# 400 metres hurdles at the World Athletics Championships

The 400 metres hurdles at the World Championships in Athletics has been contested by women since 1980 and by men since 1983.
Karsten Warholm is the most successful athlete in the history of the event, winning three medals between 2017 and 2023. Félix Sánchez is the second most successful athlete, winning two gold medals and one silver medal between 2001 and 2007. Nezha Bidouane has the same medal tally as Sanchez and is the most successful female athlete, winning two golds and one silver between 1997 and 2001. Yuliya Pechonkina, Lashinda Demus and Dalilah Muhammad have won the most medals in the event, with four total; all won one gold, two silver and one bronze.
The United States is the most successful nation in the discipline, winning 7 gold medals in the men's discipline, 5 gold medals in the women's discipline and 39 medals in total. Great Britain is the only other nation that has won gold in both the men's and the women's event, winning gold in the women's event in 1993 and gold in the men's event in 2011.
The championship records for the event are 46.29 for men, set by Alison dos Santos in 2022, and 50.68 s for women, set by Sydney McLaughlin, also in 2022. The women's world record has been broken four times at the World Championships: by Sally Gunnell in 1993, Kim Batten in 1995, Dalilah Muhammad in 2019, and Sydney McLaughlin in 2022. The men's world record has never been broken at the competition.

## Age records

* All information from World Athletics.
| Distinction | Male | Male | Male | Female | Female | Female |
| Distinction | Athlete | Age | Date | Athlete | Age | Date |
| Youngest champion | Karsten Warholm (NOR) | 21 years, 165 days | 9 Aug 2017 | Jana Pittman (AUS) | 20 years, 292 days | 15 Aug 2003 |
| Youngest medalist | Llewellyn Herbert (RSA) | 20 years, 14 days | 4 Aug 1997 | Petra Pfaff (GDR) | 19 years, 305 days | 16 Aug 1980 |
| Youngest finalist | Jehue Gordon (TTO) | 17 years, 246 days | 18 Aug 2009 | Esther Mahr (USA) | 19 years, 137 days | 16 Aug 1980 |
| Youngest participant | Jehue Gordon (TTO) | 17 years, 243 days | 15 Aug 2009 | Mirenda Francourt (SEY) | 16 years, 99 days | 26 Aug 1991 |
| Oldest champion | Edwin Moses (USA) | 32 years, 1 day | 1 Sep 1987 | Nezha Bidouane (MAR) | 31 years, 324 days | 8 Aug 2001 |
| Oldest medalist | Kriss Akabusi (GBR) | 32 years, 272 days | 27 Aug 1991 | Sandra Glover (USA) | 36 years, 226 days | 13 Aug 2005 |
| Oldest finalist | Danny McFarlane (JAM) | 37 years, 185 days | 18 Aug 2009 | Sandra Glover (USA) | 36 years, 226 days | 13 Aug 2005 |
| Oldest participant | Mahau Suguimati (BRA) | 37 years, 245 days | 16 July 2022 | Tetyana Tereshchuk-Antipova (UKR) | 37 years, 321 days | 28 Aug 2007 |

