# 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 400 metres

The women's 400 metres at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships took place in three rounds at the Commonwealth Arena in Glasgow, United Kingdom, on 1 and 2 March 2024. This was the nineteenth time that the women's 400 metres was contested at the World Athletics Indoor Championships. Twenty-four athletes from nineteen different nations competed in the event.
The four heats of round 1 were held in the morning of 1 March, where twelve athletes qualified for the next round. Susanne Gogl-Walli of Austria set a national record of 51.43 seconds. The two heats of the semi-finals were held in the evening of 1 March, where six athletes qualified for the final round. Sharlene Mawdsley of Ireland was disqualified for obstruction.
The final was held in the evening of 2 March. Femke Bol of the Netherlands won the gold medal finishing in a new short track world record of 49.17 seconds, followed by Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands in 50.16 seconds and Alexis Holmes of the United States in 50.24 seconds. Gogl-Walli set another Austrian record of 51.37 seconds.

## Background

The women's 400 metres was contested at every edition of the World Athletics Indoor Championships, eighteen times before the 2024. The 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships were held at the indoor 200-metres track of the Commonwealth Arena in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.
On 18 February 2024, Femke Bol of the Netherlands had broken the 400 metres short track world record in a time of 49.24 s at the Dutch Indoor Athletics Championships. The championship record of 50.04 s was set by Olesya Forsheva of Russia on 12 March 2006.
Records before the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships :
| Record | Athlete (Nation) | Time | Location | Date |
| World record | Femke Bol (NED) | 49.24 | Apeldoorn, Netherlands | 18 February 2024 |
| World leading | Femke Bol (NED) | 49.24 | Apeldoorn, Netherlands | 18 February 2024 |
| Championship record | Olesya Forsheva (RUS) | 50.04 | Moscow, Russia | 12 March 2006 |

## Qualification

For the women's 400 metres event, the qualification period was from 1 January 2023 until 18 February 2024. Athletes could qualify by running the entry standard of 51.60 s indoor or 50.50 s outdoor, by receiving a wild card for the overall winner of an event in the World Athletics Indoor Tour in 2023 or 2024, or by their position on the World Athletics Ranking for the event up to the target of 30 athletes. A final entry list containing 25 athletes from 19 nations was issued on 24 February 2024.

## Results
### Round 1

The four heats of round 1 were held on 1 March, starting at 10:20 (UTC) in the morning. Of the 24 competing athletes, the first two in each heat (Q) and the next four fastest (q) qualified for the semi-finals. In the second heat, Susanne Gogl-Walli set an Austrian record (NR) of 51.43 seconds. In the third heat, three athletes finished second in 52.229 seconds and all were advanced to the next round (Q), leaving only two instead of four time-fastest spots (q) for the semi-finals.
Results of round 1 :
| Rank | Heat | Lane | Name | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 2 | 6 | Lieke Klaver | Netherlands | 51.31 | Q |
| 2 | 2 | 4 | Susanne Gogl-Walli | Austria | 51.43 | Q, NR |
| 3 | 1 | 5 | Laviai Nielsen | Great Britain | 51.82 | Q |
| 4 | 2 | 5 | Lada Vondrová | Czech Republic | 51.94 | q |
| 5 | 4 | 6 | Femke Bol | Netherlands | 52.00 | Q |
| 6 | 2 | 3 | Stacey-Ann Williams | Jamaica | 52.16 | q |
| 7 | 3 | 5 | Talitha Diggs | United States | 52.17 (52.167) | Q |
| 8 | 1 | 6 | Andrea Miklós | Romania | 52.17 (52.168) | Q |
| 9 | 3 | 3 | Sharlene Mawdsley | Ireland | 52.23 (52.229) | Q |
| 9 | 3 | 6 | Henriette Jæger | Norway | 52.23 (52.229) | Q |
| 9 | 3 | 4 | Amandine Brossier | France | 52.23 (52.229) | Q |
| 12 | 1 | 3 | Tereza Petržilková | Czech Republic | 52.31 | |
| 13 | 4 | 5 | Alexis Holmes | United States | 52.53 | Q |
| 14 | 1 | 4 | Cátia Azevedo | Portugal | 52.92 | |
| 15 | 4 | 4 | Charokee Young | Jamaica | 53.04 | |
| 16 | 1 | 2 | Eva Santidrián | Spain | 53.07 | |
| 17 | 2 | 1 | Gunta Vaičule | Latvia | 53.09 | SB |
| 18 | 4 | 1 | Ayomide Folorunso | Italy | 53.15 | |
| 19 | 4 | 3 | Tiffani Marinho | Brazil | 53.48 | |
| 20 | 4 | 2 | Grace Claxton | Puerto Rico | 54.62 | |
| 21 | 3 | 2 | Lauren Hoffman | Philippines | 54.66 | |
| 22 | 2 | 2 | Yanique Haye-Smith | Turks and Caicos Islands | 54.98 | SB |
| 23 | 1 | 1 | Shalysa Wray | Cayman Islands | 55.82 | SB |
| 24 | 3 | 1 | Tábata de Carvalho | Brazil | 57.73 | |

