# 1987 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 400 metres

These are the official results of the Men's 400 metres event at the 1987 IAAF World Championships in Rome, Italy. There were a total number of 48 participating athletes, with six qualifying heats and the final held on Thursday 3rd September 1987. The winning margin was 0.23 seconds.

## Medalists

| Gold | Thomas Schönlebe East Germany (GDR) |
| Silver | Innocent Egbunike Nigeria (NGA) |
| Bronze | Harry Reynolds United States (USA) |

## Records

Existing records at the start of the event.
| World Record | Lee Evans (USA) | 43.86 | Mexico City, Mexico | October 18, 1968 |
| Championship Record | Bert Cameron (JAM) | 45.05 | Helsinki, Finland | August 10, 1983 |

## Final

| RANK | FINAL | TIME |
| | Thomas Schönlebe (GDR) | 44.33 AR |
| | Innocent Egbunike (NGR) | 44.56 |
| | Butch Reynolds (USA) | 44.80 |
| 4. | Roberto Hernández (CUB) | 44.99 |
| 5. | Derek Redmond (GBR) | 45.06 |
| 6. | David Kitur (KEN) | 45.34 |
| 7. | Gabriel Tiacoh (CIV) | 46.27 |
| 8. | Roddie Haley (USA) | 46.77 |

## Semifinals

* Held on Sunday 1987-09-01
| RANK | HEAT 1 | TIME |
| 1. | Innocent Egbunike (NGR) | 44.26 |
| 2. | Thomas Schönlebe (GDR) | 44.56 |
| 3. | Roberto Hernández (CUB) | 44.83 |
| 4. | Roddie Haley (USA) | 45.21 |
| 5. | Marcel Arnold (SUI) | 45.26 |
| 6. | Anton Skerritt (CAN) | 45.62 |
| 7. | Mathias Schersing (GDR) | 45.67 |
| 8. | Aleksandr Kurochkin (URS) | 45.73 |
| 9. | Devon Morris (JAM) | 45.76 |
| RANK | HEAT 2 | TIME |
| 1. | Derek Redmond (GBR) | 44.50 |
| 2. | Gabriel Tiacoh (CIV) | 44.69 |
| 3. | David Kitur (KEN) | 44.73 |
| 4. | Harry Reynolds (USA) | 44.94 |
| 5. | Jens Carlowitz (GDR) | 44.97 |
| 6. | Bert Cameron (JAM) | 45.19 |
| 7. | Moses Ugbisie (NGR) | 45.72 |
| 8. | Darren Clark (AUS) | 45.93 |

## Quarterfinals

* Held on Saturday 1987-08-31
| RANK | HEAT 1 | TIME |
| 1. | Derek Redmond (GBR) | 45.03 |
| 2. | Roberto Hernández (CUB) | 45.33 |
| 3. | Mathias Schersing (GDR) | 45.50 |
| 4. | Darren Clark (AUS) | 45.58 |
| 5. | Hector Daley (PAN) | 46.05 |
| 6. | Antonio Sánchez (ESP) | 46.19 |
| 7. | John Anzrah (KEN) | 46.45 |
| | Alemayehu Gudeta (ETH) | DNS |
| RANK | HEAT 2 | TIME |
| 1. | Thomas Schönlebe (GDR) | 44.81 |
| 2. | David Kitur (KEN) | 44.94 |
| 3. | Roddie Haley (USA) | 45.14 |
| 4. | Bert Cameron (JAM) | 45.14 |
| 5. | Susumu Takano (JPN) | 45.81 |
| 6. | Mohamed Amer Al-Malky (OMA) | 45.94 |
| 7. | Vladimir Prosin (URS) | 45.94 |
| 8. | Luboš Balošák (TCH) | 46.76 |
| RANK | HEAT 3 | TIME |
| 1. | Innocent Egbunike (NGR) | 45.46 |
| 2. | Devon Morris (JAM) | 45.49 |
| 3. | Butch Reynolds (USA) | 45.49 |
| 4. | Anton Skerritt (CAN) | 45.65 |
| 5. | Aleksandr Kurochkin (URS) | 45.76 |
| 6. | Tito Sawe (KEN) | 45.93 |
| 7. | Gérson de Souza (BRA) | 46.46 |
| 8. | Ismail Mačev (YUG) | 46.54 |
| RANK | HEAT 4 | TIME |
| 1. | Jens Carlowitz (GDR) | 45.27 |
| 2. | Moses Ugbisie (NGR) | 45.30 |
| 3. | Gabriel Tiacoh (CIV) | 45.33 |
| 4. | Marcel Arnold (SUI) | 45.76 |
| 5. | Antonio McKay (USA) | 45.85 |
| 6. | Elvis Forde (BAR) | 45.92 |
| 7. | Philip Brown (GBR) | 46.49 |
| 8. | Roberto Ribaud (ITA) | 46.68 |