## Medalists
### Men

| Championships | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| 1983 Helsinki details | Edwin Moses (USA) | Harald Schmid (FRG) | Aleksandr Kharlov (URS) |
| 1987 Rome details | Edwin Moses (USA) | Danny Harris (USA) | Harald Schmid (FRG) |
| 1991 Tokyo details | Samuel Matete (ZAM) | Winthrop Graham (JAM) | Kriss Akabusi (GBR) |
| 1993 Stuttgart details | Kevin Young (USA) | Samuel Matete (ZAM) | Winthrop Graham (JAM) |
| 1995 Gothenburg details | Derrick Adkins (USA) | Samuel Matete (ZAM) | Stéphane Diagana (FRA) |
| 1997 Athens details | Stéphane Diagana (FRA) | Llewellyn Herbert (RSA) | Bryan Bronson (USA) |
| 1999 Seville details | Fabrizio Mori (ITA) | Stéphane Diagana (FRA) | Marcel Schelbert (SUI) |
| 2001 Edmonton details | Félix Sánchez (DOM) | Fabrizio Mori (ITA) | Dai Tamesue (JPN) |
| 2003 Saint-Denis details | Félix Sánchez (DOM) | Joey Woody (USA) | Periklis Iakovakis (GRE) |
| 2005 Helsinki details | Bershawn Jackson (USA) | James Carter (USA) | Dai Tamesue (JPN) |
| 2007 Osaka details | Kerron Clement (USA) | Félix Sánchez (DOM) | Marek Plawgo (POL) |
| 2009 Berlin details | Kerron Clement (USA) | Javier Culson (PUR) | Bershawn Jackson (USA) |
| 2011 Daegu details | Dai Greene (GBR) | Javier Culson (PUR) | L. J. van Zyl (RSA) |
| 2013 Moscow details | Jehue Gordon (TRI) | Michael Tinsley (USA) | Emir Bekrić (SRB) |
| 2015 Beijing details | Nicholas Bett (KEN) | Denis Kudryavtsev (RUS) | Jeffery Gibson (BAH) |
| 2017 London details | Karsten Warholm (NOR) | Yasmani Copello (TUR) | Kerron Clement (USA) |
| 2019 Doha details | Karsten Warholm (NOR) | Rai Benjamin (USA) | Abderrahman Samba (QAT) |
| 2022 Eugene details | Alison dos Santos (BRA) | Rai Benjamin (USA) | Trevor Bassitt (USA) |
| 2023 Budapest details | Karsten Warholm (NOR) | Kyron McMaster (BVI) | Rai Benjamin (USA) |

#### Medal table

| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | United States (USA) | 7 | 6 | 5 | 18 |
| 2 | Norway (NOR) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | Dominican Republic (DOM) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 | Zambia (ZAM) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 5 | France (FRA) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 6 | Italy (ITA) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 7 | Great Britain (GBR) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 8 | Brazil (BRA) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | Kenya (KEN) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | Trinidad and Tobago (TTO) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | Puerto Rico (PUR) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 12 | Germany (GER) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 12 | Jamaica (JAM) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 12 | South Africa (RSA) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 15 | British Virgin Islands (BVI) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 15 | Russia (RUS) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 15 | Turkey (TUR) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 18 | Japan (JPN) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 19 | Bahamas (BAH) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 19 | Greece (GRE) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 19 | Poland (POL) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 19 | Qatar (QAT) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 19 | Serbia (SRB) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 19 | Soviet Union (URS) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 19 | Switzerland (SUI) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (25 entries) | Totals (25 entries) | 19 | 19 | 19 | 57 |

#### Multiple medalists

| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Period | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Karsten Warholm | Norway (NOR) | 2017–2023 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2 | Félix Sánchez | Dominican Republic (DOM) | 2001–2007 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | Edwin Moses | United States (USA) | 1983–1987 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 3 | Kerron Clement | United States (USA) | 2007–2009 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 5 | Samuel Matete | Zambia (ZAM) | 1991–1995 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 6 | Stéphane Diagana | France (FRA) | 1995–1999 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 7 | Fabrizio Mori | Italy (ITA) | 1999–2001 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 8 | Bershawn Jackson | United States (USA) | 2005–2009 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 9 | Rai Benjamin | United States (USA) | 2019-2023 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 10 | Javier Culson | Puerto Rico (PUR) | 2009–2011 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 11 | Harald Schmid | West Germany (FRG) | 1983–1987 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 11 | Winthrop Graham | Jamaica (JAM) | 1991–1993 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 13 | Dai Tamesue | Japan (JPN) | 2001–2005 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |

