# 1998 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 400 metres hurdles

The women's 400 metres hurdles event at the 1998 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Annecy, France, at Parc des Sports on 28, 29 and 31 July.

## Medalists

| Gold | Li Yulian China |
| Silver | Allison Beckford Jamaica |
| Bronze | Sun Hong Wei China |

## Results
### Final

31 July
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time |
| | Li Yulian | China | 55.93 |
| | Allison Beckford | Jamaica | 57.19 |
| | Sun Hong Wei | China | 57.43 |
| 4 | Peta-Gaye Gayle | Jamaica | 57.73 |
| 5 | Vanessa Becker | South Africa | 58.19 |
| 6 | Olivia Abderrhamane | France | 58.22 |
| 7 | Medina Tudor | Romania | 58.56 |
| 8 | Astrid Joziasse | Netherlands | 59.70 |

### Semifinals

29 July

#### Semifinal 1

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Sun Hong Wei | China | 57.77 | Q |
| 2 | Peta-Gaye Gayle | Jamaica | 57.79 | Q |
| 3 | Vanessa Becker | South Africa | 59.06 | Q |
| 4 | Astrid Joziasse | Netherlands | 59.25 | q |
| 5 | Angeles Pantoja | Mexico | 59.43 | |
| 6 | Kylie Wheeler | Australia | 59.80 | |
| 7 | Rachael Kay | United Kingdom | 60.12 | |
| 8 | Hedda Jacob | Germany | 60.45 | |

#### Semifinal 2

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Li Yulian | China | 57.07 | Q |
| 2 | Allison Beckford | Jamaica | 57.28 | Q |
| 3 | Olivia Abderrhamane | France | 58.47 | Q |
| 4 | Medina Tudor | Romania | 58.69 | q |
| 5 | Tracey Duncan | United Kingdom | 59.39 | |
| 6 | Kristin Ringel | Germany | 59.57 | |
| 7 | Jamillah Wade | United States | 59.66 | |
| 8 | Sonia Brito | Australia | 60.25 | |

### Heats

28 July

#### Heat 1

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Allison Beckford | Jamaica | 58.53 | Q |
| 2 | Kylie Wheeler | Australia | 59.44 | Q |
| 3 | Hedda Jacob | Germany | 60.12 | Q |
| 4 | Elodie Cruchant | France | 60.90 | |
| 5 | Marina Shiyan | Russia | 61.13 | |
| 6 | Velveth Moreno | Panama | 61.68 | |
| 7 | Barbara Bello | Italy | 61.69 | |
| 8 | Faní Halkiá | Greece | 62.50 | |

#### Heat 2

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Li Yulian | China | 58.06 | Q |
| 2 | Medina Tudor | Romania | 59.05 | Q |
| 3 | Sonia Brito | Australia | 59.42 | Q |
| 4 | Kristin Ringel | Germany | 59.86 | q |
| 5 | Lise Margareth Jensen | Norway | 61.34 | |
| 6 | Marina Kravtsova | Russia | 61.50 | |
| 7 | Anja Rantanen | Finland | 61.78 | |

#### Heat 3

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Peta-Gaye Gayle | Jamaica | 58.46 | Q |
| 2 | Sun Hong Wei | China | 59.61 | Q |
| 3 | Astrid Joziasse | Netherlands | 59.69 | Q |
| 4 | Angeles Pantoja | Mexico | 60.07 | q |
| 5 | Jamillah Wade | United States | 60.36 | q |
| 6 | Rachael Kay | United Kingdom | 60.58 | q |
| 7 | Isabel Silva | Brazil | 61.53 | |

#### Heat 4

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Vanessa Becker | South Africa | 59.26 | Q |
| 2 | Olivia Abderrhamane | France | 59.67 | Q |
| 3 | Tracey Duncan | United Kingdom | 60.74 | Q |
| 4 | Keiko Kikugawa | Japan | 61.48 | |
| 5 | Benedetta Ceccarelli | Italy | 61.85 | |
| 6 | Verónica Quijano | El Salvador | 62.91 | |
| 7 | Sheena Johnson | United States | 63.92 | |
| 8 | Avikali Kainoko | Fiji | 65.83 | |

## Participation

According to an unofficial count, 30 athletes from 21 countries participated in the event.
* Australia (2)
* Brazil (1)
* China (2)
* El Salvador (1)
* Fiji (1)
* Finland (1)
* France (2)
* Germany (2)
* Greece (1)
* Italy (2)
* Jamaica (2)
* Japan (1)
* Mexico (1)
* Netherlands (1)
* Norway (1)
* Panama (1)
* Romania (1)
* Russia (2)
* South Africa (1)
* United Kingdom (2)
* United States (2)