# 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 400 metres hurdles

The women's 400 metres hurdles event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 27, 28 and 29 July.

## Medalists

| Gold | Antje Axmann East Germany |
| Silver | Ann Maenhout Belgium |
| Bronze | Silvia Rieger West Germany |

## Results
### Final

29 July
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time |
| | Antje Axmann | East Germany | 57.47 |
| | Ann Maenhout | Belgium | 57.58 |
| | Silvia Rieger | West Germany | 57.88 |
| 4 | Frida Johansson | Sweden | 58.71 |
| 5 | Aura Cracea | Romania | 58.79 |
| 6 | Petra Schellenbeck | West Germany | 58.99 |
| 7 | Sofia Sabeva | Bulgaria | 59.07 |
| 8 | Yelena Pavlova | Soviet Union | 59.25 |

### Semifinals

28 July

#### Semifinal 1

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Antje Axmann | East Germany | 57.69 | Q |
| 2 | Sofia Sabeva | Bulgaria | 57.84 | Q |
| 3 | Ann Maenhout | Belgium | 58.41 | Q |
| 4 | Aura Cracea | Romania | 59.96 | q |
| 5 | Anna Chuprina | Soviet Union | 60.06 | |
| 6 | Li Liang | China | 60.17 | |
| 7 | Zsofia Antok | Hungary | 60.18 | |
| | Senzeni Steingruber | Canada | DQ | |

#### Semifinal 2

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Frida Johansson | Sweden | 58.71 | Q |
| 2 | Silvia Rieger | West Germany | 59.07 | Q |
| 3 | Yelena Pavlova | Soviet Union | 59.52 | Q |
| 4 | Petra Schellenbeck | West Germany | 60.01 | q |
| 5 | Caroline Fortin | Canada | 60.39 | |
| 6 | Stella Theocharous | Cyprus | 62.87 | |
| | María Díez | Spain | DNF | |
| | Tracy Allen | United Kingdom | DNF | |

### Heats

27 July

#### Heat 1

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Ann Maenhout | Belgium | 59.51 | Q |
| 2 | Aura Cracea | Romania | 59.54 | Q |
| 3 | Annette Cavanagh | Australia | 61.10 | |
| 4 | Joanne Fitzgerald | Ireland | 61.85 | |
| 5 | Margaret Persée | France | 61.98 | |
| 6 | Vanessa Jack | New Zealand | 63.21 | |
| 7 | Su Huei-Chun | Chinese Taipei | 63.61 | |

#### Heat 2

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Tracy Allen | United Kingdom | 59.36 | Q |
| 2 | Silvia Rieger | West Germany | 59.59 | Q |
| 3 | Anna Chuprina | Soviet Union | 60.37 | q |
| 4 | Stella Theocharous | Cyprus | 60.55 | q |
| 5 | Monica De Col | Italy | 60.69 | |
| 6 | Telisa Young | United States | 62.07 | |
| 7 | Alma Leticia Jiménez | Guatemala | 63.65 | |

#### Heat 3

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Antje Axmann | East Germany | 59.28 | Q |
| 2 | Zsofia Antok | Hungary | 59.90 | Q |
| 3 | Caroline Fortin | Canada | 60.05 | q |
| 4 | Marie Womplou | Côte d'Ivoire | 60.78 | |
| 5 | Sara Elson | United Kingdom | 61.89 | |
| 6 | Anna Shattky | New Zealand | 62.00 | |
| | Claudia Riquelme | Chile | DNF | |

#### Heat 4

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Petra Schellenbeck | West Germany | 59.59 | Q |
| 2 | Senzeni Steingruber | Canada | 59.71 | Q |
| 3 | María Díez | Spain | 59.73 | q |
| 4 | Lency Montelier | Cuba | 61.05 | |
| 5 | Kristien Pellaerts | Belgium | 61.36 | |
| 6 | Yuan Haiying | China | 62.05 | |
| 7 | Shelly Mitchell | United States | 62.82 | |

#### Heat 5

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Yelena Pavlova | Soviet Union | 59.23 | Q |
| 2 | Sofia Sabeva | Bulgaria | 59.28 | Q |
| 3 | Frida Johansson | Sweden | 59.30 | q |
| 4 | Li Liang | China | 59.65 | q |
| 5 | Adrienne Rainbird | Australia | 61.99 | |
| 6 | Ulla Tapio | Finland | 62.00 | |
| 7 | Paula Carty | Ireland | 63.54 | |

## Participation

According to an unofficial count, 35 athletes from 25 countries participated in the event.
* Australia (2)
* Belgium (2)
* Bulgaria (1)
* Canada (2)
* Chile (1)
* China (2)
* Chinese Taipei (1)
* Côte d'Ivoire (1)
* Cuba (1)
* Cyprus (1)
* East Germany (1)
* Finland (1)
* France (1)
* Guatemala (1)
* Hungary (1)
* Ireland (2)
* Italy (1)
* New Zealand (2)
* Romania (1)
* Soviet Union (2)
* Spain (1)
* Sweden (1)
* United Kingdom (2)
* United States (2)
* West Germany (2)