| Event: | Women's 400 metres |
| Competition: | 2023 European Athletics Indoor Championships |
| Venue: | Ataköy Athletics Arena[1] |
| Location: | Istanbul, Turkey |
| Dates: | 3 March 2023 (round 1 and semi-finals) 4 March 2023 (final) |
| Competitors: | 27 |
| Nations: | 16 |
| Win Value: | 49.85 s |
| Gold: | Femke Bol |
| Silver: | Lieke Klaver |
| Bronze: | Anna Kiełbasińska |
| Gold Nation: | Netherlands |
| Silver Nation: | Netherlands |
| Bronze Nation: | Poland |
| Previous: | 2021 |
| Next: | 2025 |
The women's 400 metres at the 2023 European Athletics Indoor Championships took place in three rounds at the Ataköy Athletics Arena in Istanbul, Turkey, on 3 and 4 March 2023. This was the 37th time the women's 400 metres were contested at the European Athletics Indoor Championships. Athletes could qualify by the entry standard of 52.20 seconds indoor or 50.80 seconds outdoor, or by their position on the World Athletics Ranking for the event.
Twenty-seven athletes of sixteen nations competed in the first round on 3 March in the morning. Duna Viñals set an Andorran record of 57.71 seconds. Twelve athletes advanced to the semi-finals on 3 March in the evening, where six athletes qualified to compete in the final on 4 March. The gold medal was won by Femke Bol of the Netherlands in a time of 49.85 seconds, silver by Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands in 50.57 seconds, and bronze by Anna Kiełbasińska of Poland in 51.25 seconds. Susanne Gogl-Walli set an Austrian record of 51.73 seconds.
The women's 400 metres was contested at every previous edition of the European Athletics Indoor Championships (1970–2021), 36 times in total before 2023: every year from 1970 until 1990, and every other year since then until 2021, with a three year gap between 2002 and 2005 for synchronisation with other international athletics championships.[2] On 19 February 2023, less than two weeks before the championships, Femke Bol of the Netherlands broke Jarmila Kratochvílová's 1982 world record of the 400 metres indoor in a time of 49.26 s. At the start of the 2023 championships, this was also the European record and the leading time in Europe and the world.[3] Kratochvílová's 1982 championship record of 49.59 s was stil standing.[4] Bol was the defending champion after winning this event in a time of 50.63 s in 2021.[5]
| +Records before the 2023 European Athletics Indoor Championships | |||||
| Record | Athlete (nation) | Time (s) | Location | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World record | 49.26 | Apeldoorn, Netherlands | 19 February 2023 | ||
| European record | |||||
| World leading[6] | |||||
| European leading | |||||
| Championship record | 49.59 | Milan, Italy | 7 March 1982 |
For the women's 400 metres, the qualification period was from 20 February 2022 to 19 February 2023.[7] Athletes could qualify by achieving the entry standard of 52.20 s for 400 metres indoor or 50.80 s for 400 metres outdoor.[7] Athletes who didn't achieve the entry standard could still qualify by their position on the World Athletics Ranking for this event.[7] There was a target number of 30 athletes in total, with a maximum of three athletes per nation.[7] A final entry list with 27 athletes of 16 nations was published on 23 February 2023.[8]
The five heats of round 1 were held on 3 March 2023, starting at 10:40 (UTC+3) in the morning.[4] Of the twenty-seven competing athletes, the first two athletes in each heat and the next two fastest advanced to the semi-finals.[4] [9] [10] [11] [12] In the first heat, Duna Viñals of Andorra set a national record of 57.71 s .[4] In the fifth heat, Tereza Petržilková of Czech Republic, Helena Ponette of Belgium, and Cliodhna Manning of Ireland ran personal best times .[12]
| Rank | Heat | Athlete | Nationality | Time (s) | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 51.77 | ||||
| 2 | 5 | 52.14 | , | |||
| 3 | 5 | 52.31 | , | |||
| 4 | 4 | 52.34 | ||||
| 5 | 2 | 52.35 | ||||
| 6 | 4 | 52.59 | ||||
| 7 | 3 | 52.72 | ||||
| 8 | 1 | 52.77 | ||||
| 9 | 4 | 52.85 | , | |||
| 10 | 2 | 52.88 | ||||
| 11 | 3 | 52.99 | ||||
| 12 | 3 | 53.10 | ||||
| 13 | 1 | 53.27 | ||||
| 14 | 4 | 53.30 | ||||
| 15 | 2 | 53.38 | ||||
| 16 | 1 | 53.43 | ||||
| 17 | 1 | 53.52 | ||||
| 18 | 5 | 53.61 | ||||
| 19 | 3 | 53.71 | ||||
| 20 | 2 | 53.89 | ||||
| 21 | 2 | 54.04 | ||||
| 22 | 5 | 54.21 | ||||
| 23 | 4 | 55.29 | ||||
| 24 | 3 | 55.82 | ||||
| 25 | 1 | 55.86 | ||||
| 26 | 1 | 57.71 | ||||
| 27 | 4 | 1:01.71 |
The two heats of the semi-finals were held on 3 March 2023, starting at 19:55 (UTC+3) in the evening.[13] Of the twelve competing athletes, the first three athletes in each heat advanced to the final.[13] [14]
| Rank | Heat | Athlete | Nationality | Time (s) | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 51.43 | ||||
| 2 | 1 | 51.67 | ||||
| 3 | 1 | 52.12 | ||||
| 4 | 2 | 52.19 | ||||
| 5 | 2 | 52.40 | ||||
| 6 | 2 | 52.93 | ||||
| 7 | 2 | 53.07 | ||||
| 8 | 2 | 53.08 | ||||
| 9 | 2 | 53.37 | ||||
| 10 | 1 | 53.57 | ||||
| 11 | 1 | 53.61 | ||||
| 12 | 1 | 53.66 |
The final with the six remaining athletes was held on 4 March 2023 at 20:30 (UTC+3) in the evening.[15] Femke Bol of the Netherlands was leading the race after about 100 metres and she completed the first lap of 200 metres in 23.78 s.[15] [16] Bol went on to win the gold medal after finishing the race in 49.85 s , successfully defending her title from 2021 with her third 400 metres indoor race under 50 seconds of 2023.[15] [17] [18] Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands won silver in 50.57 s and Anna Kiełbasińska of Poland won bronze in 51.25 s .[15] Outside the medals, Susanne Gogl-Walli of Austria set a national record of 51.73 s .[15]
| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nationality | Time (s) | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 49.85 | |||||
| 6 | 50.57 | |||||
| 3 | 51.25 | |||||
| 4 | 4 | 51.73 | ||||
| 5 | 2 | 51.73 | ||||
| 6 | 1 | 52.81 |