### Women

| Championships | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| 1980 Sittard details | Bärbel Broschat (GDR) | Ellen Neumann (GDR) | Petra Pfaff (GDR) |
| 1983 Helsinki details | Yekaterina Fesenko (URS) | Ana Ambrazienė (URS) | Ellen Neumann-Fiedler (GDR) |
| 1987 Rome details | Sabine Busch (GDR) | Debbie Flintoff (AUS) | Cornelia Feuerbach (GDR) |
| 1991 Tokyo details | Tatyana Ledovskaya (URS) | Sally Gunnell (GBR) | Janeene Vickers (USA) |
| 1993 Stuttgart details | Sally Gunnell (GBR) | Sandra Farmer-Patrick (USA) | Margarita Ponomaryova (RUS) |
| 1995 Gothenburg details | Kim Batten (USA) | Tonja Buford (USA) | Deon Hemmings (JAM) |
| 1997 Athens details | Nezha Bidouane (MAR) | Deon Hemmings (JAM) | Kim Batten (USA) |
| 1999 Seville details | Daimí Pernía (CUB) | Nezha Bidouane (MAR) | Deon Hemmings (JAM) |
| 2001 Edmonton details | Nezha Bidouane (MAR) | Yuliya Pechonkina (RUS) | Daimí Pernía (CUB) |
| 2003 Saint-Denis details | Jana Pittman (AUS) | Sandra Glover (USA) | Yuliya Pechonkina (RUS) |
| 2005 Helsinki details | Yuliya Pechonkina (RUS) | Lashinda Demus (USA) | Sandra Glover (USA) |
| 2007 Osaka details | Jana Rawlinson (AUS) | Yuliya Pechenkina (RUS) | Anna Jesień (POL) |
| 2009 Berlin details | Melaine Walker (JAM) | Lashinda Demus (USA) | Josanne Lucas (TRI) |
| 2011 Daegu details | Lashinda Demus (USA) | Melaine Walker (JAM) | Natalya Antyukh (RUS) |
| 2013 Moscow details | Zuzana Hejnová (CZE) | Dalilah Muhammad (USA) | Lashinda Demus (USA) |
| 2015 Beijing details | Zuzana Hejnová (CZE) | Shamier Little (USA) | Cassandra Tate (USA) |
| 2017 London details | Kori Carter (USA) | Dalilah Muhammad (USA) | Ristananna Tracey (JAM) |
| 2019 Doha details | Dalilah Muhammad (USA) | Sydney McLaughlin (USA) | Rushell Clayton (JAM) |
| 2022 Eugene details | Sydney McLaughlin (USA) | Femke Bol (NED) | Dalilah Muhammad (USA) |
| 2023 Budapest details | Femke Bol (NED) | Shamier Little (USA) | Rushell Clayton (JAM) |

#### Medals by country

| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | United States (USA) | 5 | 10 | 6 | 21 |
| 2 | Germany (GER) | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7 |
| 3 | East Germany (GDR) | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| 4 | Australia (AUS) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 | Morocco (MAR) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 | Soviet Union (URS) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 7 | Czech Republic (CZE) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 8 | Jamaica (JAM) | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
| 9 | Russia (RUS) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| 10 | Great Britain (GBR) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 10 | Netherlands (NED) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 12 | Cuba (CUB) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 13 | Denmark (DEN) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 | Spain (ESP) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 | Turkey (TUR) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 16 | Poland (POL) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 16 | Trinidad and Tobago (TTO) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |

#### Multiple medalists

| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Period | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Nezha Bidouane | Morocco (MAR) | 1997–2001 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 2 | Jana Pittman | Australia (AUS) | 2003–2007 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2 | Zuzana Hejnová | Czech Republic (CZE) | 2013–2015 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 4 | Yuliya Pechonkina | Russia (RUS) | 2001–2007 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 4 | Lashinda Demus | United States (USA) | 2005–2013 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 4 | Dalilah Muhammad | United States (USA) | 2013–2022 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 7 | Sally Gunnell | Great Britain (GBR) | 1991–1993 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 7 | Melaine Walker | Jamaica (JAM) | 2009–2011 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 7 | Sydney McLaughlin | United States (USA) | 2019-2022 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 7 | Femke Bol | Netherlands (NED) | 2022-2023 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 11 | Kim Batten | United States (USA) | 1995–1997 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 11 | Daimí Pernía | Cuba (CUB) | 1999–2001 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 13 | Shamier Little | United States (USA) | 2015-2023 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 14 | Deon Hemmings | Jamaica (JAM) | 1995–1999 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 15 | Ellen Fiedler | East Germany (GDR) | 1980–1983 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 15 | Sandra Glover | United States (USA) | 2003–2005 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 17 | Rushell Clayton | Jamaica (JAM) | 2019-2023 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |

## Championship record progression
### Men

Men's 400 metres hurdles World Championships record progression :
| Time | Athlete | Nation | Year | Round | Date |
| 50.44 | Andre Philips | United States (USA) | 1983 | Heats | 1983-08-07 |
| 50.12 | Aleksandr Kharlov | Soviet Union (URS) | 1983 | Heats | 1983-08-07 |
| 49.54 | Edwin Moses | United States (USA) | 1983 | Heats | 1983-08-07 |
| 48.11 | Edwin Moses | United States (USA) | 1983 | Semi-finals | 1983-08-08 |
| 47.50 | Edwin Moses | United States (USA) | 1983 | Final | 1983-08-09 |
| 47.46 | Edwin Moses | United States (USA) | 1987 | Final | 1987-09-01 |
| 47.18 | Kevin Young | United States (USA) | 1993 | Final | 1993-08-19 |
| 46.29 | Alison dos Santos | Brazil (BRA) | 2022 | Final | 2022-07-19 |

