# 2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Women's 400 metres

The women's 400 metres at the 2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships took place on March 18 and 19, 2016.
Nigerian born Oluwakemi Adekoya, a mercenary runner for Bahrain, came into these championships as only the seventh fastest in the world this year, but she made her mark with the fastest times in each round. In the final, she was about even with Quanera Hayes at the break, but as Hayes broke for lane 1, Adekoya made a beeline for the apex of the next turn, effectively closing the door and relegating Hayes and the rest of the field to run behind her. Hayes gathered herself and made one big push coming around the final turn, but Adekoya was able to hold her off. Hayes tried again coming off the turn but couldn't make any progress. As Hayes strained for the finish, she made a second strategic mistake and allowed Ashley Spencer to pass on her inside, Spencer pipping her for the silver medal at the line.

## Records

Standing records prior to the 2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships :
| World record | Jarmila Kratochvílová (TCH) | 49.59 | Milan, Italy | 7 March 1982 |
| Championship record | Olesya Forsheva (RUS) | 50.04 | Moscow, Russia | 12 March 2006 |
| World Leading | Courtney Okolo (USA) | 50.69 | Birmingham, United States | 12 March 2016 |
| African record | Charity Opara (NGR) | 50.73 | Stuttgart, Germany | 1 February 1998 |
| Asian record | Oluwakemi Adekoya (BHR) | 51.67 | Doha, Qatar | 20 February 2016 |
| European record | Jarmila Kratochvílová (TCH) | 49.59 | Milan, Italy | 7 March 1982 |
| North and Central American and Caribbean record | Christine Amertil (BAH) | 50.34 | Moscow, Russia | 12 March 2006 |
| Oceanian Record | Maree Holland (AUS) | 52.17 | Budapest, Hungary | 4 March 1989 |
| South American record | Aliann Pompey (GUY) | 51.83 | New York City, United States | 26 February 2010 |

## Qualification standards

| Indoor | Outdoor |
| 53.15 | 51.20 |

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Round |
| 18 March 2016 | 12:25 | Heats |
| 18 March 2016 | 19:25 | Semifinals |
| 19 March 2016 | 18:47 | Final |

## Results
### Heats

Qualification: First 2 (Q) and next 4 fastest (q) qualified for the semifinals.
| Rank | Heat | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 1 | Oluwakemi Adekoya | Bahrain | 52.27 | Q |
| 2 | 1 | Stephenie Ann McPherson | Jamaica | 52.56 | Q |
| 3 | 1 | Kabange Mupopo | Zambia | 52.72 | q NR |
| 4 | 2 | Ashley Spencer | United States | 52.96 | Q |
| 5 | 4 | Quanera Hayes | United States | 52.98 | Q |
| 6 | 4 | Małgorzata Hołub | Poland | 53.15 | Q |
| 7 | 2 | Lisanne de Witte | Netherlands | 53.19 | Q |
| 8 | 4 | Bianca Răzor | Romania | 53.27 | q |
| 9 | 1 | Samantha Edwards | Antigua and Barbuda | 53.70 | q |
| 10 | 2 | Grace Claxton | Puerto Rico | 53.97 | q |
| 11 | 3 | Justyna Święty | Poland | 54.25 | Q |
| 12 | 3 | Iveta Putalová | Slovakia | 54.53 | Q |
| 13 | 3 | Ashley Kelly | British Virgin Islands | 54.95 | |
| 14 | 1 | Amaliya Sharoyan | Armenia | 55.13 | SB |
| 15 | 4 | Djénébou Danté | Mali | 55.76 | NR |
| 16 | 2 | Christina Francisco | Guam | 1:00.08 | NR |
| | 3 | Chrisann Gordon | Jamaica | DNF | |
| | 4 | Tjipekapora Herunga | Namibia | DQ | R163.3(b) |
| | 2 | Hindi Abdiqadir Abdi | Somalia | DNS | |

### Semifinals

Qualification: First 3 (Q) qualified directly for the final.
| Rank | Heat | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 2 | Oluwakemi Adekoya | Bahrain | 51.47 | Q, AR |
| 2 | 2 | Quanera Hayes | United States | 51.54 | Q |
| 3 | 2 | Stephenie Ann McPherson | Jamaica | 51.91 | Q, SB |
| 4 | 1 | Ashley Spencer | United States | 52.39 | Q |
| 5 | 2 | Kabange Mupopo | Zambia | 52.68 | NR |
| 6 | 2 | Małgorzata Hołub | Poland | 52.73 | SB |
| 7 | 1 | Justyna Święty | Poland | 53.00 | Q |
| 8 | 1 | Iveta Putalová | Slovakia | 53.13 | Q, SB |
| 9 | 1 | Bianca Răzor | Romania | 53.34 | |
| 10 | 1 | Lisanne de Witte | Netherlands | 53.35 | |
| 11 | 2 | Grace Claxton | Puerto Rico | 53.67 | |
| 12 | 1 | Samantha Edwards | Antigua and Barbuda | 54.67 | |

### Final

The final was started on March 19 at 18:47.
| Rank | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| | 5 | Oluwakemi Adekoya | Bahrain | 51.45 | AR |
| | 6 | Ashley Spencer | United States | 51.72 | |
| | 4 | Quanera Hayes | United States | 51.76 | |
| 4 | 2 | Stephenie Ann McPherson | Jamaica | 52.20 | |
| 5 | 3 | Justyna Święty | Poland | 52.46 | |
| 6 | 1 | Iveta Putalová | Slovakia | 54.39 | |