# 2012 European Athletics Championships – Women's 400 metres

The women's 400 metres at the 2012 European Athletics Championships were held at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium on 27, 28 and 29 June.

## Medalists

| Gold | Moa Hjelmer Sweden |
| Silver | Ksenia Zadorina Russia |
| Bronze | Ilona Vusovich Belarus |

## Records

Standing records prior to the 2012 European Athletics Championships :
| World record | Marita Koch (GDR) | 47.60 | Canberra, Australia | 6 October 1985 |
| European record | Marita Koch (GDR) | 47.60 | Canberra, Australia | 6 October 1985 |
| Championship record | Marita Koch (GDR) | 48.16 | Athens, Greece | 8 September 1982 |
| World Leading | Sanya Richards-Ross (USA) | 49.28 | Eugene, United States | 24 June 2012 |
| European Leading | Antonina Krivoshapka (RUS) | 49.43 | Krasnodar, Russia | 8 June 2012 |

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Round |
| 27 June 2012 | 17:50 | Round 1 |
| 28 June 2012 | 17:15 | Semifinals |
| 29 June 2012 | 22:25 | Final |

## Results
### Round 1

First 3 in each heat (Q) and 4 best performers (q) advance to the Semifinals.
| Rank | Heat | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Note |
| 1 | 4 | 3 | Ilona Vusovich | Belarus | 51.98 | Q |
| 2 | 4 | 4 | Muriel Hurtis | France | 52.11 | Q, SB |
| 3 | 1 | 4 | Ksenia Zadorina | Russia | 52.18 | Q |
| 4 | 1 | 2 | Moa Hjelmer | Sweden | 52.33 | Q |
| 5 | 3 | 2 | Marie Gayot | France | 52.46 | Q |
| 6 | 2 | 6 | Olha Zemlyak | Ukraine | 52.48 | Q |
| 7 | 3 | 8 | Lee McConnell | Great Britain | 52.58 | Q |
| 8 | 2 | 8 | Esther Cremer | Germany | 52.76 | Q |
| 9 | 2 | 2 | Agnė Šerkšnienė | Lithuania | 52.89 | Q |
| 10 | 2 | 5 | Libania Grenot | Italy | 53.09 | q |
| DQ | 3 | 3 | Pınar Saka | Turkey | 53.13 | Q, Doping |
| 11 | 4 | 7 | Jitka Bartoničková | Czech Republic | 53.15 | Q |
| 12 | 1 | 8 | Darya Prystupa | Ukraine | 53.16 | Q |
| 13 | 2 | 3 | Agata Bednarek | Poland | 53.22 | q |
| 14 | 1 | 1 | Aauri Bokesa | Spain | 53.23 | q |
| 15 | 3 | 4 | Maria Enrica Spacca | Italy | 53.26 | q |
| 16 | 2 | 7 | Sanda Belgyan | Romania | 53.32 | |
| 17 | 3 | 1 | Olessa Cojuhari | Moldova | 53.52 | |
| 18 | 3 | 5 | Justyna Święty | Poland | 53.68 | |
| 19 | 1 | 7 | Magdalena Gorzkowska | Poland | 53.74 | |
| 20 | 4 | 6 | Chiara Bazzoni | Italy | 53.92 | |
| DQ | 2 | 4 | Meliz Redif | Turkey | 53.99 | Doping |
| 21 | 3 | 6 | Adelina Pastor | Romania | 54.35 | |
| 22 | 1 | 3 | Kelly Massey | Great Britain | 54.44 | |
| 23 | 4 | 8 | Ella Räsänen | Finland | 54.52 | SB |
| 24 | 4 | 2 | Josefin Magnusson | Sweden | 55.01 | |
| 25 | 1 | 5 | Anita Banović | Croatia | 55.50 | |
| 26 | 1 | 6 | Birsen Engen | Turkey | 55.82 | |
| | 4 | 1 | Nicola Sanders | Great Britain | DNS | |
| | 3 | 7 | Maris Mägi | Estonia | DQ | |
| | 4 | 5 | Joanne Cuddihy | Ireland | DQ | |

### Semifinals

First 3 in each heat (Q) and 2 best performers (q) advance to the Final.
| Rank | Heat | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Note |
| 1 | 1 | 4 | Ksenia Zadorina | Russia | 51.35 | Q, SB |
| 2 | 1 | 3 | Moa Hjelmer | Sweden | 51.40 | Q, NR |
| 3 | 1 | 6 | Lee McConnell | Great Britain | 51.98 | Q, SB |
| 4 | 2 | 2 | Libania Grenot | Italy | 52.02 | Q |
| 5 | 2 | 5 | Olha Zemlyak | Ukraine | 52.10 | Q |
| 6 | 2 | 4 | Ilona Vusovich | Belarus | 52.10 | Q |
| 7 | 2 | 3 | Muriel Hurtis | France | 52.13 | q |
| 8 | 1 | 8 | Darya Prystupa | Ukraine | 52.15 | q |
| 9 | 1 | 5 | Marie Gayot | France | 52.17 | |
| 10 | 1 | 1 | Aauri Lorena Bokesa | Spain | 52.47 | PB |
| 11 | 2 | 6 | Esther Cremer | Germany | 52.77 | |
| 12 | 2 | 7 | Jitka Bartoničková | Czech Republic | 52.78 | |
| DQ | 1 | 7 | Pınar Saka | Turkey | 52.84 | Doping |
| 13 | 1 | 2 | Maria Enrica Spacca | Italy | 53.02 | |
| 14 | 2 | 8 | Agnė Šerkšnienė | Lithuania | 53.07 | |
| | 2 | 1 | Agata Bednarek | Poland | DQ | |

### Final

| Rank | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Note |
| | 6 | Moa Hjelmer | Sweden | 51.13 | NR |
| | 4 | Ksenia Zadorina | Russia | 51.26 | SB |
| | 7 | Ilona Vusovich | Belarus | 51.94 | |
| 4 | 5 | Olha Zemlyak | Ukraine | 52.01 | |
| 5 | 8 | Lee McConnell | Great Britain | 52.20 | |
| 6 | 3 | Libania Grenot | Italy | 52.57 | |
| 7 | 1 | Darya Prystupa | Ukraine | 53.03 | |
| 8 | 2 | Muriel Hurtis | France | 54.50 | |