# 1996 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 400 metres

The women's 400 metres event at the 1996 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sydney, Australia, at International Athletic Centre on 21, 22 and 23 August.

## Medalists

| Gold | Andrea Burlacu Romania |
| Silver | Suziann Reid United States |
| Bronze | Rosemary Hayward Australia |

## Results
### Final

23 August
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time |
| | Andrea Burlacu | Romania | 52.32 |
| | Suziann Reid | United States | 53.17 |
| | Rosemary Hayward | Australia | 53.28 |
| 4 | Yuliya Taranova | Russia | 53.43 |
| 5 | Cindy Ega | France | 53.45 |
| 6 | Otilia Ruicu | Romania | 53.87 |
| 7 | Doreen Harstick | Germany | 54.46 |
| 8 | Li Jing | China | 54.61 |

### Semifinals

22 August

#### Semifinal 1

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Andrea Burlacu | Romania | 53.05 | Q |
| 2 | Suziann Reid | United States | 53.11 | Q |
| 3 | Doreen Harstick | Germany | 53.86 | Q |
| 4 | Yuliya Taranova | Russia | 53.95 | Q |
| 5 | Tamsyn Lewis | Australia | 54.55 | |
| 6 | Justine Bayiga | Uganda | 55.07 | |
| 7 | Ana Guevara | Mexico | 55.24 | |
| 8 | Žana Minina | Lithuania | 56.30 | |

#### Semifinal 2

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Rosemary Hayward | Australia | 53.60 | Q |
| 2 | Li Jing | China | 53.70 | Q |
| 3 | Otilia Ruicu | Romania | 53.89 | Q |
| 4 | Cindy Ega | France | 53.98 | Q |
| 5 | Jitka Burianová | Czech Republic | 54.52 | |
| 6 | Barbara Petráhn | Hungary | 55.38 | |
| 7 | Yekaterina Solovyova | Russia | 55.79 | |
| | Malika Edmonson | United States | DNS | |

### Heats

21 August

#### Heat 1

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Doreen Harstick | Germany | 54.09 | Q |
| 2 | Otilia Ruicu | Romania | 54.14 | Q |
| 3 | Li Jing | China | 54.56 | Q |
| 4 | Žana Minina | Lithuania | 55.64 | q |
| 5 | Yekaterina Solovyova | Russia | 56.40 | q |
| 6 | Gabriella Edwards | Trinidad and Tobago | 59.30 | |
| 7 | Dijana Kojic | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 60.04 | |

#### Heat 2

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Suziann Reid | United States | 53.88 | Q |
| 2 | Tamsyn Lewis | Australia | 54.39 | Q |
| 3 | Justine Bayiga | Uganda | 54.94 | Q |
| 4 | Jarita Dill | Bermuda | 57.37 | |
| 5 | Wang Xuemei | China | 58.11 | |
| 6 | Sherlene Williams | Barbados | 59.09 | |

#### Heat 3

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Cindy Ega | France | 53.98 | Q |
| 2 | Andrea Burlacu | Romania | 54.04 | Q |
| 3 | Yuliya Taranova | Russia | 54.34 | Q |
| 4 | Ana Guevara | Mexico | 56.54 | q |
| 5 | Anastasía Thomatdou | Greece | 59.00 | |

#### Heat 4

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Rosemary Hayward | Australia | 54.00 | Q |
| 2 | Barbara Petráhn | Hungary | 54.71 | Q |
| 3 | Jitka Burianová | Czech Republic | 54.83 | Q |
| 4 | Malika Edmonson | United States | 55.89 | q |
| 5 | Karina Soto | Uruguay | 56.91 | |
| 6 | Erum Khanum | Pakistan | 59.14 | |

## Participation

According to an unofficial count, 24 athletes from 19 countries participated in the event.
* Australia (2)
* Barbados (1)
* Bermuda (1)
* Bosnia and Herzegovina (1)
* China (2)
* Czech Republic (1)
* France (1)
* Germany (1)
* Greece (1)
* Hungary (1)
* Lithuania (1)
* Mexico (1)
* Pakistan (1)
* Romania (2)
* Russia (2)
* Trinidad and Tobago (1)
* Uganda (1)
* United States (2)
* Uruguay (1)