | |||
| 4 | align=left | align=left | | 57.66 | Q | ||
| 5 | align=left | align=left |  | 59.61 | |||
| 6 | align=left | align=left |  | 59.76 | |||
| 7 | align=left | align=left | | 68.51 |
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | align=left | align=left | 57.50 | Q | |||
| 2 | align=left | align=left | 58.07 | Q | |||
| 3 | align=left | align=left | | 58.12 | NJR Q | ||
| 4 | align=left | align=left | 58.29 | Q | |||
| 5 | align=left | align=left |  | 59.72 | |||
| 6 | align=left | align=left | 59.97 | ||||
| 7 | align=left | align=left | 60.61 |
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | align=left | align=left | | 57.61 | Q | ||
| 2 | align=left | align=left | 57.66 | Q | |||
| 3 | align=left | align=left | | 57.74 | Q | ||
| 4 | align=left | align=left | | 58.11 | Q | ||
| 5 | align=left | align=left |  | 59.32 | |||
| 6 | align=left | align=left | | 60.21 | |||
| 7 | align=left | align=left | 60.97 |
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | align=left | align=left | 56.19 | CR Q | |||
| 2 | align=left | align=left | 56.44 | Q | |||
| 3 | align=left | align=left | | 58.19 | Q | ||
| 4 | align=left | align=left | 58.31 | Q | |||
| 5 | align=left | align=left |  | 58.47 | |||
| 6 | align=left | align=left | 58.57 | ||||
| 7 | align=left | align=left | 60.77 |
According to an unofficial count, 28 athletes from 17 countries participated in the event.
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