# Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metres hurdles

The men's 400 metres hurdles was an event at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. There were 55 competitors from 35 nations. The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The event was won by Derrick Adkins of the United States, the nation's fourth consecutive and 16th overall victory in the event. Samuel Matete of Zambia earned that nation's first medal in the event with his silver. American Calvin Davis took bronze.

## Background

This was the 21st time the event was held. It had been introduced along with the men's 200 metres hurdles in 1900, with the 200 being dropped after 1904 and the 400 being held through 1908 before being left off the 1912 programme. However, when the Olympics returned in 1920 after World War I, the men's 400 metres hurdles was back and would continue to be contested at every Games thereafter.
One of the eight finalists from the 1992 Games returned: silver medalist (and 1988 finalist) Winthrop Graham of Jamaica. Samuel Matete of Zambia, the favorite in 1992 before a hamstring injury kept him out of the final, was favored again after adding two World Championship silver medals (1993 and 1995) to his 1991 victory. American Derrick Adkins had won the 1995 World Championship and was also a serious contender.
Guyana, Latvia, Mauritius, Moldova, Panama, Qatar, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Zimbabwe each made their debut in the event. The United States made its 20th appearance, most of any nation, having missed only the boycotted 1980 Games.

## Competition format

The competition used the three-round format used every Games since 1908 (except the four-round competition in 1952): quarterfinals, semifinals, and a final. Ten sets of hurdles were set on the course. The hurdles were 3 feet (91.5 centimetres) tall and were placed 35 metres apart beginning 45 metres from the starting line, resulting in a 40 metres home stretch after the last hurdle. The 400 metres track was standard.
There were 7 quarterfinal heats with 7 or 8 athletes each. The top 2 men in each quarterfinal advanced to the semifinals along with the next fastest 2 overall. The 16 semifinalists were divided into 2 semifinals of 8 athletes each, with the top 4 in each semifinal advancing to the 8-man final.

## Records

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in seconds) prior to the 1996 Summer Olympics.
| World record | Kevin Young (USA) | 46.78 | Barcelona, Spain | 6 August 1992 |
| Olympic record | Kevin Young (USA) | 46.78 | Barcelona, Spain | 6 August 1992 |
No new world or Olympic records were set during the competition.

## Schedule

All times are Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-4)
| Date | Time | Round |
| Monday, 29 July 1996 | 11:45 | Quarterfinals |
| Wednesday, 31 July 1996 | 19:15 | Semifinals |
| Thursday, 1 August 1996 | 20:25 | Final |

## Results
### Quarterfinals
#### Quarterfinal 1

| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 7 | Ibou Faye | Senegal | 48.84 | Q |
| 2 | 8 | Fabrizio Mori | Italy | 48.90 | Q |
| 3 | 5 | Kazuhiko Yamazaki | Japan | 49.07 | |
| 4 | 6 | Dinsdale Morgan | Jamaica | 49.16 | |
| 5 | 4 | Kehinde Aladefa | Nigeria | 49.60 | |
| 6 | 3 | Peter Crampton | Great Britain | 49.78 | |
| 7 | 1 | Gilbert Hashan | Mauritius | 49.94 | |
| 8 | 2 | Salvador Vila | Spain | 50.55 | |

#### Quarterfinal 2

| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 2 | Eronilde de Araujo | Brazil | 48.52 | Q |
| 2 | 1 | Laurent Ottoz | Italy | 48.92 | Q |
| 3 | 7 | Carlos Silva | Portugal | 49.09 | |
| 4 | 3 | Mubarak Faraj | Qatar | 49.27 | |
| 5 | 4 | Miro Kocuvan | Slovenia | 49.66 | |
| 6 | 8 | Jean-Paul Bruwier | Belgium | 49.69 | |
| 7 | 5 | Barnabas Kinyor | Kenya | 49.82 | |
| 8 | 6 | Mugur Mateescu | Romania | 49.97 | |

#### Quarterfinal 3

| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 5 | Samuel Matete | Zambia | 48.21 | Q |
| 2 | 2 | Rohan Robinson | Australia | 48.89 | Q |
| 3 | 3 | Erick Keter | Kenya | 49.03 | |
| 4 | 6 | Vadim Zadoynov | Moldova | 49.73 | |
| 5 | 7 | Hadi Somayli | Saudi Arabia | 49.94 | |
| 6 | 8 | Hamadou Mbaye | Senegal | 50.30 | |
| 7 | 4 | Llewellyn Herbert | South Africa | 51.13 | |