### Women

Women's 400 metres hurdles World Championships record progression :
| Time | Athlete | Nation | Year | Round | Date |
| 56.43 | Yekaterina Fesenko | Soviet Union (URS) | 1983 | Heats | 1983-08-08 |
| 56.30 | Anna Ambraziene | Soviet Union (URS) | 1983 | Heats | 1983-08-08 |
| 55.77 | Petra Pfaff | East Germany (GDR) | 1983 | Semi-finals | 1983-08-09 |
| 55.18 | Anna Ambraziene | Soviet Union (URS) | 1983 | Semi-finals | 1983-08-09 |
| 54.14 | Yekaterina Fesenko | Soviet Union (URS) | 1983 | Final | 1983-08-10 |
| 53.62 | Sabine Busch | East Germany (GDR) | 1987 | Final | 1987-09-03 |
| 53.11 | Tatyana Ledovskaya | Soviet Union (URS) | 1991 | Final | 1991-08-29 |
| 52.74 WR | Sally Gunnell | Great Britain (GBR) | 1993 | Final | 1993-08-19 |
| 52.61 WR | Kim Batten | United States (USA) | 1995 | Final | 1995-08-11 |
| 52.42 | Melaine Walker | Jamaica (JAM) | 2009 | Final | 2009-08-20 |
| 52.16 WR | Dalilah Muhammad | United States (USA) | 2019 | Final | 2019-10-04 |
| 50.68 WR | Sydney McLaughlin | United States (USA) | 2022 | Final | 2022-07-22 |

## Finishing times
### Top ten fastest World Championship times

Fastest men's times at the World Championships :
| Rank | Time (sec) | Athlete | Nation | Year | Date |
| 1 | 46.29 | Alison dos Santos | Brazil | 2022 | 2022-07-19 |
| 2 | 46.89 | Rai Benjamin | United States | 2022 | 2022-07-19 |
| 2 | 46.89 | Karsten Warholm | Norway | 2023 | 2023-08-23 |
| 4 | 47.09 | Karsten Warholm | Norway | 2023$^{SF}$ | 2023-08-21 |
| 5 | 47.18 | Kevin Young | United States | 1993 | 1993-08-19 |
| 6 | 47.24 | Rai Benjamin | United States | 2023$^{SF}$ | 2023-08-21 |
| 7 | 47.25 | Felix Sanchez | Dominican Republic | 2003 | 2003-08-29 |
| 8 | 47.30 | Bershawn Jackson | United States | 2005 | 2005-08-09 |
| 9 | 47.34 | Roshawn Clarke | Jamaica | 2023$^{SF}$ | 2023-08-21 |
| 9 | 47.34 | Kyron McMaster | British Virgin Islands | 2023 | 2023-08-23 |
Fastest women's times at the World Championships :
| Rank | Time (sec) | Athlete | Nation | Year | Date |
| 1 | 50.68 | Sydney McLaughlin | United States | 2022 | 2022-07-22 |
| 2 | 51.70 | Femke Bol | Netherlands | 2023 | 2023-08-24 |
| 3 | 52.16 | Dalilah Muhammad | United States | 2019 | 2019-10-04 |
| 4 | 52.17 | Sydney McLaughlin | United States | 2022$^{SF}$ | 2022-07-20 |
| 5 | 52.23 | Sydney McLaughlin | United States | 2019 | 2019-10-04 |
| 6 | 52.27 | Femke Bol | Netherlands | 2022 | 2022-07-22 |
| 7 | 52.42 | Melaine Walker | Jamaica | 2009 | 2009-10-20 |
| 8 | 52.47 | Lashinda Demus | United States | 2011 | 2011-09-01 |
| 9 | 52.61 | Kim Batten | United States | 1995 | 1995-08-11 |
| 10 | 52.62 | Tonja Buford-Bailey | United States | 1995 | 1995-08-11 |