1983 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 400 metres

None thumb|110px|HZchQ9sh-LE Official video 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 GoldTCH Jarmila KratochvílováCzechoslovakia (TCH)SilverTCH Taťána KocembováCzechoslovakia (TCH)BronzeURS Mariya PiniginaSoviet Union (URS) Records Existing records at the start of the event. World RecordMarita Koch GDR48.16Athens, GreeceSeptember 8, 1982Championship RecordNew event Final RANKFINALTIMEImage:Med 1.pngJarmila Kratochvílová TCH47.99 WRImage:Med 2.pngTaťána Kocembová TCH48.59 PBImage:Med 3.pngMariya Pinigina URS49.19 PB4.Gaby Bußmann FRG49.755.Marita Payne CAN50.066.Irina Baskakova URS50.487.Dagmar Rübsam GDR50.488.Rosalyn Bryant USA50.66 Semifinals Held on Tuesday 9 August 1983 RANKHEAT 1TIME1.Jarmila Kratochvílová TCH51.082.Gaby Bußmann FRG51.223.Irina Baskakova URS51.264.Dagmar Rübsam GDR51.525.Charmaine Crooks CAN51.966.Denean Howard USA52.067.Judit Forgács HUN52.748.Rositsa Stamenova BUL 197153.09 RANKHEAT 2TIME1.Mariya Pinigina URS50.072.Taťána Kocembová TCH50.453.Marita Payne CAN50.784.Rosalyn Bryant USA51.045.Sabine Busch GDR51.096.Michelle Scutt GBR51.887.Molly Killingbeck CAN51.978.Katya Ilieva BUL 197152.34 Quarterfinals Held on Monday 8 August 1983 RANKHEAT 1TIME1.Mariya Pinigina URS51.052.Rosalyn Bryant USA51.443.Sabine Busch GDR51.464.Charmaine Crooks CAN51.575.Denise Boyd AUS52.036.Cathy Rattray-Williams JAM53.78Margarita Grun URUDNSCornelia Baptiste LCA 1979DNS RANKHEAT 2TIME1.Irina Baskakova URS51.072.Gaby Bußmann FRG51.153.Dagmar Rübsam GDR51.624.Molly Killingbeck CAN52.255.Roberta Belle USA53.436.Elanga Buala PNG56.967.Iyiechia Petrus ISV57.24Hala El Moughrabi SYR 1980DNS RANKHEAT 3TIME1.Marita Payne CAN52.232.Katya Ilieva BUL 197152.373.Jarmila Kratochvílová TCH52.404.Michelle Scutt GBR52.705.June Griffith GUY53.476.Leticia Athanas TAN56.927.Irina Ambulo PAN58.33Sandra Liburd SKNDNS RANKHEAT 4TIME1.Taťána Kocembová TCH51.882.Judit Forgács HUN52.183.Rositsa Stamenova BUL 197152.224.Denean Howard USA52.345.Erica Rossi ITA53.886.Patricia Meigham GUA59.85Eucaris Caicedo COLDNSFatalmoudou Touré MLIDNS Qualifying heats Held on Sunday 7 August 1983 RANKHEAT 1TIME1.Jarmila Kratochvílová TCH52.422.Molly Killingbeck CAN52.623.Roberta Belle USA53.014.Michelle Scutt GBR53.305.Erica Rossi ITA53.516.Hala El Moughrabi SYR 198059.587.Marjorie Gentle BIZ1:04.00 RANKHEAT 2TIME1.Rositsa Stamenova BUL 197153.812.Gaby Bußmann FRG53.933.June Griffith GUY54.024.Eucaris Caicedo COL55.095.Judit Forgács HUN55.156.Leticia Athanas TAN56.547.Sandra Liburd SKN1:02.46 RANKHEAT 3TIME1.Taťána Kocembová TCH52.742.Denean Howard USA52.783.Katya Ilieva BUL 197153.214.Cathy Rattray-Williams JAM53.405.Elanga Buala PNG57.376.Fatalmoudou Touré MLI59.37Florence Gaza SOLDNS RANKHEAT 4TIME1.Mariya Pinigina URS52.492.Charmaine Crooks CAN53.833.Dagmar Rübsam GDR54.474.Denise Boyd AUS54.705.Iyiechia Petrus ISV55.876.Margarita Grun URU56.847.Cornelia Baptiste LCA 19791:00.79 RANKHEAT 5TIME1.Sabine Busch GDR53.162.Irina Baskakova URS53.453.Rosalyn Bryant USA53.644.Marita Payne CAN53.965.Irina Ambulo PAN56.086.Patricia Meigham GUA58.07Rose Tata-Muya KENDNS References Results Category:400 metres at the World Athletics Championships