# 2019 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 400 metres

The women's 400 metres at the 2019 European Athletics Indoor Championships took place in three rounds at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, United Kingdom, on 1 and 2 March 2019.
On 1 March, round 1 was held in the morning, where a total of 37 athletes of 25 nations competed. Cynthia Bolingo Mbongo of Belgium set a national record of 52.60 seconds and Gunta Vaičule of Latvia set a national record of 52.66 seconds. Eighteen athletes qualified for the semi-finals. On 1 March, the semi-finals were held in the evening. Agnė Šerkšnienė of Lithuania set a national record of 52.33 seconds and Bolingo Mbongo further improved her Belgian record to 52.37 seconds. Six athletes qualified for the final.
On 2 March, the final was held in the evening. The race was won by Léa Sprunger of Switzerland in a world leading time of 51.61 seconds, followed by Bolingo Mbongo in 51.62 seconds, another improvement of her Belgian record, and Lisanne de Witte of the Netherlands in a personal best time of 52.34 seconds.

## Background

Records before 2019 European Athletics Indoor Championships :
| Record | Athlete (nation) | Time | Location | Date |
| World record | Jarmila Kratochvílová (TCH) | 49.59 | Milan, Italy | 7 March 1982 |
| European record | Jarmila Kratochvílová (TCH) | 49.59 | Milan, Italy | 7 March 1982 |
| Championship record | Jarmila Kratochvílová (TCH) | 49.59 | Milan, Italy | 7 March 1982 |
| World Leading | Antonina Krivoshapka (RUS) | 51.86 | Moscow, Russia | 3 February 2019 |
| European Leading | Antonina Krivoshapka (RUS) | 51.86 | Moscow, Russia | 3 February 2019 |

## Qualification

Athletes could qualify for the 400 metres from 1 January 2018 to 21 February 2019 by reaching the entry standard of 53.90 s indoor and 52.75 s outdoor. If a nation didn't have any qualified athletes, it could enter one unqualified athlete.

## Rounds
### Round 1

The seven heats of the first round were held on 1 March, starting at 10:20 in the morning. Of the 37 competitors, the first two athletes in each heat (Q) and the next four fastest (q) qualified for the semi-finals. In the fifth heat, Gunta Vaičule of Latvia set a national record (NR) of 52.66 s. In the seventh heat, Cynthia Bolingo Mbongo of Belgium set a national record of 52.60 s.
Results of round 1 :
| Rank | Heat | Athlete | Nationality | Time | Note |
| 1 | 5 | Léa Sprunger | Switzerland | 52.46 | Q |
| 2 | 7 | Lisanne de Witte | Netherlands | 52.56 | Q, SB |
| 3 | 7 | Cynthia Bolingo Mbongo | Belgium | 52.60 | Q, NR |
| 4 | 4 | Justyna Święty-Ersetic | Poland | 52.64 | Q |
| 5 | 5 | Gunta Vaičule | Latvia | 52.66 | Q, NR |
| 6 | 5 | Laura Bueno | Spain | 52.67 | q, PB |
| 7 | 4 | Anna Ryzhykova | Ukraine | 52.73 | Q, PB |
| 8 | 4 | Ayomide Folorunso | Italy | 52.75 | q |
| 9 | 7 | Eilidh Doyle | Great Britain | 52.81 | q |
| 10 | 3 | Raphaela Boaheng Lukudo | Italy | 52.99 | Q, SB |
| 11 | 6 | Polina Miller | Authorised Neutral Athletes | 53.03 | Q, PB |
| 12 | 3 | Déborah Sananes | France | 53.05 | Q |
| 13 | 3 | Phil Healy | Ireland | 53.13 | q |
| 14 | 6 | Agnė Šerkšnienė | Lithuania | 53.14 | Q |
| 15 | 2 | Iga Baumgart-Witan | Poland | 53.17 | Q |
| 16 | 2 | Agnès Raharolahy | France | 53.21 | Q |
| 17 | 2 | Amber Anning | Great Britain | 53.26 | |
| 18 | 6 | Lada Vondrová | Czech Republic | 53.29 | |
| 19 | 2 | Nadine Gonska | Germany | 53.38 | |
| 20 | 3 | Tetyana Melnyk | Ukraine | 53.39 | |
| 21 | 1 | Amandine Brossier | France | 53.40 | Q |
| 22 | 6 | Cátia Azevedo | Portugal | 53.43 | SB |
| 23 | 7 | Aauri Lorena Bokesa | Spain | 53.45 | |
| 24 | 6 | Eleni Artymata | Cyprus | 53.49 | PB |
| 25 | 1 | Anita Horvat | Slovenia | 53.53 | Q |
| 26 | 7 | Irini Vasiliou | Greece | 53.66 | |
| 27 | 1 | Kateryna Klymyuk | Ukraine | 53.68 | PB |
| 28 | 1 | Maja Ćirić | Serbia | 53.73 | |
| 29 | 4 | Yasmin Giger | Switzerland | 53.84 | |
| 30 | 1 | Zoey Clark | Great Britain | 53.85 | |
| 31 | 3 | Andrea Miklos | Romania | 53.87 | SB |
| 32 | 3 | Evelín Nádházy | Hungary | 53.90 | |
| 33 | 5 | Matilda Hellqvist | Sweden | 53.93 | PB |
| 34 | 2 | Sophie Becker | Ireland | 53.99 | |
| 35 | 5 | Iveta Putalová | Slovakia | 54.19 | |
| 36 | 4 | Susanne Walli | Austria | 54.69 | |
| 37 | 1 | Salma Paralluelo | Spain | 55.30 | |

