# Athletics at the 2002 Commonwealth Games – Women's 400 metres

The women's 400 metres event at the 2002 Commonwealth Games was held on 26–28 July 2002.
The winning margin was 0.05 seconds which as of 2024 remains the only time the women's 400 metres was won by less than a tenth of a second at these games.
The women's 400 meters event at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, United Kingdom, showcased talented athletes from various Commonwealth nations competing for the coveted title.
The gold medal in the women's 400 meters was won by Amy Mbacké Thiam from Senegal, who displayed an exceptional performance. Thiam completed the race in a time of 50.89 seconds, securing the top position on the podium.
The silver medal went to Lorraine Fenton of Jamaica, who put forth a strong effort with a time of 51.02 seconds. Fenton's performance demonstrated her skill and determination.
Bronze was claimed by Catherine Murphy from Australia, finishing with a time of 51.35 seconds. Murphy showcased her abilities, contributing to Australia's success in athletics.
These athletes, along with other competitors in the event, demonstrated their speed, endurance, and competitive spirit. The women's 400 meters at the 2002 Commonwealth Games provided an exciting showcase of athletic prowess and memorable performances.

## Medalists

| Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| Aliann Pompey Guyana | Lee McConnell Scotland | Sandie Richards Jamaica |

## Results
### Heats

Qualification: First 4 of each heat (Q) and the next 4 fastest (q) qualified for the quarterfinals.
| Rank | Heat | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 2 | Allison Beckford | Jamaica | 52.29 | Q |
| 2 | 2 | Christine Amertil | Bahamas | 52.64 | Q |
| 3 | 2 | Aliann Pompey | Guyana | 52.88 | Q |
| 4 | 1 | Ronetta Smith | Jamaica | 52.92 | Q |
| 5 | 3 | Catherine Murphy | Wales | 53.09 | Q |
| 6 | 5 | Mireille Nguimgo | Cameroon | 53.14 | Q |
| 7 | 4 | Sandie Richards | Jamaica | 53.29 | Q |
| 8 | 5 | LaDonna Antoine-Watkins | Canada | 53.44 | Q |
| 9 | 3 | Hortense Bewouda | Cameroon | 53.58 | Q |
| 10 | 4 | Helen Frost | England | 53.78 | Q |
| 11 | 2 | Damayanthi Darsha | Sri Lanka | 53.99 | Q |
| 11 | 3 | Jane Arnott | New Zealand | 53.99 | Q |
| 13 | 2 | Foy Williams | Canada | 54.05 | q |
| 14 | 3 | Melanie Purkiss | England | 54.14 | Q |
| 15 | 4 | Lami Oyewumi | Canada | 54.21 | Q |
| 16 | 5 | Heide Seyerling | South Africa | 54.23 | Q |
| 17 | 5 | Kudirat Akhigbe | Nigeria | 54.33 | Q |
| 18 | 1 | Doris Jacob | Nigeria | 54.34 | Q |
| 19 | 1 | Helen Karagounis | England | 54.47 | Q |
| 20 | 2 | Adia McKinnon | Trinidad and Tobago | 54.57 | q |
| 21 | 4 | Nickeisha Charles | Trinidad and Tobago | 54.80 | Q |
| 22 | 4 | Carey Easton | Scotland | 54.97 | q |
| 23 | 3 | Hajarat Yusuf | Nigeria | 55.09 | q |
| 24 | 1 | Lee McConnell | Scotland | 55.62 | Q |
| 25 | 5 | Theodora Kyriakou | Cyprus | 56.13 | |
| 26 | 2 | Geraldine Elysee | Mauritius | 57.22 | PB |
| 27 | 5 | Vasiti Vatureba | Fiji | 57.62 | |
| 28 | 3 | Yaznee Nasheeda | Maldives | 1:04.14 | |
| | 1 | Fatmata Bash-Koroma | Sierra Leone | DQ | |
| | 1 | Mereoni Raluve | Fiji | DQ | |
| | 4 | Hazel-Ann Regis | Grenada | DQ | |
| | 4 | Tina Paulino | Mozambique | DNS | |

