2008 Olympic Games Beijing

2008 Olympic Games Beijing - Women's 400 m

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Host City: Beijing, China

Format: Top two in each heat and next two fastest advanced to the final.

Date Started: August 16, 2008

Format: Top three in each heat and next three fastest advanced to the semi-finals.

Date Finished: August 19, 2008

(Competitors: 50; Countries: 40; Finalists: 8)

Venue(s): Beijing National Stadium, Beijing

Overview by IAAF

The hot favourite was Richards, who had returned from failing to make the 2007 World Championship team to win the US Trials, and had twice broken 50 seconds in 2008. Richards (50.54) and Shericka Williams (50.57) were the fastest in the heats. Williams improved to 50.28 in the first semi-final, but was edged by World Champion Ohurougu, whose strength in the last 50m got her to the line in 50.14. Richards then confirmed her status, passing 300m in 35.5, before easing at the finish to clock 49.90. Richards and Gushchina were off quickest in the final, with the American fractionally ahead at 100m (11.8). Gushchina was in front at 200m (23.3) with Richards (23.5) 4m ahead of Williams. Richards went clear in the third quarter of the race, passing 300 in 35.6 ahead of a faltering Gushchina (35.8), with Firova (36.0) third, a metre ahead of Ohuruogu. The positions changed sharply over the next 50m, with Ohuruogu passing the Russians and then catching Richards with 35m to go. Williams made a similar progression in the Briton’s wake. Ohuruogu cruised through the line in 49.62, half a metre clear of Williams, with Richards just holding off the trio of Russians for third.

Summary by Sports-reference.com

The best 400 runner in 2005-2006 had been Jamaican-born American Sanya Richards. She was world ranked #1 in 2005-2007, and was a heavy favorite in 2007 to win the World Championships, but did not even make the US team at the Trials, that title going to Britain’s Christine Ohuruogu. It turned out that she had been ill, diagnosed with Behçet’s Syndrome, a variant of an inflammatory arthritis. After receiving treatment she was healthier in 2008 and looked good early in the year, winning the US Olympic Trials easily. In the final in Beijing she started out as expected, going thru 300 metres in 35.8 with a big lead. But that was it. She tied up on the final straight, possibly with a tight hamstring, and was passed by both Ohuruogu and Jamaica’s Shericka Williams. Ohuruogu barely held off Williams for the gold medal and Richards had to hang on to get bronze. Ohuruogu was a somewhat controversial choice for the British team. She had served a one-year ban from the IAAF for missing three doping tests but the British Olympic Association by-laws mandate a life ban from the Olympic Games for any doping offense. The same by-laws allow an appeal to be made against this ban and the appeal panel decided in her favour in November 2007.

Records

Prior to this competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows:

World record	Marita Koch (GDR)	47.60 s	Canberra, Australia	6 October 1985
Olympic record	Marie-José Pérec (FRA)	48.25 s	Atlanta, U.S.	29 July 1996

No new world or Olympic records were set for this event.