#### Quarterfinal 4

| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 5 | Bryan Bronson | United States | 49.06 | Q |
| 2 | 6 | Dusan Kovacs | Hungary | 49.23 | Q |
| 3 | 3 | Pawel Januszewski | Poland | 49.63 | |
| 4 | 4 | Hideaki Kawamura | Japan | 49.88 | |
| 5 | 8 | Julius Masvanise | Zimbabwe | 50.16 | |
| 6 | 2 | Jozef Kucej | Slovakia | 50.31 | |
| 7 | 1 | Amadou Sy Savane | Guinea | 50.90 | |
| 8 | 7 | Simon Hollingsworth | Australia | 52.16 | |

#### Quarterfinal 5

| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 1 | Jon Ridgeon | Great Britain | 49.31 | Q |
| 2 | 8 | Marc Dollendorf | Belgium | 49.49 | Q |
| 3 | 3 | Ruslan Mashchenko | Russia | 49.94 | |
| 4 | 5 | Egīls Tēbelis | Latvia | 50.73 | |
| 5 | 6 | Domingo Cordero | Puerto Rico | 51.20 | |
| 6 | 4 | Marcel Schelbert | Switzerland | 51.20 | |
| 7 | 2 | Curt Young | Panama | 55.20 | |
| — | 7 | Winthrop Graham | Jamaica | DNF | |

#### Quarterfinal 6

| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 2 | Calvin Davis | United States | 48.94 | Q |
| 2 | 8 | Sven Nylander | Sweden | 49.54 | Q |
| 3 | 6 | Ashraf Saber | Italy | 49.71 | |
| 4 | 5 | Gideon Biwott | Kenya | 49.74 | |
| 5 | 1 | Tom McGuirk | Ireland | 50.76 | |
| 6 | 7 | Cleverson Silva | Brazil | 51.23 | |
| 7 | 4 | Óscar Pitillas | Spain | 51.35 | |
| 8 | 3 | Lancelot Gittens | Guyana | 54.79 | |

#### Quarterfinal 7

| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 6 | Derrick Adkins | United States | 48.46 | Q |
| 2 | 8 | Everson Teixeira | Brazil | 48.52 | Q |
| 3 | 3 | Ken Harnden | Zimbabwe | 48.54 | q |
| 4 | 7 | Neil Gardner | Jamaica | 48.30 | q |
| 5 | 1 | Shunji Karube | Japan | 48.96 | |
| 6 | 4 | Gary Jennings | Great Britain | 50.41 | |
| 7 | 2 | Inigo Monreal | Spain | 52.23 | |
| 8 | 5 | Ivan Wakit | Papua New Guinea | 53.42 | |

### Semifinals
#### Semifinal 1

| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 3 | Derrick Adkins | United States | 47.76 | Q |
| 2 | 1 | Sven Nylander | Sweden | 48.21 | Q |
| 3 | 2 | Fabrizio Mori | Italy | 48.43 | Q |
| 4 | 6 | Eronilde de Araujo | Brazil | 48.45 | Q |
| 5 | 8 | Dusan Kovacs | Hungary | 48.57 | |
| 6 | 7 | Ken Harnden | Zimbabwe | 48.61 | |
| 7 | 4 | Jon Ridgeon | Great Britain | 49.43 | |
| 8 | 5 | Bryan Bronson | United States | 50.32 | |

#### Semifinal 2

| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 3 | Calvin Davis | United States | 47.91 | Q |
| 2 | 4 | Everson Teixeira | Brazil | 48.28 | Q |
| 3 | 6 | Samuel Matete | Zambia | 48.28 | Q |
| 4 | 7 | Rohan Robinson | Australia | 48.28 | Q |
| 5 | 1 | Neil Gardner | Jamaica | 48.30 | |
| 6 | 2 | Laurent Ottoz | Italy | 48.52 | |
| 7 | 5 | Ibou Faye | Senegal | 48.84 | |
| 8 | 8 | Marc Dollendorf | Belgium | 48.91 | |

