# 2015 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 400 metres

The women's 400 metres at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Beijing National Stadium on 24, 25 and 27 August. Christine Ohuruogu of Great Britain entered the competition as the defending champion.

## Summary

Allyson Felix was known as a 200 metres specialist, but two years earlier, her string of 200 meter championships was broken when she sustained a hamstring injury in the final. Based on winning the 2014 Diamond League, Felix was qualified to enter the 200 metres at the World Championships but chose to forgo that opportunity to focus on the 400 metres. This was her bid to win the one title she didn't have under her belt; in the same event at the 2011 World Championships, she narrowly lost to Amantle Montsho of Botswana. With world leader Francena McCorory unable to qualify at the American Championships, Felix was the favorite. Defending champion Christine Ohuruogu, known for her late rush, also made the final.
With high expectations, Felix took off strongly running her first 200 metres. She kept building on her lead, coming off the final turn several steps ahead of Shericka Jackson the next out of the turn. While Felix didn't further advance her lead, she kept her margin on Jackson for a clear win. Shaunae Miller made a powerful rush to the finish, passing Jackson for the silver and gaining on Felix down the home stretch. Jackson beat three other Jamaican teammates for the bronze.

## Records

Prior to the competition, the records were as follows:
| World record | Marita Koch (GDR) | 47.60 | Canberra, Australia | 6 October 1985 |
| Championship record | Jarmila Kratochvílová (TCH) | 47.99 | Helsinki, Finland | 10 August 1983 |
| World leading | Francena McCorory (USA) | 49.83 | Fontvieille, Monaco | 17 July 2015 |
| African record | Falilat Ogunkoya (NGR) | 49.10 | Atlanta, United States | 29 July 1996 |
| Asian record | Ma Yuqin (CHN) | 49.81 | Beijing, China | 11 September 1993 |
| NACAC record | Sanya Richards-Ross (USA) | 48.70 | Athens, Greece | 16 September 2006 |
| South American record | Ximena Restrepo (COL) | 49.64 | Barcelona, Spain | 5 August 1992 |
| European record | Marita Koch (GDR) | 47.60 | Canberra, Australia | 6 October 1985 |
| Oceanian record | Cathy Freeman (AUS) | 48.63 | Atlanta, United States | 29 July 1996 |
| The following records were established during the competition: |||||
| World leading | Allyson Felix (USA) | 49.26 | Beijing, China | 27 August 2015 |

## Qualification standards

* Entry standards
* 52.00

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Round |
| 24 August 2015 | 10:45 | Heats |
| 25 August 2015 | 19:05 | Semifinals |
| 27 August 2015 | 20:40 | Final |
All times are local times (UTC+8)

## Results

| KEY: | Q | Qualified | q | Fastest non-qualifiers | NR | National record | PB | Personal best | SB | Seasonal best |

### Heats

Qualification: First 3 in each heat (Q) and the next 6 fastest (q) advanced to the semifinals.
| Rank | Heat | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 4 | Stephenie Ann McPherson | Jamaica (JAM) | 50.34 | Q, SB |
| 2 | 5 | Bianca Răzor | Romania (ROM) | 50.37 | Q, PB |
| 3 | 5 | Shericka Jackson | Jamaica (JAM) | 50.41 | Q |
| 4 | 4 | Phyllis Francis | United States (USA) | 50.52 | Q, SB |
| 5 | 6 | Shaunae Miller | Bahamas (BAH) | 50.53 | Q |
| 6 | 3 | Christine Day | Jamaica (JAM) | 50.58 | Q |
| 7 | 1 | Allyson Felix | United States (USA) | 50.60 | Q |
| 8 | 3 | Joy Sakari | Kenya (KEN) | 50.71 | Q, NR |
| 9 | 5 | Patience Okon George | Nigeria (NGR) | 50.87 | Q |
| 10 | 1 | Floria Gueï | France (FRA) | 50.89 | Q, PB |
| 11 | 2 | Christine Ohuruogu | Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) | 51.01 | Q |
| 12 | 6 | Novlene Williams-Mills | Jamaica (JAM) | 51.07 | Q, SB |
| 12 | 1 | Nataliya Pyhyda | Ukraine (UKR) | 51.07 | Q, SB |
| 14 | 5 | Anyika Onuora | Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) | 51.14 | q, PB |
| 15 | 2 | Marie Gayot | France (FRA) | 51.24 | Q, PB |
| 16 | 2 | Natasha Hastings | United States (USA) | 51.25 | Q |
| 17 | 1 | Patrycja Wyciszkiewicz | Poland (POL) | 51.31 | q, PB |
| 18 | 2 | Maureen Jelagat Maiyo | Kenya (KEN) | 51.40 | q, PB |
| 19 | 4 | Nadezhda Kotlyarova | Russia (RUS) | 51.42 | Q, PB |
| 20 | 6 | Ekaterina Renzhina | Russia (RUS) | 51.55 | Q |
| 20 | 3 | Kabange Mupopo | Zambia (ZAM) | 51.55 | Q |
| 22 | 6 | Libania Grenot | Italy (ITA) | 51.64 | q |
| 23 | 1 | Anneliese Rubie | Australia (AUS) | 51.69 | q, PB |
| 24 | 5 | Carline Muir | Canada (CAN) | 51.70 | q, SB |
| 25 | 4 | Regina George | Nigeria (NGR) | 51.74 | |
| 25 | 4 | Małgorzata Hołub | Poland (POL) | 51.74 | PB |
| 27 | 6 | Olha Zemlyak | Ukraine (UKR) | 52.00 | |
| 28 | 6 | Iga Baumgart | Poland (POL) | 52.02 | PB |
| 29 | 3 | Mariya Mikhailyuk | Russia (RUS) | 52.16 | |
| 30 | 3 | Gunta Latiševa-Čudare | Latvia (LAT) | 52.17 | PB |
| 31 | 1 | Kineke Alexander | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (VIN) | 52.24 | |
| 32 | 5 | Lisneidy Veitia | Cuba (CUB) | 52.25 | |
| 33 | 2 | Tosin Adeloye | Nigeria (NGR) | 52.42 | |
| 34 | 4 | Justine Palframan | South Africa (RSA) | 52.45 | |
| 35 | 3 | Maria Benedicta Chigbolu | Italy (ITA) | 52.48 | |
| 36 | 1 | Iveta Putalová | Slovakia (SVK) | 52.52 | |
| 37 | 2 | Geisa Coutinho | Brazil (BRA) | 52.72 | |
| 38 | 6 | Aauri Bokesa | Spain (ESP) | 52.98 | |
| 39 | 3 | Audrey Jean-Baptiste | Canada (CAN) | 53.18 | |
| 40 | 2 | Amaliya Sharoyan | Armenia (ARM) | 54.16 | |
| 41 | 4 | Dil Maya Karki | Nepal (NEP) | 1:00.99 | |
| | 5 | Jacinter Shikanda | Kenya (KEN) | DQ | |

