# Athletics at the 2024 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metres

The men's 400 metres at the 2024 Summer Olympics was held in four rounds at the Stade de France in Paris, France, between 4-7 August 2024. This was the 30th time that the men's 400 metres was contested at the Summer Olympics. A total of 48 athletes were able to qualify for the event by entry standard or ranking.
The 2024 men's final was the fastest 400-meter race in Olympic history, collectively: five of the eight men ran under 43.87 seconds, with these five times ranking among the top 15 fastest Olympic times.
The winning margin was 0.04 seconds which is the narrowest winning margin in the men's 400 metres at the Olympics since the introduction of fully automatic timing.
Steven Gardiner was a reigning champion in Tokyo 2021, but he did not start in the fourth heat.

## Summary

The entire podium from Tokyo returned, Steven Gardiner, Anthony Zambrano and Kirani James. James was the 2012 Olympic champion and complete set of medals. Zambrano was largely absent during the season. Also returning was 5th place Michael Norman with a chip on his shoulder to settle. Norman won the 2022 World Championships but didn't get to 2023, won by Antonio Watson. The world leader for the season was 2022 bronze medalist Matthew Hudson-Smith.
World record holder Wayde van Niekerk has been on the comeback trail after a devastating injury in 2017 but instead elected to run 200 metres. Watson didn't appear, and Gardiner didn't start. Zambrano didn't qualify into the semis. James won his semi in 43.78, the fastest semi ever, but he was pushed by Commonwealth Games Champion Muzala Samukonga in 43.81. Quincy Hall ran an eased up 43.95 to win his semi.
On the inside lanes of the final, Norman and James got off fastest. Onto the back stretch, on the far outside Jereem Richards accelerated to take the lead, splitting 20.46 at the 200, with James, Hudson-Smith and Samukonga. Going into the turn Hall edged ahead of Norman into fifth. Coming off the turn Hudson-Smith assumed the lead barely ahead of Richards and James. Hall looked like he was struggling but had edged ahead of Samukonga. Down the home stretch with the three leaders holding the same positions trying to get to the finish. With his head shaking and arms pumping, Hall was moving faster than all of them, with Samukonga also sprinting home. Just before the line, Hall picked off all three leaders to cross the line with gold. Samukonga got past James and Richards to pick off a bronze.
After the finish, Hall did a snow angel on the dry track to celebrate. Hall ran the #4 time in history, Hudson-Smith #5, the fastest non-winning time in history and a new European record. Samukonga #13 and Richards #14 also both achieved national records.

## Background

The men's 400 metres has been present on the Olympic athletics programme since the inaugural edition in 1896. The reigning Olympic champion is Steven Gardiner from the Bahamas.
Global records before the 2024 Summer Olympics :
| Record | Athlete (nation) | Time (s) | Location | Date |
| World record | Wayde van Niekerk (RSA) | 43.03 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 14 August 2016 |
| Olympic record | Wayde van Niekerk (RSA) | 43.03 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 14 August 2016 |
| World leading | Matthew Hudson-Smith (GBR) | 43.74 | London, United Kingdom | 20 July 2024 |
Area records before the 2024 Summer Olympics :
| Area record | Athlete (nation) | Time (s) |
| Africa (records) | Wayde van Niekerk (RSA) | 43.03 WR |
| Asia (records) | Yousef Masrahi (KSA) | 43.93 |
| Europe (records) | Matthew Hudson-Smith (GBR) | 43.74 |
| North, Central America and Caribbean (records) | Michael Johnson (USA) | 43.18 |
| Oceania (records) | Darren Clark (AUS) | 44.38 |
| South America (records) | Anthony Zambrano (COL) | 43.93 |

## Qualification

For the men's 400 metres event, the qualification period is between 1 July 2023 and 30 June 2024. 48 athletes are able to qualify for the event, with a maximum of three athletes per nation, by running the entry standard of 45.00 seconds or faster or by their World Athletics Ranking for this event.

## Results
### Heats

The heats are scheduled to be held on 4 August, starting at 19:05 (UTC+2) in the evening. Qualification rule: First 3 in each heat (Q) advance to semi-finals, all others advance to Repechage round (except DNS, DNF, DQ).

