# 2017 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 400 metres hurdles

The women's 400 metres hurdles at the 2017 World Championships in Athletics was held at the London Olympic Stadium on 7−8 and 10 August.

## Summary

Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad (USA) duplicated her strategy by running aggressively from the start of the final, making up the stagger on Léa Sprunger (SUI) to her outside during the first turn and passing two-time defending champion Zuzana Hejnová (CZE) another lane over by the third hurdle. The closest to keep pace with Muhammad was Kori Carter (USA) almost unnoticed out in lane 9. By the time they arrived on the home stretch, Muhammad had a step on Carter, with Hejnová another two steps back. But Carter closed quickly, passing Muhammad before the final hurdle and running powerfully to the finish for the win. Also closing fast from two steps behind, Ristananna Tracey (JAM) caught Hejnová over the tenth hurdle and widened the gap for a clear bronze.

## Records

Before the competition, the records were as follows:
| Record | Perf. | Athlete | Nat. | Date | Location |
| World | 52.34 | Yuliya Pechonkina | RUS | 8 Aug 2003 | Tula, Russia |
| Championship | 52.42 | Melaine Walker | JAM | 20 Aug 2009 | Berlin, Germany |
| World leading | 52.64 | Dalilah Muhammad | USA | 25 Jun 2017 | Sacramento, United States |
| African | 52.90 | Nezha Bidouane | MAR | 25 Aug 1999 | Seville, Spain |
| Asian | 53.96 | Qing Han | CHN | 9 Sep 1993 | Beijing, China |
| NACAC | 52.42 | Melaine Walker | JAM | 20 Aug 2009 | Berlin, Germany |
| South American | 55.76 | Gianna Woodruff | PAN | 20 May 2017 | Tucson, United States |
| European | 52.34 | Yuliya Pechonkina | RUS | 8 Aug 2003 | Tula, Russia |
| Oceanian | 53.17 | Debbie Flintoff-King | AUS | 27 Sep 1988 | Seoul, South Korea |
No records were set at the competition.

## Qualification standard

The standard to qualify automatically for entry was 56.10.

## Schedule

The event schedule, in local time (UTC+1), is as follows:
| Date | Time | Round |
| 7 August | 19:30 | Heats |
| 8 August | 20:35 | Semifinals |
| 10 August | 21:35 | Final |

## Results
### Heats

The first round took place on 7 August in five heats as follows:
| Heat | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Start time | 19:30 | 19:39 | 19:48 | 19:57 | 20:06 |
| Photo finish | link | link | link | link | link |
The first four in each heat ( Q ) and the next four fastest ( q ) qualified for the semifinals. The overall results were as follows:
| Rank | Heat | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 1 | 6 | Dalilah Muhammad | United States (USA) | 54.59 | Q |
| 2 | 3 | 2 | Ristananna Tracey | Jamaica (JAM) | 54.92 | Q |
| 3 | 4 | 3 | Kori Carter | United States (USA) | 54.99 | Q |
| 4 | 2 | 8 | Zuzana Hejnová | Czech Republic (CZE) | 55.05 | Q |
| 5 | 1 | 3 | Sage Watson | Canada (CAN) | 55.06 | Q |
| 6 | 5 | 2 | Léa Sprunger | Switzerland (SUI) | 55.14 | Q |
| 7 | 5 | 7 | Rhonda Whyte | Jamaica (JAM) | 55.18 | Q |
| 8 | 2 | 4 | Sara Petersen | Denmark (DEN) | 55.23 | Q |
| 9 | 5 | 3 | Glory Onome Nathaniel | Nigeria (NGR) | 55.30 | Q, PB |
| 10 | 1 | 2 | Denisa Rosolová | Czech Republic (CZE) | 55.41 | Q, SB |
| 11 | 1 | 4 | Sparkle McKnight | Trinidad and Tobago (TTO) | 55.46 | Q, SB |
| 12 | 4 | 8 | Wenda Nel | South Africa (RSA) | 55.47 | Q |
| 13 | 2 | 7 | Cassandra Tate | United States (USA) | 55.48 | Q |
| 14 | 4 | 9 | Eilidh Doyle | Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) | 55.49 | Q |
| 15 | 2 | 5 | Ayomide Folorunso | Italy (ITA) | 55.65 | Q, SB |
| 16 | 3 | 7 | Petra Fontanive | Switzerland (SUI) | 56.13 | Q |
| 17 | 1 | 7 | Leah Nugent | Jamaica (JAM) | 56.16 | q |
| 18 | 3 | 6 | Shamier Little | United States (USA) | 56.18 | Q |
| 19 | 2 | 3 | Joanna Linkiewicz | Poland (POL) | 56.18 | q |
| 20 | 5 | 5 | Grace Claxton | Puerto Rico (PUR) | 56.35 | Q |
| 21 | 5 | 9 | Yadisleidy Pedroso | Italy (ITA) | 56.41 | q |
| 22 | 5 | 6 | Meghan Beesley | Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) | 56.41 | q |
| 23 | 5 | 8 | Amalie Iuel | Norway (NOR) | 56.42 | |
| 24 | 1 | 5 | Zurian Hechavarría | Cuba (CUB) | 56.44 | |
| 25 | 1 | 8 | Lauren Wells | Australia (AUS) | 56.49 | |
| 26 | 4 | 2 | Gianna Woodruff | Panama (PAN) | 56.50 | Q |
| 27 | 3 | 5 | Agata Zupin | Slovenia (SLO) | 56.54 | Q |
| 28 | 3 | 3 | Olena Kolesnychenko | Ukraine (UKR) | 56.88 | |
| 29 | 4 | 7 | Marzia Caravelli | Italy (ITA) | 56.92 | |
| 30 | 4 | 6 | Viktoriya Tkachuk | Ukraine (UKR) | 57.05 | |
| 31 | 2 | 2 | Jessica Turner | Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) | 56.98 | |
| 32 | 3 | 8 | Aminat Yusuf Jamal | Bahrain (BHR) | 57.41 | |
| 33 | 5 | 4 | Noelle Montcalm | Canada (CAN) | 57.45 | |
| 34 | 3 | 4 | Jackie Baumann | Germany (GER) | 57.59 | |
| 35 | 2 | 6 | Déborah Rodríguez | Uruguay (URU) | 57.61 | SB |
| 36 | 2 | 9 | Yasmin Giger | Switzerland (SUI) | 57.72 | |
| 37 | 4 | 4 | Tia-Adana Belle | Barbados (BAR) | 58.82 | |
| 38 | 4 | 5 | Drita Islami | Macedonia (MKD) | 1:00.38 | |
| 39 | 3 | 9 | Kristina Pronzhenko | Tajikistan (TJK) | 1:03.44 | |