### Semi-finals

The two heats of the semi-finals were held on 1 March, starting at 20:50 (UTC) in the evening. Of the twelve competing athletes, the first three in each heat qualified (Q) for the final. In the first heat, Lieke Klaver received a yellow card for improper conduct of disturbing the start and Sharlene Mawdsley was disqualified (DQ) for obstruction during the race.
Results of the semi-finals :
| Rank | Heat | Lane | Name | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 2 | 5 | Femke Bol | Netherlands | 50.66 | Q |
| 2 | 2 | 2 | Alexis Holmes | United States | 50.99 | Q |
| 3 | 1 | 5 | Lieke Klaver | Netherlands | 51.18 | Q |
| 4 | 1 | 6 | Talitha Diggs | United States | 51.28 | Q |
| 5 | 2 | 6 | Laviai Nielsen | Great Britain | 51.44 | Q |
| 6 | 2 | 3 | Henriette Jæger | Norway | 51.48 | |
| 7 | 2 | 4 | Andrea Miklós | Romania | 51.83 | |
| 8 | 1 | 3 | Susanne Gogl-Walli | Austria | 52.47 | Q |
| 9 | 2 | 1 | Lada Vondrová | Czech Republic | 52.48 | |
| 10 | 1 | 1 | Stacey-Ann Williams | Jamaica | 52.72 | |
| 11 | 1 | 2 | Amandine Brossier | France | 53.26 | |
| | 1 | 4 | Sharlene Mawdsley | Ireland | DQ | TR17.1.2[O] |

### Final

The final was held on 2 March, starting at 21:00 (UTC) in the evening. Femke Bol of the Netherlands was leading early in the race and she had the fastest intermediate times at 100 metres of 11.89 s, at 200 metres of 23.61 s, and at 300 metres of 36.06 s. Bol won the race in 49.17 seconds, improving her own 400 metres short track world record (WR) with 0.07 seconds and the championship record by Olesya Forsheva with 0.87 seconds. She was followed in 0.99 seconds by Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands who finished in second place in 50.16 seconds. Alexis Holmes of the United States finished third in 50.24 seconds in a new personal best (PB). Laviai Nielsen also ran a personal best of 50.89 seconds and Susanne Gogl-Walli set another Austrian record (NR) of 51.37 seconds.
Results of the final :
| Rank | Lane | Name | Nation | Time | Notes |
| | 5 | Femke Bol | Netherlands | 49.17 | WR |
| | 6 | Lieke Klaver | Netherlands | 50.16 | |
| | 3 | Alexis Holmes | United States | 50.24 | PB |
| 4 | 2 | Laviai Nielsen | Great Britain | 50.89 | PB |
| 5 | 4 | Talitha Diggs | United States | 51.23 | =SB |
| 6 | 1 | Susanne Gogl-Walli | Austria | 51.37 | NR |