#### Heat 1

| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 6 | Matthew Hudson-Smith | Great Britain | 44.78 | Q |
| 2 | 3 | Christopher Bailey | United States | 44.89 | Q |
| 3 | 4 | Håvard Bentdal Ingvaldsen | Norway | 45.46 | Q |
| 4 | 7 | Chidi Okezie | Nigeria | 45.52 | |
| 5 | 2 | Kentaro Sato | Japan | 45.60 | |
| 6 | 8 | Oleksandr Pohorilko | Ukraine | 45.71 | |
| 7 | 5 | Deandre Watkin | Jamaica | 45.97 | |

#### Heat 2

| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 6 | Michael Norman | United States | 44.10 | Q, SB |
| 2 | 9 | Jereem Richards | Trinidad and Tobago | 44.31 | Q |
| 3 | 2 | Busang Kebinatshipi | Botswana | 44.45 | Q, PB |
| 4 | 8 | Ammar Ibrahim | Qatar | 44.66 | PB |
| 5 | 5 | Sean Bailey | Jamaica | 44.68 | |
| 6 | 4 | Attila Molnár | Hungary | 45.24 | |
| 7 | 7 | Anthony Zambrano | Colombia | 45.49 | |
| 8 | 3 | Michael Joseph | Saint Lucia | 45.69 | |

#### Heat 3

| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 3 | Muzala Samukonga | Zambia | 44.56 | Q |
| 2 | 2 | Bayapo Ndori | Botswana | 44.87 | Q |
| 3 | 8 | Luca Sito | Italy | 44.99 | Q |
| 4 | 5 | Jean Paul Bredau | Germany | 45.07 | |
| 5 | 7 | Dylan Borlée | Belgium | 45.36 | |
| 6 | 9 | Yuki Joseph Nakajima | Japan | 45.37 | |
| 7 | 6 | Lythe Pillay | South Africa | 45.60 | |
| 8 | 4 | Matěj Krsek | Czech Republic | 45.71 | |

#### Heat 4

| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 7 | Quincy Hall | United States | 44.28 | Q |
| 2 | 5 | Samuel Ogazi | Nigeria | 44.50 | Q, PB |
| 3 | 6 | Reece Holder | Australia | 44.53 | Q, PB |
| 4 | 8 | Jonathan Sacoor | Belgium | 45.08 | |
| 5 | 2 | Alexander Ogando | Dominican Republic | 45.11 | SB |
| 6 | 3 | Elián Larregina | Argentina | 47.80 | |
| | 4 | Steven Gardiner | Bahamas | DNS | |

#### Heat 5

| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 6 | Kirani James | Grenada | 44.78 | Q |
| 2 | 8 | Christopher Morales Williams | Canada | 44.96 | Q |
| 3 | 9 | Aruna Darshana | Sri Lanka | 44.99 | Q, PB |
| 4 | 4 | Zakithi Nene | South Africa | 45.01 | |
| 5 | 7 | Leungo Scotch | Botswana | 45.28 | |
| 6 | 3 | Lionel Spitz | Switzerland | 45.81 | |
| 7 | 5 | Lucas Carvalho | Brazil | 45.85 | |
| 8 | 2 | Davide Re | Italy | 46.74 | |

#### Heat 6

| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 5 | Charlie Dobson | Great Britain | 44.96 | Q |
| 2 | 7 | Alexander Doom | Belgium | 45.01 | Q |
| 3 | 3 | Jevaughn Powell | Jamaica | 45.12 | Q |
| 4 | 9 | João Coelho | Portugal | 45.35 | SB |
| 5 | 2 | Cheikh Tidiane Diouf | Senegal | 45.59 | |
| 6 | 8 | Fuga Sato | Japan | 46.13 | |
| 7 | 4 | Gilles Biron | France | 46.19 | |
| | 6 | Zablon Ekwam | Kenya | DNF | |

### Repechage round

The repechage round was scheduled to be held on 5 August, starting at 11:20 (UTC+2) in the morning. Qualification rule: First in each Repechage heat (Q) and next 2 fastest (q) advance to semi-finals.

