2009 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 400 metres

None 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 https://web.archive.org/web/20090818034840/http://berlin.iaaf.org/news/kind=108/newsid=52753.html 2009-08-18 . 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 https://web.archive.org/web/20120407111228/http://berlin.iaaf.org/news/kind=108/newsid=52995.html 2012-04-07 . 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 https://web.archive.org/web/20090921015047/http://berlin.iaaf.org/news/kind=108/newsid=53290.html 2009-09-21 . 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’ https://web.archive.org/web/20090821065501/http://berlin.iaaf.org/news/kind=114/newsid=53375.html 2009-08-21 . 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 https://web.archive.org/web/20090822092020/http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sports/html/20090818T230000-0500_157815_OBS_FORMER_COACH_LAUDS_WILLIAMS__SILVER_AT_WORLD_CHAMPIONSIPS.asp 2009-08-22 . 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 RichardsUnited States 2009 WorldShericka WilliamsJamaica 2009 WorldAntonina Krivoshapka Russia 2009 World Records World recordMarita Koch GDR47.60Canberra, Australia6 October 1985Championship recordJarmila Kratochvílová TCH47.99Helsinki, Finland10 August 1983World LeadingSanya Richards USA49.23Oslo, Norway3 July 2009African recordFalilat Ogunkoya NGR49.10Atlanta, United States29 July 1996Asian recordMa Yuqin CHN49.81Beijing, China11 September 1993North American recordSanya Richards USA48.70Athens, Greece16 September 2006South American recordXimena Restrepo COL49.64Barcelona, Spain5 August 1992European recordMarita Koch GDR47.60Canberra, Australia6 October 1985Oceanian RecordCathy Freeman AUS48.63Atlanta, 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 01 1 3 Amantle Montsho Botswana 2009 World 50.65 Q 02 2 6 Antonina Krivoshapka Russia 2009 World 51.03 Q 03 3 5 Sanya Richards United States 2009 World 51.06 Q 04 4 4 Debbie Dunn United States 2009 World 51.13 Q 05 5 4 Anastasiya Kapachinskaya Russia 2009 World 51.17 Q 06 6 3 Shericka Williams Jamaica 2009 World 51.23 Q 07 7 5 Christine Ohuruogu Great Britain 2009 World 51.30 Q 08 8 1 Lyudmila Litvinova Russia 2009 World 51.31 Q 09 9 5 Aliann Pompey Guyana 2009 World 51.38 Q 10 1 Libania Grenot Italy 2009 World 51.45 Q 11 2 Novlene Williams-Mills Jamaica 2009 World 51.55 Q 12 3 Solen Désert-Mariller France 2009 World 51.63 Q, SB 13 6 Nicola Sanders Great Britain 2009 World 51.64 Q 14 3 Folasade Abugan Nigeria 2009 World 51.70 q 15 2 Jessica Beard United States 2009 World 51.72 Q 16 2 Sorina Nwachukwu Germany 2009 World 51.74 Q 17 5 Norma González Colombia 2009 World 51.86 q, PB 18 1 Indira Terrero Cuba 2009 World 51.98 Q 19 2 Kineke Alexander Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2009 World 52.44 q, SB 20 1 Tiandra Ponteen Saint Kitts and Nevis 2009 World 52.54 q 21 6 Amy Mbacké Thiam Senegal 2009 World 52.79 Q 22 4 Amaka Ogoegbunam Nigeria 2009 World 52.85 Q 23 2 Joy Nakhumicha Sakari Kenya 2009 World 52.88 q 24 1 Christine Day Jamaica 2009 World 53.13 q 25 3 Racheal Nachula Zambia 2009 World 53.21 25 6 Esther Akinsulie Canada 2009 World 53.21 27 6 Asami Tanno Japan 2009 World 53.30 28 4 Chandrika Rasnayake Sri Lanka 2009 World 53.68 29 1 Marina Maslenko Kazakhstan 2009 World 54.38 30 4 Fatou Bintou Fall Senegal 2009 World 54.46 31 5 Makelesi Bulikiobo Fiji 2009 World 54.65 SB 32 5 Trish Bartholomew Grenada 2009 World 54.89 33 6 Sharolyn Scott Costa Rica 2009 World 55.63 PB 34 2 Kia Davis Liberia 2009 World 56.85 35 5 Claudine Yemalin Benin 2009 World 58.82 36 1 Khin Phyo Thet Myanmar 2009 World 60.35 1:00.35 PB 37 4 Rozina Shafqat Pakistan 2009 World 60.72 1:00.72 SB 38 6 Rania Alqebali Jordan 2009 World 60.90 1:00.90 SB 97 2 Khoury Keita Mauritania 2009 World 99.97 DQ 97 4 Christine Amertil Bahamas 2009 World 99.97 DQ 98 3 Nawal El Jack Sudan 2009 World 99.98 DNF 99 3 Evodie Lydie Saramandji Central African Republic 2009 World 99.99 DNS 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 01 1 2 Shericka Williams Jamaica 2009 World 49.51 Q, PB 02 2 2 Antonina Krivoshapka Russia 2009 World 49.67 Q 03 3 1 Novlene Williams-Mills Jamaica 2009 World 49.88 Q, SB 04 4 1 Amantle Montsho Botswana 2009 World 49.89 Q, SB 05 5 2 Debbie Dunn United States 2009 World 49.95 q, PB 06 6 3 Sanya Richards United States 2009 World 50.21 Q 07 7 1 Anastasiya Kapachinskaya Russia 2009 World 50.30 q 08 8 3 Christine Ohuruogu Great Britain 2009 World 50.35 Q, SB 09 9 2 Nicola Sanders Great Britain 2009 World 50.45 SB 10 3 Lyudmila Litvinova Russia 2009 World 50.52 11 1 Aliann Pompey Guyana 2009 World 50.71 NR 12 3 Libania Grenot Italy 2009 World 50.85 13 1 Jessica Beard United States 2009 World 51.20 14 2 Amy Mbacké Thiam Senegal 2009 World 51.70 15 2 Folasade Abugan Nigeria 2009 World 51.75 16 3 Indira Terrero Cuba 2009 World 51.87 17 1 Norma González Colombia 2009 World 51.91 18 3 Sorina Nwachukwu Germany 2009 World 51.98 19 2 Joy Nakhumicha Sakari Kenya 2009 World 52.69 20 3 Tiandra Ponteen Saint Kitts and Nevis 2009 World 53.22 21 2 Solen Désert-Mariller France 2009 World 53.26 22 1 Kineke Alexander Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2009 World 53.43 23 1 Christine Day Jamaica 2009 World 53.46 99 1 Amaka Ogoegbunam Nigeria 2009 World 99.99 DNF 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 thumb|Sanya Richards won her first major championships in Berlin Rank Name Nationality Time Notes Sanya Richards United States 2009 World 49.00 WL Shericka Williams Jamaica 2009 World 49.32 PB Antonina Krivoshapka Russia 2009 World 49.71 4 Novlene Williams-Mills Jamaica 2009 World 49.77 SB 5 Christine Ohuruogu Great Britain 2009 World 50.21 SB 6 Debbie Dunn United States 2009 World 50.35 7 Anastasiya Kapachinskaya Russia 2009 World 50.53 8 Amantle Montsho Botswana 2009 World 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 400 metres Category:400 metres at the World Athletics Championships