## Qualifying heats

* Held on Saturday 1987-08-30
| RANK | HEAT 1 | TIME |
| 1. | Butch Reynolds (USA) | 45.51 |
| 2. | Susumu Takano (JPN) | 45.68 |
| 3. | Mathias Schersing (GDR) | 45.86 |
| 4. | Anton Skerritt (CAN) | 46.15 |
| 5. | Mohamed Amer Al-Malky (OMN) | 46.23 |
| 6. | Bruce Phillip (DMA) | 46.56 |
| 7. | Félix Stevens (CUB) | 46.89 |
| | Mohamed Hossain Milzer (BAN) | DNS |
| RANK | HEAT 2 | TIME |
| 1. | David Kitur (KEN) | 45.39 |
| 2. | Innocent Egbunike (NGR) | 45.84 |
| 3. | Elvis Forde (BAR) | 45.99 |
| 4. | Hector Daley (PAN) | 46.26 |
| 5. | Todd Bennett (GBR) | 46.58 |
| 6. | Lyndon George (LCA) | 47.25 |
| 7. | Ian Morris (TRI) | 48.06 |
| 8. | Bienvenu Yagbongo (CAF) | 50.14 |
| RANK | HEAT 3 | TIME |
| 1. | Gabriel Tiacoh (CIV) | 45.65 |
| 2. | Darren Clark (AUS) | 45.70 |
| 3. | Aleksandr Kurochkin (URS) | 45.74 |
| 4. | Marcel Arnold (SUI) | 45.76 |
| 5. | Devon Morris (JAM) | 45.83 |
| 6. | Ismail Mačev (YUG) | 46.30 |
| 7. | Gérson de Souza (BRA) | 46.39 |
| | Yaya Seyba (MLI) | DNS |
| RANK | HEAT 4 | TIME |
| 1. | Moses Ugbisie (NGR) | 45.55 |
| 2. | Thomas Schönlebe (GDR) | 45.85 |
| 3. | Antonio McKay (USA) | 46.30 |
| 4. | Roberto Ribaud (ITA) | 46.37 |
| 5. | Yann Quentrec (FRA) | 46.78 |
| 6. | Mark Senior (JAM) | 47.30 |
| 7. | Adram M'Kumi (TAN) | 47.39 |
| 8. | Dawda Jallow (GAM) | 48.40 |
| RANK | HEAT 5 | TIME |
| 1. | Derek Redmond (GBR) | 45.33 |
| 2. | Jens Carlowitz (GDR) | 45.52 |
| 3. | Roddie Haley (USA) | 45.73 |
| 4. | Tito Sawe (KEN) | 45.93 |
| 5. | Luboš Balošák (TCH) | 46.49 |
| 6. | Antonio Sánchez (ESP) | 46.54 |
| 7. | Tamás Molnár (HUN) | 46.80 |
| 8. | Elieser Wattebosi (INA) | 47.32 |
| RANK | HEAT 6 | TIME |
| 1. | Roberto Hernández (CUB) | 45.68 |
| 2. | John Anzrah (KEN) | 45.91 |
| 3. | Bert Cameron (JAM) | 45.94 |
| 4. | Philip Brown (GBR) | 46.08 |
| 5. | Alemayehu Gudeta (ETH) | 46.25 |
| 6. | Vladimir Prosin (URS) | 46.26 |
| 7. | Jesús Malavé (VEN) | 47.10 |
| 8. | Lenford O'Garro (VIN) | 49.19 |