# Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Women's 400 metres hurdles

The women's 400 metres hurdles at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place on 17–20 August at the Beijing National Stadium.
The qualifying standards were 55.60 s (A standard) and 56.50 s (B standard).

## Schedule

All times are China Standard Time (UTC+8)
| Date | Time | Round |
| Sunday, August 17, 2008 | 20:10-20:42 | Round 1 |
| Monday, August 18, 2008 | 20:45-21:00 | Semifinals |
| Wednesday, August 20, 2008 | 22:35-22:40 | Final |

## Records

Prior to this competition, the existing world record, Olympic record, and world leading time were as follows:
| World record | Yuliya Pechonkina (RUS) | 52.34 s | Tula, Russia | 8 August 2003 |
| Olympic record | Fani Halkia (GRE) | 52.77 s | Athens, Greece | 22 August 2004 |
| World Leading | Melaine Walker (JAM) | 53.48 s | Fontvieille, Monaco | 29 July 2008 |
The following new Olympic record was set during this competition.
| Date | Event | Name | Nationality | Time | OR | WR |
| 20 August | Final | Melaine Walker | Jamaica | 52.64 | OR | |

## Results
### Round 1

The first three runners of each heat (Q) plus the next four overall fastest runners (q) qualified for the Semifinals.
| Rank | Heat | Name | Nationality | Result | Notes |
| 1 | 3 | Melaine Walker | Jamaica | 54.46 | Q |
| 2 | 4 | Ekaterina Bikert | Russia | 55.15 | Q |
| 3 | 3 | Anastasiya Rabchenyuk | Ukraine | 55.18 | Q |
| 4 | 2 | Tasha Danvers | Great Britain | 55.19 | Q, SB |
| 5 | 3 | Tsvetelina Kirilova | Bulgaria | 55.22 | Q, PB |
| 6 | 2 | Anastasiya Ott | Russia | 55.34 | Q |
| 7 | 4 | Anna Jesień | Poland | 55.35 | Q |
| 8 | 1 | Tiffany Ross-Williams | United States | 55.51 | Q |
| 9 | 1 | Irina Obedina | Russia | 55.71 | Q |
| 10 | 2 | Nickiesha Wilson | Jamaica | 55.75 | Q |
| 11 | 1 | Satomi Kubokura | Japan | 55.82 | Q, SB |
| 12 | 4 | Zuzana Hejnová | Czech Republic | 55.91 | Q |
| 13 | 3 | Queen Harrison | United States | 55.96 | q |
| 14 | 2 | Angela Moroșanu | Romania | 56.07 | q, SB |
| 15 | 2 | Sheena Tosta | United States | 56.12 | q |
| 16 | 3 | Aïssata Soulama | Burkina Faso | 56.37 | q |
| 17 | 1 | Shevon Stoddart | Jamaica | 56.52 | |
| 18 | 2 | Nikolina Horvat | Croatia | 56.65 | |
| 19 | 4 | Tatyana Azarova | Kazakhstan | 56.88 | |
| 20 | 4 | Muna Jabir Adam | Sudan | 57.16 | |
| 21 | 1 | Ieva Zunda | Latvia | 57.43 | |
| 22 | 1 | Lucimar Teodoro | Brazil | 57.68 | |
| 23 | 4 | Josanne Lucas | Trinidad and Tobago | 57.76 | |
| 24 | 3 | Carole Kaboud Mebam | Cameroon | 57.81 | |
| 25 | 2 | Michelle Carey | Ireland | 57.99 | |
| 26 | 4 | Laia Forcadell | Spain | 58.64 | |
| 27 | 3 | Galina Pedan | Kyrgyzstan | 1:00.31 | |

### Semifinals

Qualification: First 4 in each heat (Q) advance to the Final.
| Rank | Heat | Name | Nationality | Result | Notes |
| 1 | 1 | Sheena Tosta | United States | 54.07 | Q |
| 2 | 2 | Melaine Walker | Jamaica | 54.20 | Q |
| 3 | 1 | Tasha Danvers | Great Britain | 54.31 | Q, SB |
| 4 | 1 | Anna Jesień | Poland | 54.36 | Q |
| 5 | 1 | Ekaterina Bikert | Russia | 54.38 | Q |
| 6 | 2 | Anastasiya Rabchenyuk | Ukraine | 54.60 | Q, PB |
| 7 | 1 | Nickiesha Wilson | Jamaica | 54.67 | |
| 8 | 1 | Anastasiya Ott | Russia | 54.74 | PB |
| 9 | 2 | Tiffany Ross-Williams | United States | 54.99 | Q |
| 10 | 2 | Zuzana Hejnová | Czech Republic | 55.17 | Q |
| 11 | 2 | Aïssata Soulama | Burkina Faso | 55.69 | SB |
| 12 | 2 | Irina Obedina | Russia | 55.69 | |
| 13 | 2 | Queen Harrison | United States | 55.88 | |
| 14 | 2 | Tsvetelina Kirilova | Bulgaria | 55.97 | |
| 15 | 1 | Satomi Kubokura | Japan | 56.69 | |
| 16 | 1 | Angela Moroșanu | Romania | 57.67 | |

### Final

| Rank | Lane | Name | Nationality | Reaction | Time | Notes |
| | 6 | Melaine Walker | Jamaica | 0.236 | 52.64 | OR, NR |
| | 5 | Sheena Tosta | United States | 0.191 | 53.70 | |
| | 7 | Tasha Danvers | Great Britain | 0.189 | 53.84 | PB |
| 4 | 4 | Anastasiya Rabchenyuk | Ukraine | 0.248 | 53.96 | PB |
| 5 | 9 | Anna Jesień | Poland | 0.206 | 54.29 | SB |
| 6 | 2 | Ekaterina Bikert | Russia | 0.193 | 54.96 | |
| 7 | 3 | Zuzana Hejnová | Czech Republic | 0.195 | 54.97 | |
| 8 | 8 | Tiffany Ross-Williams | United States | 0.184 | 57.55 | |
(OR = Olympic record; NR = National Record; PB = Personal Best; SB = Season Best.)