### Semi-finals

The three heats of the semi-finals were held on 1 March, starting at 21:00 in the evening. Of the eighteen competitors, the first two athletes in each heat (Q) advanced to the final. In the second heat, Agnė Šerkšnienė of Lithuania set a national record (NR) of 52.33 s. In the third heat, Cynthia Bolingo Mbongo of Belgium broke her own national record from the first round in a new time of 52.37 s.
Results of the semi-finals :
| Rank | Heat | Athlete | Nationality | Time | Note |
| 1 | 2 | Léa Sprunger | Switzerland | 51.90 | Q |
| 2 | 2 | Agnė Šerkšnienė | Lithuania | 52.33 | Q, NR |
| 3 | 3 | Cynthia Bolingo Mbongo | Belgium | 52.37 | Q, NR |
| 4 | 3 | Lisanne de Witte | Netherlands | 52.38 | Q, PB |
| 5 | 3 | Polina Miller | Authorised Neutral Athletes | 52.46 | PB |
| 6 | 1 | Raphaela Boaheng Lukudo | Italy | 52.80 | Q, PB |
| 7 | 1 | Justyna Święty-Ersetic | Poland | 52.85 | Q |
| 8 | 1 | Laura Bueno | Spain | 53.05 | |
| 9 | 1 | Anna Ryzhykova | Ukraine | 53.22 | |
| 10 | 3 | Eilidh Doyle | Great Britain | 53.28 | |
| 11 | 3 | Déborah Sananes | France | 53.34 | |
| 12 | 3 | Anita Horvat | Slovenia | 53.37 | |
| 13 | 1 | Agnès Raharolahy | France | 53.43 | |
| 14 | 1 | Gunta Vaičule | Latvia | 53.53 | |
| 15 | 2 | Phil Healy | Ireland | 53.65 | |
| 16 | 2 | Iga Baumgart-Witan | Poland | 53.83 | |
| 17 | 2 | Amandine Brossier | France | 54.56 | |
| 18 | 2 | Ayomide Folorunso | Italy | 57.96 | |

### Final

The final was held on 2 March at 20:22 in the evening. The race was won by Léa Sprunger of Switzerland in a world leading time (WL) of 51.61 s, followed by silver medalist Cynthia Bolingo Mbongo of Belgium who broke her national record (NR) from the semi-finals in 51.62 s and bronze medalist Lisanne de Witte of the Netherlands in a personal best time (PB) of 52.34 s.
Results of the final :
| Rank | Athlete | Nationality | Time | Note |
| | Léa Sprunger | Switzerland | 51.61 | WL |
| | Cynthia Bolingo Mbongo | Belgium | 51.62 | NR |
| | Lisanne de Witte | Netherlands | 52.34 | PB |
| 4 | Agnė Šerkšnienė | Lithuania | 52.40 | |
| 5 | Raphaela Boaheng Lukudo | Italy | 52.48 | PB |
| 6 | Justyna Święty-Ersetic | Poland | 52.64 | |