# 2023 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 400 metres

The women's 400 metres at the 2023 European Athletics Indoor Championships took place in three rounds at the Ataköy Athletics Arena in Istanbul, Turkey, on 3 and 4 March 2023. This was the 37th time the women's 400 metres was contested at the European Athletics Indoor Championships. Athletes could qualify by achieving the entry standard or by their World Athletics Ranking for the event.
Twenty-seven athletes from sixteen nations competed in the first round on 3 March in the morning. In twenty-sixth place, Duna Viñals set an Andorran record of 57.71 s. Twelve athletes advanced to the semi-finals on 3 March in the evening, where Viivi Lehikoinen of Finland was disqualified for obstruction and six athletes qualified to compete in the final race on 4 March.
In the final, the gold medal was won by world record holder Femke Bol of the Netherlands in a time of 49.85 s, successfully defending her 2021 title, silver by Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands in 50.57 s, and bronze by Anna Kiełbasińska of Poland in 51.25 s. In fourth place, Susanne Gogl-Walli set an Austrian record of 51.73 s.

## Background

The women's 400 metres was contested at every previous edition of the European Athletics Indoor Championships (1970–2021), 36 times in total before 2023: every year from 1970 until 1990, and every other year since then until 2021, with a three-year gap between 2002 and 2005 for synchronisation with other international athletics championships.
The 2023 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held in the Ataköy Athletics Arena in the Ataköy quarter in Bakırköy, Istanbul, Turkey. This indoor track and field arena was originally built for the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships and has a capacity of 7,450 spectators.
On 19 February 2023, less than two weeks before the championships, Femke Bol of the Netherlands broke Jarmila Kratochvílová's 1982 world record of the 400 metres indoor in a time of 49.26 s. At the start of the 2023 championships, this was also the European record and the leading time in Europe and the world. Kratochvílová's former world record of 49.59 s was still standing as the championship record. Bol was the defending champion after winning this event in a time of 50.63 s in 2021.

## Qualification

For the women's 400 metres at these championships, the qualification period was from 20 February 2022 to 19 February 2023. Athletes could qualify by achieving the entry standard of 52.20 s for 400 metres indoor or 50.80 s for 400 metres outdoor. Athletes who did not achieve the entry standard could still qualify by their position on the World Athletics Ranking for this event. There was a target number of thirty athletes in total, with a maximum of three athletes per nation. A final entry list with twenty-seven athletes from sixteen nations was published on 23 February 2023.

## Rounds
### Round 1

The five heats of round 1 were held on 3 March 2023, starting at 10:40 (UTC+3) in the morning. Of the twenty-seven competing athletes from sixteen nations, the first two athletes in each heat (Q) and the next two fastest (q) advanced to the semi-finals. In the first heat, Duna Viñals of Andorra set a national record (NR) of 57.71 s. In the fifth heat, Tereza Petržilková of Czech Republic, Helena Ponette of Belgium, and Cliodhna Manning of Ireland ran personal best times (PB).
Results of round 1 :
| Rank | Heat | Athlete | Nationality | Time | Note |
| 1 | 5 | Anna Kiełbasińska | Poland | 51.77 | Q |
| 2 | 5 | Tereza Petržilková | Czech Republic | 52.14 | Q, PB |
| 3 | 5 | Helena Ponette | Belgium | 52.31 | q, PB |
| 4 | 4 | Susanne Gogl-Walli | Austria | 52.34 | Q |
| 5 | 2 | Femke Bol | Netherlands | 52.35 | Q |
| 6 | 4 | Sharlene Mawdsley | Ireland | 52.59 | Q |
| 7 | 3 | Lieke Klaver | Netherlands | 52.72 | Q |
| 8 | 1 | Lada Vondrová | Czech Republic | 52.77 | Q |
| 9 | 4 | Gunta Vaičule | Latvia | 52.85 | q, SB |
| 10 | 2 | Viivi Lehikoinen | Finland | 52.88 | Q |
| 11 | 3 | Alice Mangione | Italy | 52.99 | Q |
| 12 | 3 | Camille Laus | Belgium | 53.10 | |
| 13 | 1 | Henriette Jæger | Norway | 53.27 | Q |
| 14 | 4 | Raphaela Lukudo | Italy | 53.30 | |
| 15 | 2 | Anna Polinari | Italy | 53.38 | |
| 16 | 1 | Sophie Becker | Ireland | 53.43 | |
| 17 | 1 | Julia Niederberger | Switzerland | 53.52 | |
| 18 | 5 | Lisanne de Witte | Netherlands | 53.61 | |
| 19 | 3 | Eirini Vasileiou | Greece | 53.71 | |
| 20 | 2 | Yasmin Giger | Switzerland | 53.89 | |
| 21 | 2 | Veronika Drljačić | Croatia | 54.04 | |
| 22 | 5 | Cliodhna Manning | Ireland | 54.21 | PB |
| 23 | 4 | Andrianna Ferra | Greece | 55.29 | SB |
| 24 | 3 | Milja Thureson | Finland | 55.82 | |
| 25 | 1 | Drita Islami | North Macedonia | 55.86 | |
| 26 | 1 | Duna Viñals | Andorra | 57.71 | NR |
| 27 | 4 | Norcady Reyes | Gibraltar | 1:01.71 | |