### Quarterfinals

Qualification: First 4 of each heat (Q) and the next 4 fastest qualified for the semifinals.
| Rank | Heat | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 1 | Sandie Richards | Jamaica | 51.91 | Q |
| 2 | 3 | Christine Amertil | Bahamas | 52.13 | Q |
| 3 | 2 | Allison Beckford | Jamaica | 52.14 | Q |
| 4 | 1 | Catherine Murphy | Wales | 52.15 | Q |
| 4 | 3 | Lee McConnell | Scotland | 52.15 | Q |
| 6 | 2 | Heide Seyerling | South Africa | 52.36 | Q |
| 7 | 2 | LaDonna Antoine-Watkins | Canada | 52.37 | Q |
| 8 | 2 | Hortense Bewouda | Cameroon | 52.41 | Q |
| 9 | 2 | Jane Arnott | New Zealand | 52.48 | q |
| 10 | 1 | Mireille Nguimgo | Cameroon | 52.50 | Q |
| 11 | 3 | Aliann Pompey | Guyana | 52.61 | Q |
| 12 | 3 | Helen Frost | England | 52.67 | Q, SB |
| 13 | 1 | Helen Karagounis | England | 52.69 | Q |
| 14 | 1 | Doris Jacob | Nigeria | 53.03 | q |
| 15 | 2 | Melanie Purkiss | England | 53.08 | q |
| 16 | 1 | Foy Williams | Canada | 53.26 | q |
| 17 | 2 | Hajarat Yusuf | Nigeria | 53.58 | |
| 17 | 3 | Lami Oyewumi | Canada | 53.58 | |
| 19 | 3 | Kudirat Akhigbe | Nigeria | 53.64 | |
| 20 | 1 | Adia McKinnon | Trinidad and Tobago | 53.84 | |
| 21 | 3 | Nickeisha Charles | Trinidad and Tobago | 53.87 | |
| 22 | 1 | Damayanthi Darsha | Sri Lanka | 53.91 | |
| 23 | 2 | Carey Easton | Scotland | 54.10 | |
| | 3 | Ronetta Smith | Jamaica | DQ | |

### Semifinals

Qualification: First 4 of each heat qualified directly (Q) for the final.
| Rank | Heat | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 2 | Lee McConnell | Scotland | 51.29 | Q, PB |
| 2 | 2 | Aliann Pompey | Guyana | 51.34 | Q, NR |
| 3 | 2 | Catherine Murphy | Wales | 51.36 | Q, PB |
| 4 | 1 | Christine Amertil | Bahamas | 51.38 | Q |
| 5 | 2 | Sandie Richards | Jamaica | 51.45 | Q |
| 6 | 2 | Mireille Nguimgo | Cameroon | 51.76 | SB |
| 7 | 2 | Helen Karagounis | England | 51.97 | PB |
| 8 | 1 | Hortense Bewouda | Cameroon | 52.00 | Q |
| 9 | 1 | Allison Beckford | Jamaica | 52.10 | Q |
| 10 | 1 | Heide Seyerling | South Africa | 52.12 | Q |
| 11 | 1 | LaDonna Antoine-Watkins | Canada | 52.44 | |
| 12 | 1 | Helen Frost | England | 52.71 | |
| 13 | 1 | Doris Jacob | Nigeria | 52.88 | |
| 14 | 2 | Foy Williams | Canada | 53.21 | |
| 15 | 1 | Melanie Purkiss | England | 53.32 | |
| 16 | 2 | Jane Arnott | New Zealand | 53.49 | |

### Final

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time |
| | Aliann Pompey | Guyana | 51.63 |
| | Lee McConnell | Scotland | 51.68 |
| | Sandie Richards | Jamaica | 51.79 |
| 4 | Allison Beckford | Jamaica | 51.81 |
| 5 | Heide Seyerling | South Africa | 52.87 |
| 6 | Catherine Murphy | Wales | 52.91 |
| 7 | Hortense Bewouda | Cameroon | 53.00 |
| 8 | Christine Amertil | Bahamas | 53.45 |