# 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 400 metres

The women's 400 metres at the 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on the short track of Omnisport in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, on 7 and 8 March 2025. It was the 38th time the event was contested at the European Athletics Indoor Championships. Athletes could qualify by achieving the entry standard or by their World Athletics Ranking in the event.
Twenty-eight athletes from fifteen nations competed in the first round during the morning session on 7 March. Mette Baas of Finland set a Finnish record of 52.25 seconds. Amber Anning of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Nikoleta Jíchová of the Czech Republic, and Tetiana Melnyk of Ukraine were disqualified for lane infringement. Twelve athletes from nine nations competed in the semi-finals during the evening session on 7 March.
Six athletes from six different nations competed in the final during the evening session on 8 March. The race was won by Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands in 50.38 seconds, followed by Henriette Jæger of Norway in 50.45 seconds and Paula Sevilla of Spain in 50.99 seconds equalling the Spanish record.

## Background

The women's 400 metres was contested 37 times before 2025, at every previous edition of the European Athletics Indoor Championships (1970–2023). The 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held in Omnisport Apeldoorn in Apeldoorn, Netherlands. The removable indoor athletics track was retopped for these championships in September 2024.
Femke Bol of the Netherlands is the world and European record holder with a time of 49.17 s set in 2024. Bol is also the 2021 and 2023 champion in this event. She didn't defend these titles, because Bol didn't compete in individual events during the 2025 indoor season, only in relays. The championship record of 49.59 s was set by Jarmila Kratochvílová of Czechoslovakia in 1982.
On 1 March 2025, Aaliyah Butler of the United States set her world leading performance of 49.78 s. On 16 February 2025, Henriette Jæger of Norway set her European leading performance of 50.44 s, preceded by the next-fastest Europeans Amber Anning of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 50.57 s on 14 February 2025 and Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands in 50.76 s on 13 February 2025.
Records before the 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships :
| Record | Athlete (nation) | Time | Location | Date |
| World record | Femke Bol (NED) | 49.17 | Glasgow, United Kingdom | 2 March 2024 |
| European record | Femke Bol (NED) | 49.17 | Glasgow, United Kingdom | 2 March 2024 |
| Championship record | Jarmila Kratochvílová (TCH) | 49.59 | Milan, Italy | 7 March 1982 |
| World leading | Aaliyah Butler (USA) | 49.78 | College Station, Texas, United States | 1 March 2025 |
| European leading | Henriette Jæger (NOR) | 50.44 | Toruń, Poland | 16 February 2025 |

## Qualification

For the women's 400 metres, the qualification period was from 25 February 2024 until 23 February 2025. Athletes could qualify by achieving the entry standards of 52.10 s indoors or 50.70 s outdoor or by virtue of their World Athletics Ranking for the event. There was a target number of thirty athletes with a maximum of four athletes per nation that could be entered, of whom three athletes per nation could eventually participate. On 27 February 2025, a final entry list with thirty-four athletes was published.