#### Heat 1

| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 4 | Elián Larregina | Argentina | 45.36 | Q |
| 2 | 8 | Gilles Biron | France | 45.87 | |
| 3 | 3 | Lucas Carvalho | Brazil | 46.24 | |
| | 7 | Davide Re | Italy | DNS | |
| | 2 | Jonathan Sacoor | Belgium | DNS | |
| | 6 | Fuga Sato | Japan | DNS | |
| | 5 | Deandre Watkin | Jamaica | DNS | |

#### Heat 2

| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 5 | Lythe Pillay | South Africa | 45.40 | Q |
| 2 | 7 | Matěj Krsek | Czech Republic | 45.53 | PB |
| 3 | 3 | Oleksandr Pohorilko | Ukraine | 45.59 | |
| 4 | 6 | Michael Joseph | Saint Lucia | 45.64 | |
| 5 | 4 | Chidi Okezie | Nigeria | 45.92 | |
| | 2 | Yuki Joseph Nakajima | Japan | DNS | |
| | 8 | Alexander Ogando | Dominican Republic | DNS | |

#### Heat 3

| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 4 | Zakithi Nene | South Africa | 44.81 | Q |
| 2 | 6 | Leungo Scotch | Botswana | 45.33 | q |
| 3 | 3 | Attila Molnár | Hungary | 45.45 | |
| 4 | 5 | Lionel Spitz | Switzerland | 45.51 | |
| | 8 | Kentaro Sato | Japan | DNS | |
| | 7 | Anthony Zambrano | Colombia | DNS | |

#### Heat 4

| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 3 | Ammar Ibrahim | Qatar | 44.77 | Q |
| 2 | 8 | Cheikh Tidiane Diouf | Senegal | 45.03 | q, =PB |
| 3 | 3 | Jean Paul Bredau | Germany | 45.40 | |
| 4 | 7 | Dylan Borlée | Belgium | 45.51 | |
| 5 | 4 | João Coelho | Portugal | 45.64 | |
| | 5 | Sean Bailey | Jamaica | DNF | |

### Semi-finals

The semi-finals were scheduled to be held on 6 August, starting at 19:35 (UTC+2) in the evening. Qualification rule: First 2 in each heat (Q) and next 2 fastest (q) advance to final.

#### Semifinal 1

| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 5 | Quincy Hall | United States | 43.95 | Q |
| 2 | 7 | Jereem Richards | Trinidad and Tobago | 44.33 | Q |
| 3 | 4 | Busang Kebinatshipi | Botswana | 44.43 | |
| 4 | 8 | Charlie Dobson | Great Britain | 44.48 | PB |
| 5 | 3 | Ammar Ibrahim | Qatar | 44.63 | PB |
| 6 | 2 | Cheikh Tidiane Diouf | Senegal | 44.94 | NR |
| 7 | 9 | Håvard Bentdal Ingvaldsen | Norway | 45.60 | |
| 8 | 6 | Alexander Doom | Belgium | 1:55.10 | |

#### Semifinal 2

| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 8 | Kirani James | Grenada | 43.78 | Q, SB |
| 2 | 5 | Muzala Samukonga | Zambia | 43.81 | Q, NR |
| 3 | 6 | Christopher Bailey | United States | 44.31 | q, PB |
| 4 | 7 | Bayapo Ndori | Botswana | 44.43 | |
| 5 | 9 | Luca Sito | Italy | 45.01 | |
| 6 | 2 | Elián Larregina | Argentina | 45.02 | |
| 7 | 3 | Lythe Pillay | South Africa | 45.24 | |
| | 4 | Aruna Darshana | Sri Lanka | DQ | TR17.2.3 |

#### Semifinal 3

| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 7 | Matthew Hudson-Smith | Great Britain | 44.07 | Q |
| 2 | 6 | Michael Norman | United States | 44.26 | Q |
| 3 | 5 | Samuel Ogazi | Nigeria | 44.41 | q, PB |
| 4 | 9 | Jevaughn Powell | Jamaica | 44.91 | |
| 5 | 4 | Reece Holder | Australia | 44.94 | |
| 6 | 3 | Zakithi Nene | South Africa | 45.06 | |
| 7 | 2 | Leungo Scotch | Botswana | 45.16 | |
| 8 | 8 | Christopher Morales Williams | Canada | 45.25 | |

### Final

The final was scheduled to be held on 7 August, starting at 21:20 (UTC+2) in the evening.
| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| | 8 | Quincy Hall | United States | 43.40 | PB, WL |
| | 6 | Matthew Hudson-Smith | Great Britain | 43.44 | AR |
| | 7 | Muzala Samukonga | Zambia | 43.74 | NR |
| 4 | 9 | Jereem Richards | Trinidad and Tobago | 43.78 | NR |
| 5 | 5 | Kirani James | Grenada | 43.87 | |
| 6 | 2 | Christopher Bailey | United States | 44.58 | |
| 7 | 3 | Samuel Ogazi | Nigeria | 44.73 | |
| 8 | 4 | Michael Norman | United States | 45.62 | |