### Final

| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time |
| | 6 | Derrick Adkins | United States | 47.54 |
| | 1 | Samuel Matete | Zambia | 47.78 |
| | 5 | Calvin Davis | United States | 47.96 |
| 4 | 4 | Sven Nylander | Sweden | 47.98 |
| 5 | 8 | Rohan Robinson | Australia | 48.30 |
| 6 | 7 | Fabrizio Mori | Italy | 48.41 |
| 7 | 3 | Everson Teixeira | Brazil | 48.57 |
| 8 | 2 | Eronilde de Araujo | Brazil | 48.78 |

## Results summary

| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final |
| | Derrick Adkins | United States | 48.46 | 47.76 | 47.54 |
| | Samuel Matete | Zambia | 48.21 | 48.28 | 47.78 |
| | Calvin Davis | United States | 48.94 | 47.91 | 47.96 |
| 4 | Sven Nylander | Sweden | 49.54 | 48.21 | 47.98 |
| 5 | Rohan Robinson | Australia | 48.89 | 48.28 | 48.30 |
| 6 | Fabrizio Mori | Italy | 48.90 | 48.43 | 48.41 |
| 7 | Everson Teixeira | Brazil | 48.52 | 48.28 | 48.57 |
| 8 | Eronilde de Araujo | Brazil | 48.52 | 48.45 | 48.78 |
| 9 | Neil Gardner | Jamaica | 48.59 | 48.30 | Did not advance |
| 10 | Laurent Ottoz | Italy | 48.92 | 48.52 | Did not advance |
| 11 | Dusan Kovacs | Hungary | 49.23 | 48.57 | Did not advance |
| 12 | Ken Harnden | Zimbabwe | 48.54 | 48.61 | Did not advance |
| 13 | Ibou Faye | Senegal | 48.84 | 48.84 | Did not advance |
| 14 | Marc Dollendorf | Belgium | 49.49 | 48.91 | Did not advance |
| 15 | Jon Ridgeon | Great Britain | 49.31 | 49.43 | Did not advance |
| 16 | Bryan Bronson | United States | 49.06 | 50.32 | Did not advance |
| 17 | Shunji Karube | Japan | 48.96 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 18 | Erick Keter | Kenya | 49.03 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 19 | Kazuhiko Yamazaki | Japan | 49.07 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 20 | Carlos Silva | Portugal | 49.09 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 21 | Dinsdale Morgan | Jamaica | 49.16 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 22 | Mubarak Faraj | Qatar | 49.27 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 23 | Kehinde Aladefa | Nigeria | 49.60 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 24 | Pawel Januszewski | Poland | 49.63 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 25 | Miro Kocuvan | Slovenia | 49.66 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 26 | Jean-Paul Bruwier | Belgium | 49.69 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 27 | Ashraf Saber | Italy | 49.71 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 28 | Vadim Zadoynov | Moldova | 49.73 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 29 | Gideon Biwott | Kenya | 49.74 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 30 | Peter Crampton | Great Britain | 49.78 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 31 | Barnabas Kinyor | Kenya | 49.82 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 32 | Hideaki Kawamura | Japan | 49.88 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 33 | Gilbert Hashan | Mauritius | 49.94 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 33 | Hadi Somayli | Saudi Arabia | 49.94 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 33 | Ruslan Mashchenko | Russia | 49.94 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 36 | Mugur Mateescu | Romania | 49.97 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 37 | Julius Masvanise | Zimbabwe | 50.16 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 38 | Hamadou Mbaye | Senegal | 50.30 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 39 | Jozef Kucej | Slovakia | 50.31 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 40 | Gary Jennings | Great Britain | 50.41 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 41 | Salvador Vila | Spain | 50.55 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 42 | Egīls Tēbelis | Latvia | 50.73 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 43 | Tom McGuirk | Ireland | 50.76 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 44 | Amadou Sy Savane | Guinea | 50.90 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 45 | Llewellyn Herbert | South Africa | 51.13 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 46 | Domingo Cordero | Puerto Rico | 51.20 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 46 | Marcel Schelbert | Switzerland | 51.20 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 48 | Cleverson Silva | Brazil | 51.23 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 49 | Óscar Pitillas | Spain | 51.35 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 50 | Simon Hollingsworth | Australia | 52.16 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 51 | Inigo Monreal | Spain | 52.23 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 52 | Ivan Wakit | Papua New Guinea | 53.42 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 53 | Lancelot Gittens | Guyana | 54.79 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 54 | Curt Young | Panama | 55.20 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| 55 | Winthrop Graham | Jamaica | DNF | Did not advance | Did not advance |