# Athletics at the 1998 Commonwealth Games – Women's 400 metres

The women's 400 metres event at the 1998 Commonwealth Games was held 16–18 September on National Stadium, Bukit Jalil.

## Medalists

| Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| Sandie Richards Jamaica | Allison Curbishley Scotland | Donna Fraser England |

## Results
### Heats

Qualification: First 3 of each heat (Q) and the next 4 fastest (q) qualified for the semifinals.
| Rank | Heat | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 2 | Damayanthi Dharsha | Sri Lanka | 52.04 | Q |
| 2 | 4 | Sandie Richards | Jamaica | 52.37 | Q |
| 3 | 1 | LaDonna Antoine | Canada | 52.61 | Q |
| 4 | 1 | Veronica Bawuah | Ghana | 52.64 | Q, PB |
| 5 | 1 | Donna Fraser | England | 52.65 | Q |
| 6 | 3 | Allison Curbishley | Scotland | 52.66 | Q |
| 7 | 3 | Melissa Straker | Barbados | 52.77 | Q |
| 8 | 1 | Justine Bayigga | Uganda | 52.86 | q |
| 9 | 1 | Mireille Nguimgo | Cameroon | 52.90 | q |
| 10 | 3 | Susan Andrews | Australia | 52.98 | Q |
| 11 | 4 | Foy Williams | Canada | 53.02 | Q |
| 12 | 2 | Lee Naylor | Australia | 53.13 | Q |
| 13 | 2 | Claudine Komgang | Cameroon | 53.20 | Q |
| 14 | 4 | Michelle Thomas | England | 53.23 | Q |
| 15 | 4 | Dora Kyriacou | Cyprus | 53.68 | q |
| 16 | 4 | Manimegalay Nadarajah | Malaysia | 53.71 | q |
| 17 | 2 | Michelle Pierre | England | 53.92 | |
| 18 | 3 | Mary Apio | Uganda | 55.00 | |
| 19 | 4 | Joanne Durant | Barbados | 55.08 | |
| 20 | 1 | Chitra Mooloo | Mauritius | 55.20 | |
| 21 | 1 | Mary Estelle Kapalu | Vanuatu | 55.60 | SB |
| 22 | 2 | Leticia John Mutta | Tanzania | 55.72 | |
| 23 | 3 | Stephanie Llewellyn | Northern Ireland | 56.05 | |
| 24 | 1 | Palaniappan Kuganeswari | Malaysia | 56.73 | |
| 25 | 2 | Marcia Daniel | Dominica | 56.84 | |
| 26 | 3 | Supramaniam Rathimalar | Malaysia | 58.75 | |
| 27 | 2 | Vasa Tulahe | Tonga | 1:02.21 | |
| 28 | 4 | Yaznee Nasheeda | Maldives | 1:05.07 | SB |
| | 3 | Venolyn Clarke | Canada | DNF | |
| | 2 | Tina Paulino | Mozambique | DNS | |

### Semifinals

Qualification: First 4 of each heat qualified directly (Q) for the final.
| Rank | Heat | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 2 | Sandie Richards | Jamaica | 50.65 | Q |
| 2 | 2 | Donna Fraser | England | 50.85 | Q, PB |
| 3 | 2 | Allison Curbishley | Scotland | 51.64 | Q |
| 4 | 1 | Damayanthi Dharsha | Sri Lanka | 51.70 | Q |
| 5 | 1 | Lee Naylor | Australia | 52.20 | Q |
| 6 | 1 | LaDonna Antoine | Canada | 52.30 | Q |
| 7 | 2 | Melissa Straker | Barbados | 52.32 | Q, PB |
| 8 | 2 | Foy Williams | Canada | 52.35 | |
| 9 | 1 | Veronica Bawuah | Ghana | 52.58 | Q |
| 10 | 2 | Susan Andrews | Australia | 52.65 | |
| 11 | 1 | Justine Bayigga | Uganda | 52.86 | |
| 12 | 1 | Claudine Komgang | Cameroon | 52.92 | |
| 13 | 2 | Mireille Nguimgo | Cameroon | 53.05 | |
| 14 | 1 | Michelle Thomas | England | 53.32 | |
| 15 | 1 | Manimegalay Nadarajah | Malaysia | 54.02 | |
| 16 | 2 | Dora Kyriacou | Cyprus | 54.04 | |

### Final

| Rank | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| | 4 | Sandie Richards | Jamaica | 50.17 | GR |
| | 2 | Allison Curbishley | Scotland | 50.71 | |
| | 3 | Donna Fraser | England | 51.01 | |
| 4 | 5 | Damayanthi Darsha | Sri Lanka | 51.06 | |
| 5 | 6 | Lee Naylor | Australia | 52.15 | |
| 6 | 8 | Veronica Bawuah | Ghana | 52.70 | |
| 7 | 7 | Melissa Straker | Barbados | 52.84 | |
| 8 | 1 | LaDonna Antoine | Canada | 52.93 | |