## Rounds
### Round 1

Round 1 was held on 7 March, starting at 11:55 (UTC+1) in the morning. Twenty-eight athletes from fifteen nations competed in five heats. The first two athletes in each heat (Q) and the next two fastest athletes overall (q) qualified for the semi-finals. In the first heat, Mette Baas of Finland set a national record (NR) of 52.25 s and Amber Anning of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was disqualified (DQ) for violating the technical rule for lane infringement (TR17.2.3). In the third and fourth heat, Tetiana Melnyk of Ukraine and Nikoleta Jíchová of the Czech Republic were also disqualified for lane infringement.
Results of round 1 :
| Rank | Heat | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 3 | Lurdes Gloria Manuel | Czech Republic | 51.52 | Q |
| 2 | 2 | Lieke Klaver | Netherlands | 51.52 | Q |
| 3 | 4 | Paula Sevilla | Spain | 51.75 | Q |
| 4 | 2 | Eva Santidrián | Spain | 51.81 | Q |
| 5 | 1 | Lada Vondrová | Czech Republic | 51.91 | Q |
| 6 | 2 | Imke Vervaet | Belgium | 51.94 | q, PB |
| 7 | 4 | Justyna Święty-Ersetic | Poland | 51.98 | Q |
| 8 | 3 | Amandine Brossier | France | 52.00 | Q, SB |
| 9 | 5 | Henriette Jæger | Norway | 52.04 | Q |
| 10 | 4 | Ama Pipi | Great Britain | 52.18 | q |
| 11 | 1 | Alice Mangione | Italy | 52.20 | Q |
| 12 | 1 | Mette Baas | Finland | 52.25 | NR |
| 13 | 3 | Helena Ponette | Belgium | 52.32 | |
| 14 | 3 | Blanca Hervas | Spain | 52.32 | |
| 15 | 5 | Cathelijn Peeters | Netherlands | 52.38 | Q |
| 16 | 5 | Alessandra Bonora | Italy | 52.40 | PB |
| 17 | 2 | Poppy Malik | Great Britain | 52.62 | PB |
| 18 | 1 | Eveline Saalberg | Netherlands | 52.93 | |
| 19 | 5 | Veronika Drljačić | Croatia | 53.07 | |
| 20 | 4 | Rachel McCann | Ireland | 53.16 | PB |
| 21 | 1 | Astri Ertzgaard | Norway | 53.21 | PB |
| 22 | 3 | Anastazja Kuś | Poland | 53.45 | |
| 23 | 4 | Carina Vanessa | Portugal | 53.54 | |
| 24 | 5 | Milja Thureson | Finland | 55.58 | |
| 25 | 2 | Lauren Cadden | Ireland | 56.57 | |
| | 1 | Amber Anning | Great Britain | DQ | TR17.2.3 |
| | 4 | Nikoleta Jíchová | Czech Republic | DQ | TR17.2.3 |
| | 3 | Tetiana Melnyk | Ukraine | DQ | TR17.2.3 |
| | 2 | Catia Gubelmann | Switzerland | DNS | |
| | 5 | Sharlene Mawdsley | Ireland | DNS | |

### Semi-finals

The semi-finals were held on 7 March, the same day as round 1, starting at 19:58 (UTC+1) in the evening. Twelve athletes from nine nations competed in two heats. The first three athletes in each heat (Q) qualified for the semi-finals. Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands, Paula Sevilla of Spain, Henriette Jæger of Norway, and Lurdes Gloria Manuel of the Czech Republic were faster than in the first round, the other eight athletes were all slower.
Results of the semi-finals :
| Rank | Heat | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 2 | Lieke Klaver | Netherlands | 51.17 | Q |
| 2 | 1 | Paula Sevilla | Spain | 51.23 | Q |
| 3 | 1 | Henriette Jæger | Norway | 51.27 | Q |
| 4 | 1 | Lurdes Gloria Manuel | Czech Republic | 51.41 | Q |
| 5 | 1 | Amandine Brossier | France | 52.07 | |
| 6 | 1 | Ama Pipi | Great Britain | 52.29 | |
| 7 | 2 | Justyna Święty-Ersetic | Poland | 52.41 | Q |
| 8 | 2 | Alice Mangione | Italy | 52.67 | Q |
| 9 | 2 | Lada Vondrová | Czech Republic | 52.74 | |
| 10 | 2 | Eva Santidrián | Spain | 52.82 | |
| 11 | 2 | Imke Vervaet | Belgium | 52.84 | |
| 12 | 1 | Cathelijn Peeters | Netherlands | 53.21 | |

### Final

The final was held on 8 March, starting at 21:50 (UTC+1) in the evening. Six athletes of six different nations competed in this race. Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands was in the lead after 200 metres, running this first lap in 23.4 s, and she stayed ahead of the other competitors in the last 200 metres. Klaver won the in a European leading time (EL) of 50.38 s, claiming her first individual title at an international championship. Henriette Jæger of Norway finished in second place in 50.45 s and Paula Sevilla of Spain in third place in 50.99 s, which equalled the Spanish national record (=NR). All athletes were faster in the final than they were in the semi-finals.
Result of the final :
| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| | 6 | Lieke Klaver | Netherlands | 50.38 | EL |
| | 4 | Henriette Jæger | Norway | 50.45 | |
| | 5 | Paula Sevilla | Spain | 50.99 | =NR |
| 4 | 1 | Lurdes Gloria Manuel | Czech Republic | 51.38 | |
| 5 | 3 | Justyna Święty-Ersetic | Poland | 51.59 | |
| 6 | 2 | Alice Mangione | Italy | 51.84 | |