These are the official results of the Women's 400 metres event at the 1983 IAAF World Championships in Helsinki, Finland. There were a total number of 35 participating athletes, with five qualifying heats and the final held on Wednesday 10 August 1983.

Jarmila Kratochvílová in lane 3 spent much of the race chasing Mariya Kulchunova-Pinigina to her outside, while Taťána Kocembová quickly made up the stagger on Rosalyn Bryant between the two Czech teammates. Kratochvílová finally made up the stagger on Pinigina in the middle of the final turn and came onto the home stretch barely two meters up on the Soviet and a meter up on her teammate. She widened that to four metres by the finish and Kocembová opened up a similar gap on Pinigina.

Each of the top four competitors in this race set their lifetime best, Kratochvílová only being beaten once with 1985's still standing world record 47.60 by Marita Koch. In addition to Kratochvílová remaining the #2 performer in history, Kocembová is #5, Pinigina is #15. Almost forgotten is #56 Gaby Bußmann, still under 50 seconds.

Medalists Gold Jarmila KratochvílováCzechoslovakia (TCH)Silver Taťána KocembováCzechoslovakia (TCH)Bronze Mariya PiniginaSoviet Union (URS)

Records Existing records at the start of the event. World Record48.16Athens, GreeceSeptember 8, 1982Championship RecordNew event

Final RANKFINALTIME47.99 WR48.59 PB49.19 PB4.49.755.50.066.50.487.50.488.50.66

Semifinals Held on Tuesday 9 August 1983 RANKHEAT 1TIME1.51.082.51.223.51.264.51.525.51.966.52.067.52.748.53.09

RANKHEAT 2TIME1.50.072.50.453.50.784.51.045.51.096.51.887.51.978.52.34

Quarterfinals Held on Monday 8 August 1983 RANKHEAT 1TIME1.51.052.51.443.51.464.51.575.52.036.53.78DNSDNS

RANKHEAT 2TIME1.51.072.51.153.51.624.52.255.53.436.56.967.57.24DNS

RANKHEAT 3TIME1.52.232.52.373.52.404.52.705.53.476.56.927.58.33DNS

RANKHEAT 4TIME1.51.882.52.183.52.224.52.345.53.886.59.85DNSDNS

Qualifying heats Held on Sunday 7 August 1983 RANKHEAT 1TIME1.52.422.52.623.53.014.53.305.53.516.59.587.1:04.00

RANKHEAT 2TIME1.53.812.53.933.54.024.55.095.55.156.56.547.1:02.46

RANKHEAT 3TIME1.52.742.52.783.53.214.53.405.57.376.59.37DNS

RANKHEAT 4TIME1.52.492.53.833.54.474.54.705.55.876.56.847.1:00.79

RANKHEAT 5TIME1.53.162.53.453.53.644.53.965.56.086.58.07DNS

References Results