The women's 400 metres at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Olympic Stadium on 15, 16 and 18 August. The world-leader prior to the competition, Sanya Richards, was regarded as the favourite in the event, although her previous failure to convert circuit dominance to major championship success raised some doubts. Reigning Olympic and world champion Christine Ohuruogu entered the championships as only the 25th fastest in the world that year, although a low-key run up also preceded her previous victories. Jamaicans Shericka Williams and Novlene Williams-Mills were predicted as possible medallists, while Russian Antonina Krivoshapka held the second fastest time in the world prior to the tournament.Landells, Steve (2009-08-09). Women's 400m - PREVIEW. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-08-16. Archived 2009-09-08.

All the favoured athletes made it through the heats and Motswana Amantle Montsho, a 2008 Olympic finalist, had the fastest time of the day with 50.65 seconds. Unusually, two of the race favourites, Richards and Ohuruogu, faced each other in the first round, with the Richards taking first place.Landells, Steve (2009-08-15). Event Report - Women's 400m - Heats . IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-08-19. The two faced each other again in the semi-finals, and Richards again beat the defending champion. The other two semi-finals were much faster, however, with five athletes breaking 50 seconds. Shericka Williams and Debbie Dunn set personal bests to qualify in the second final, and Montsho and Williams-Mills had run season's best to qualify – Aliann Pompey's national record was not enough to reach the final.Landells, Steve (2009-08-16). Event Report - Women's 400 Metres - Semi-Final . IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-08-19.

In the final, Richards started the race quickly, leading the first 100 m. Krivoshapka pulled slightly ahead of her at the halfway, but Richards regained the lead on the final bend. She remained in front through the home straight and won in a world-leading 49 seconds flat. Williams overtook Krivoshapka on the final stretch to take silver with a personal best of 49.32 seconds, and the Russian retained third place for the bronze. Williams-Mills was close behind for fourth place, but it was Ohuruogu's fifth-place finish that drew more attention.Landells, Steve (2009-08-18). Event Report - Women's 400m - Final . IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-08-19.

Richards, often the fastest 400 m runner on the athletics circuit, won her first major gold medal of her career with the 38th sub-50 clocking of her career – the most of any athlete.Brown, Matthew (2009-08-18). Richards – ‘I enjoyed every step of my race’ . IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-08-19. After a lacklustre season, the 2007 World Champion Ohuruogu could not repeat the performance that had made her Olympic champion the previous year.Kessel, Anna (2009-08-18). No miracle for Christine Ohuruogu as Sanya Richards takes gold. The Guardian. Retrieved on 2009-08-20. Shericka Williams had twice lowered her personal best, and her silver medal-winning performance was 0.02 seconds outside of Lorraine Fenton's Jamaican record.Reid, Paul A. (2009-08-19). Former coach lauds Williams' silver at World Championships . Jamaica Observer. Retrieved on 2009-08-20. Krivoshapka's bronze was Russia's first medal in the event in the post-Soviet era.

Medalists GoldSilverBronzeSanya RichardsShericka WilliamsAntonina Krivoshapka

Records World record47.60Canberra, Australia6 October 1985Championship record47.99Helsinki, Finland10 August 1983World Leading49.23Oslo, Norway3 July 2009African record49.10Atlanta, United States29 July 1996Asian record49.81Beijing, China11 September 1993North American record48.70Athens, Greece16 September 2006South American record49.64Barcelona, Spain5 August 1992European record47.60Canberra, Australia6 October 1985Oceanian Record48.63Atlanta, United States29 July 1996

Qualification standards A timeB time 51.50 52.30

Schedule Date Time RoundAugust 15, 2009 13:05 HeatsAugust 16, 2009 19:40 SemifinalsAugust 18, 2009 19:35 Final

Results

Heats Qualification: First 3 in each heat(Q) and the next 6 fastest(q) advance to the semifinals.