### Semifinals

The semifinals took place on 8 August in three heats as follows:
| Heat | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Start time | 20:35 | 20:45 | 20:55 |
| Photo finish | link | link | link |
The first two in each heat ( Q ) and the next two fastest ( q ) qualified for the final. The overall results were as follows:
| Rank | Heat | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 1 | 6 | Zuzana Hejnová | Czech Republic (CZE) | 54.59 | Q |
| 2 | 2 | 4 | Ristananna Tracey | Jamaica (JAM) | 54.79 | Q |
| 3 | 2 | 5 | Léa Sprunger | Switzerland (SUI) | 54.82 | Q |
| 4 | 1 | 7 | Kori Carter | United States (USA) | 54.92 | Q |
| 5 | 3 | 5 | Dalilah Muhammad | United States (USA) | 55.00 | Q |
| 6 | 3 | 4 | Sage Watson | Canada (CAN) | 55.05 | Q |
| 7 | 2 | 9 | Cassandra Tate | United States (USA) | 55.31 | q |
| 8 | 3 | 9 | Eilidh Doyle | Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) | 55.33 | q |
| 9 | 2 | 7 | Sara Petersen | Denmark (DEN) | 55.45 | |
| 10 | 1 | 4 | Wenda Nel | South Africa (RSA) | 55.70 | |
| 11 | 1 | 9 | Shamier Little | United States (USA) | 55.76 | |
| 12 | 1 | 5 | Petra Fontanive | Switzerland (SUI) | 55.79 | |
| 13 | 3 | 3 | Yadisleidy Pedroso | Italy (ITA) | 55.95 | |
| 14 | 1 | 2 | Leah Nugent | Jamaica (JAM) | 56.19 | |
| 15 | 1 | 3 | Joanna Linkiewicz | Poland (POL) | 56.25 | |
| 16 | 3 | 8 | Grace Claxton | Puerto Rico (PUR) | 56.40 | |
| 17 | 3 | 7 | Denisa Rosolová | Czech Republic (CZE) | 56.40 | |
| 18 | 2 | 8 | Ayomide Folorunso | Italy (ITA) | 56.47 | |
| 19 | 1 | 8 | Sparkle McKnight | Trinidad and Tobago (TTO) | 56.59 | |
| 20 | 2 | 3 | Meghan Beesley | Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) | 56.61 | |
| 21 | 2 | 2 | Agata Zupin | Slovenia (SLO) | 57.05 | |
| 22 | 3 | 2 | Gianna Woodruff | Panama (PAN) | 57.32 | |
| | 2 | 6 | Glory Onome Nathaniel | Nigeria (NGR) | DQ | R 163.3(a) |
| | 3 | 6 | Rhonda Whyte | Jamaica (JAM) | DQ | R 163.3(a) |

### Final

The final took place on 10 August at 21:38. The results were as follows (photo finish):
| Rank | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| | 9 | Kori Carter | United States (USA) | 53.07 | |
| | 4 | Dalilah Muhammad | United States (USA) | 53.50 | |
| | 7 | Ristananna Tracey | Jamaica (JAM) | 53.74 | PB |
| 4 | 6 | Zuzana Hejnová | Czech Republic (CZE) | 54.20 | SB |
| 5 | 5 | Léa Sprunger | Switzerland (SUI) | 54.59 | |
| 6 | 8 | Sage Watson | Canada (CAN) | 54.92 | |
| 7 | 3 | Cassandra Tate | United States (USA) | 55.43 | |
| 8 | 2 | Eilidh Doyle | Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) | 55.71 | |