### Semi-finals

The two heats of the semi-finals were held on 3 March 2023, starting at 19:55 (UTC+3) in the evening. Of the twelve competing athletes from ten nations, the first three athletes in each heat (Q) advanced to the final. Viivi Lehikoinen of Finland was disqualified (DQ) for breaking technical rule 17.2.2 about jostling and obstruction (TR17.2.2).
Results of the semi-finals :
| Rank | Heat | Athlete | Nationality | Time | Note |
| 1 | 1 | Lieke Klaver | Netherlands | 51.43 | Q |
| 2 | 1 | Anna Kiełbasińska | Poland | 51.67 | Q |
| 3 | 1 | Lada Vondrová | Czech Republic | 52.12 | Q |
| 4 | 2 | Femke Bol | Netherlands | 52.19 | Q |
| 5 | 2 | Susanne Gogl-Walli | Austria | 52.40 | Q |
| 6 | 2 | Tereza Petržilková | Czech Republic | 52.93 | Q |
| 7 | 2 | Helena Ponette | Belgium | 53.07 | |
| 8 | 2 | Henriette Jæger | Norway | 53.08 | |
| 9 | 2 | Sharlene Mawdsley | Ireland | 53.37 | |
| 10 | 1 | Gunta Vaičule | Latvia | 53.57 | |
| 11 | 1 | Alice Mangione | Italy | 53.66 | |
| 12 | 1 | Viivi Lehikoinen | Finland | DQ | TR17.2.2 |

### Final

The final with the six remaining athletes from four nations was held on 4 March 2023 at 20:30 (UTC+3) in the evening. Femke Bol of the Netherlands was leading the race after about 100 metres and she completed the first lap of 200 metres in 23.78 s. Bol went on to win the gold medal after finishing the race in 49.85 s, successfully defending her title from 2021 with her third 400 metres indoor race under 50 seconds of 2023. Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands won silver in 50.57 s and Anna Kiełbasińska of Poland won bronze in 51.25 s. Outside the medals, Susanne Gogl-Walli of Austria set a national record (NR) of 51.73 s.
After the race, Bol and Klaver celebrated with Dutch flags with the texts giro 555 and geef nu meaning 'donate now [to] giro [account number] 555' printed on them, a call to donate money to the Dutch Cooperating Aid Organizations for humanitarian aid to the victims of the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes a month earlier.
Results of the final :
| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nationality | Time | Note |
| | 5 | Femke Bol | Netherlands | 49.85 | |
| | 6 | Lieke Klaver | Netherlands | 50.57 | |
| | 3 | Anna Kiełbasińska | Poland | 51.25 | SB |
| 4 | 4 | Susanne Gogl-Walli | Austria | 51.73 | NR |
| 5 | 2 | Lada Vondrová | Czech Republic | 51.73 | |
| 6 | 1 | Tereza Petržilková | Czech Republic | 52.81 | |