2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Women's 400 metres explained

The women's 400 metres at the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships was held at the Ataköy Athletics Arena on 9 and 10 March.

Medalists

width=200 bgcolor=gold	Gold	width=200 bgcolor=silver	Silver	width=200 bgcolor=CC9966	Bronze
Sanya Richards-Ross	Aleksandra Fedoriva	Natasha Hastings

Records

Standing records prior to the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships
World record		49.59	Milan, Italy	7 March 1982
Championship record		50.04	Moscow, Russia	12 March 2006
World Leading		50.71	Albuquerque, United States	26 February 2012
African record		50.73	Stuttgart, Germany	1 February 1998
Asian record		52.27	Beijing, China	24 February 1996
European record		49.59	Milan, Italy	7 March 1982
North and Central American and Caribbean record		50.34	Moscow, Russia	12 March 2006
Oceanian Record		52.17	Budapest, Hungary	4 March 1989
South American record		51.83	New York City, United States	26 February 2010

Schedule

Date	Time	Round
March 9, 2012	9:35	Heats
March 9, 2012	19:50	Semifinals
March 10, 2012	18:40	Final

Results

Heats

Qualification: First 2 in each heat (Q) and the next 6 fastest (q) advance to the semifinals.^[1]

Rank	Heat	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
1	2			52.02	Q, SB
2	3			52.81	Q
3	1			52.95	Q
4	1			52.97	Q
5	2			52.99	Q
6	6			53.24	Q
7	4			53.26	Q
8	4			53.39	Q
9	4			53.47	q
10	2			53.55	q
11	3			53.56	Q
12	6			53.58	Q
13	5			53.64	Q
14	1			53.74	q
14	3			53.74	q
16	5			54.01	Q
	3			54.44	q, NR †
17	5			54.63	q
18	6			55.51
19	6			55.88
20	2			56.41
21	1			57.08
22	4			58.21
23	1			59.56
24	5			59.83
25	2
26	5				NR
27	6
28	6				NR
29	2				NR
	3				^[2]
	4				^[3]

Semifinals

Qualification: First 2 of each heat qualified (Q).^[4]

Rank	Heat	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
1	3			50.99	Q
2	3			51.79	Q
3	1			51.87	Q
4	1			51.87	Q
5	1			51.98	SB
6	1			52.29	NR
7	2			52.69	Q
8	2			52.78	Q
9	2			53.00
10	2			53.02
11	3			53.21
12	3			53.66
13	2			53.71
14	1			54.06
	3			54.26	NR, †
15	3			54.48
	1
	2

• † = Bimbo Miel Ayedou's sample later tested positive for banned substances and she was disqualified.^[5]

Final

^[6]

Rank	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
			50.79
			51.76
			51.82
4			51.99
5			52.13	PB
6			52.48

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2012 World Indoor Championships – Women's 400 metres (heats). Omega Timing. 2012-03-14. https://web.archive.org/web/20120316233333/http://www.iaaf.org/documents/pdf/4665/AT-400-W-h----.RS6.pdf. 2012-03-16. dead.
2. Lane violation
3. Lane violation
4. Web site: 2012 World Indoor Championships – Women's 400 metres (semifinals). Omega Timing. 2012-03-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20120827225311/http://iaaf.org/documents/pdf/4665/AT-400-W-sf----.RS6.pdf. 2012-08-27. dead.
5. http://www.iaaf.org/mm/Document/06/54/40/65440_PDF_English.pdf IAAF Newsletter No.134 / 25 June 2012
6. Web site: 2012 World Indoor Championships – Women's 400 metres (final). Omega Timing. 2012-03-15.