Rank Heat Name Nationality Time Notes 3 Amantle Montsho 50.65 Q 6 Antonina Krivoshapka 51.03 Q 5 Sanya Richards 51.06 Q 4 Debbie Dunn 51.13 Q 4 Anastasiya Kapachinskaya 51.17 Q 3 Shericka Williams 51.23 Q 5 Christine Ohuruogu 51.30 Q 1 Lyudmila Litvinova 51.31 Q 5 Aliann Pompey 51.38 Q 10 1 Libania Grenot 51.45 Q 11 2 Novlene Williams-Mills 51.55 Q 12 3 Solen Désert-Mariller 51.63 Q, SB 13 6 Nicola Sanders 51.64 Q 14 3 Folasade Abugan 51.70 q 15 2 Jessica Beard 51.72 Q 16 2 Sorina Nwachukwu 51.74 Q 17 5 Norma González 51.86 q, PB 18 1 Indira Terrero 51.98 Q 19 2 Kineke Alexander 52.44 q, SB 20 1 Tiandra Ponteen 52.54 q 21 6 Amy Mbacké Thiam 52.79 Q 22 4 Amaka Ogoegbunam 52.85 Q 23 2 Joy Nakhumicha Sakari 52.88 q 24 1 Christine Day 53.13 q 25 3 Racheal Nachula 53.21 25 6 Esther Akinsulie 53.21 27 6 Asami Tanno 53.30 28 4 Chandrika Rasnayake 53.68 29 1 Marina Maslenko 54.38 30 4 Fatou Bintou Fall 54.46 31 5 Makelesi Bulikiobo 54.65 SB 32 5 Trish Bartholomew 54.89 33 6 Sharolyn Scott 55.63 PB 34 2 Kia Davis 56.85 35 5 Claudine Yemalin 58.82 36 1 Khin Phyo Thet PB 37 4 Rozina Shafqat SB 38 6 Rania Alqebali SB 2 Khoury Keita 4 Christine Amertil 3 Nawal El Jack 3 Evodie Lydie Saramandji

Key: PB = Personal best, Q = qualification by place in heat, q = qualification by overall place, SB = Seasonal best

Semifinals Qualification: First 2 in each semifinal(Q) and the next 2 fastest(q) advance to the final.

Rank Heat Name Nationality Time Notes 2 Shericka Williams 49.51 Q, PB 2 Antonina Krivoshapka 49.67 Q 1 Novlene Williams-Mills 49.88 Q, SB 1 Amantle Montsho 49.89 Q, SB 2 Debbie Dunn 49.95 q, PB 3 Sanya Richards 50.21 Q 1 Anastasiya Kapachinskaya 50.30 q 3 Christine Ohuruogu 50.35 Q, SB 2 Nicola Sanders 50.45 SB 10 3 Lyudmila Litvinova 50.52 11 1 Aliann Pompey 50.71 NR 12 3 Libania Grenot 50.85 13 1 Jessica Beard 51.20 14 2 Amy Mbacké Thiam 51.70 15 2 Folasade Abugan 51.75 16 3 Indira Terrero 51.87 17 1 Norma González 51.91 18 3 Sorina Nwachukwu 51.98 19 2 Joy Nakhumicha Sakari 52.69 20 3 Tiandra Ponteen 53.22 21 2 Solen Désert-Mariller 53.26 22 1 Kineke Alexander 53.43 23 1 Christine Day 53.46 1 Amaka Ogoegbunam

Key: DNF = Did not finish, NR = National record, PB = Personal best, Q = qualification by place in heat, q = qualification by overall place, SB = Seasonal best

Final

Rank Name Nationality Time Notes Sanya Richards 49.00 WL Shericka Williams 49.32 PB Antonina Krivoshapka 49.71 4 Novlene Williams-Mills 49.77 SB 5 Christine Ohuruogu 50.21 SB 6 Debbie Dunn 50.35 7 Anastasiya Kapachinskaya 50.53 8 Amantle Montsho 50.65

Key: PB = Personal best, SB = Seasonal best, WL = World leading (in a given season)

References General 400 metre results. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-08-16. Landells, Steve (2009-08-15). Event Report - Women's 400m - Heats. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-08-16. Specific