### Semifinals

Qualification: First 2 in each heat (Q) and the next 2 fastest (q) advanced to the final.
| Rank | Heat | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 3 | Allyson Felix | United States (USA) | 49.89 | Q, SB |
| 2 | 3 | Shericka Jackson | Jamaica (JAM) | 50.03 | Q, PB |
| 3 | 1 | Shaunae Miller | Bahamas (BAH) | 50.12 | Q |
| 4 | 2 | Christine Ohuruogu | Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) | 50.16 | Q, SB |
| 5 | 2 | Stephenie Ann McPherson | Jamaica (JAM) | 50.32 | Q, SB |
| 6 | 3 | Novlene Williams-Mills | Jamaica (JAM) | 50.47 | q, SB |
| 7 | 2 | Phyllis Francis | United States (USA) | 50.50 | q, SB |
| 8 | 3 | Nataliya Pyhyda | Ukraine (UKR) | 50.62 | PB |
| 9 | 2 | Patience Okon George | Nigeria (NGR) | 50.76 | PB |
| 10 | 1 | Christine Day | Jamaica (JAM) | 50.82 | Q |
| 11 | 3 | Anyika Onuora | Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) | 50.87 | PB |
| 12 | 2 | Marie Gayot | France (FRA) | 50.97 | PB |
| 13 | 3 | Bianca Răzor | Romania (ROM) | 51.05 | |
| 14 | 1 | Libania Grenot | Italy (ITA) | 51.14 | |
| 15 | 1 | Floria Gueï | France (FRA) | 51.30 | |
| 16 | 1 | Natasha Hastings | United States (USA) | 51.33 | |
| 17 | 2 | Ekaterina Renzhina | Russia (RUS) | 51.49 | PB |
| 18 | 1 | Nadezhda Kotlyarova | Russia (RUS) | 51.86 | |
| 19 | 3 | Maureen Jelagat Maiyo | Kenya (KEN) | 51.92 | |
| 20 | 3 | Kabange Mupopo | Zambia (ZAM) | 51.93 | |
| 21 | 2 | Patrycja Wyciszkiewicz | Poland (POL) | 51.94 | |
| 22 | 1 | Anneliese Rubie | Australia (AUS) | 52.04 | |
| 23 | 2 | Carline Muir | Canada (CAN) | 52.31 | |
| | 1 | Joy Sakari | Kenya (KEN) | DNS | |

### Final

The final was held at 20:40.
| Rank | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| | 6 | Allyson Felix | United States (USA) | 49.26 | WL |
| | 5 | Shaunae Miller | Bahamas (BAH) | 49.67 | PB |
| | 4 | Shericka Jackson | Jamaica (JAM) | 49.99 | PB |
| 4 | 8 | Christine Day | Jamaica (JAM) | 50.14 | PB |
| 5 | 9 | Stephenie Ann McPherson | Jamaica (JAM) | 50.42 | |
| 6 | 2 | Novlene Williams-Mills | Jamaica (JAM) | 50.47 | SB |
| 7 | 3 | Phyllis Francis | United States (USA) | 50.51 | |
| 8 | 7 | Christine Ohuruogu | Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) | 50.63 | |