			Results
The Women's 400 metres at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place on 16–19 August at the Beijing National Stadium. The qualifying standards were 51.55 s (A standard) and 52.35 s (B standard). Favourites for the event included Sanya Richards-Ross and the reigning world champion, Christine Ohuruogu. In the final, Richards-Ross made a rapid start and quickly took the lead, while Ohuruogu ran a more even-paced race, but was well down the field entering the final straight. However, in the last 100 metres Richard-Ross, clearly tired from her earlier effort, began to tie up badly, while Ohuruogu began to surge through the field. At the line, Great Britain's Christine Ohuruogu won in 49.62 seconds to add the Olympic title to her World title, just pipping Shericka Williams by 0.07 seconds to take gold. Richards-Ross faded to third, and bronze, in 49.93.
Women's 400m - FINAL Great Britain's Christine Ohuruogu drew upon her formidable competitive abilitiy to hunt down the pre-event favourite Sanya Richards and add Olympic gold to her world title in an exhilarating final. Ohuruogu refused to panic despite entering the home straight more than five metres behind Richards in fourth and timed her run to perfection to strike gold in 49.62. Jamaica's Shericka Williams finished like a train to clinch a shock silver medal in 49.69 with a distraught Richards having to settle for bronze in 49.93. For Ohuruogu, 24, it was another demonstration of her enviable ability to peak when in matters. At last year's Worlds in Osaka she came from nowhere to take gold and once again she proved the supreme championship competitor. But while Ohuruogu lay spreadeagled across the track taking in what she had achieved, a crestfallen Richards shed tears of disappointment after failing in her mission to nail the gold. For Richards it was a case of what might have been. She had dominated 400m running in 2006 and 2007 only to miss out on a spot at the World Championships after falling ill at the trials. Beijing was supposed to be her coronation. It was not to be. Richards came into the competition boasting an unbeaten record this year, but many seasoned observers believed she has been less convincing this year than in 2006 and 2007. She may also come to regret her race tactics having adopted a very aggressive approach over the first half of the race and struggled to maintain her form in the latter stages. For Ohuruogu this was vindication for a diligently prepared season under her coach Lloyd Cowan as she has competed sparingly over the one-lap distance preferring to work on her 200m speed. Ohuruogu, a former under-19 England netball player who only took up athletics seriously in 2003, was always confident she could land gold despite going into the competition outside of the top ten on the 2008 World Lists with 50.80. Yet after recording a season's best of 50.14 to win her semi-final she once again loomed as a potential gold medal threat. In the final her 49.62 winning time was only 0.01 shy of her lifetime best which has recorded at the World Championships in Osaka last year. Ohuruogu, a former England Under-19 netball player who only started athletics seriously in 2003, admitted: "I know I can perform well when I need to. I may not have a good season but, like at the World Championships, that's what I train all year for. You always have all these dreams about winning, but you never think your dreams will be reality." Richards, running in lane seven, made the early running and quickly caught the stagger up on Amantle Montsho of Botswana. Russia's Yuliya Guschina from lane six was also prominent but Richards held a sizeable advantage at halfway from Guschina with Ohuruogu hitting the 200m mark in 23.8 holding third or fourth position. The US champion held had a three metre lead from Guschina entering the home straight with Tatyana Firova of Russia marginally ahead of Ohuruogu, who was at least six metres back on the American. However, just like at the 2007 World Championships last year, when Ohuruogu's formidable strength told in the latter stages, she sliced through the field down the home straight to hit the front 30m out. Behind her Williams, who was a distant fifth coming into the final 100m, made a spectacular bid of her own and also surged past the fading Texan. However, Ohuruogu had too much strength and held on to take gold. Williams picked up a shock silver, Richards bronze. Guschina headed the Russian challenge finishing fourth in a PB of 50.01 - 0.02 ahead of her compatriot Anastastia Kapachinskaya also in a lifetime best of 50.03. Firova was the third of the Russian trio in sixth (50.11). The second Jamaican finalist Rosemarie Whyte placed seventh in 50.65 with Montsho, the African champion, in eighth (51.18). For Williams, a bronze medallist at the Jamaican Championships, it was a remarkable progression. Aged just 22 and coached by Stephen Francis - like the Olympic 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser - she sliced 0.55 from her lifetime best in the final. It was the slowest winning time for an Olympic 400m final since Monika Zehrt of East Germany won the 1972 title in Munich, not that Ohuruogu will care one jot. Although despite winning gold in Beijing this may not yet prove the highlight of her Olympic career. In four years' time the Games are coming to her home city of London and that may yet prove an even bigger achievement. Steve Landells for the IAAF
*400 m*	Women		Final	19 August

Rank	Mark		Athlete	Country	NOC	Birth Date	Records
1	49.62		Christine Ohuruogu	Great Britain	GBR	17 May 84
2	49.69		Shericka Williams	Jamaica	JAM	17 Sep 85
3	49.93		Sanya Richards-Ross	United States	USA	26 Feb 85
4	50.01		Yuliya Gushchina	Russia	RUS	4 Mar 83
5	50.03		Anastasiya Kapachinskaya	Russia	RUS	21 Nov 79
6	50.11		Tatyana Firova	Russia	RUS	10 Oct 82
7	50.68		Rosemarie Whyte-Robinson	Jamaica	JAM	8 Sep 86
8	51.18		Amantle Montsho	Botswana	BOT	4 Jul 83
Women's 400m - Semi-Finals Sanya Richards imposed her class on the field to head the qualifiers for Tuesday night's final and saw her path eased to a potential Olympic gold medal as two of her main rivals crashed out of the competition. While the 23-year-old Richards dominated her semi-final, the 2007 World silver and bronze medallists, Nicola Sanders and Novelene Williams, surprisingly, failed to advance. In the second of three semi-finals Richards looked a class apart, again demonstrating why she is a worthy favourite to become the first US athlete since Valerie Brisco-Hooks 24 years to take this title. The world No.1 started aggressively, running down the stagger on Zambia's Rachael Nachula and Canada's Carline Muir in the first 100m. Rounding the final bend she was briefly challenged by Russia's powerfully-built Anastasiya Kapachinskaya on her inside but she impressively maintained her form down the home straight to record 49.90. Kapachinskaya, the 2003 World 200m champion, comfortably booked her spot in the final with 50.30 for second. Novelene Williams failed to make an impact, however, and will not feature in the final. The Jamaican who has struggled to reach top form this season finished third in a modest 51.06 and will now concentrate her efforts on the 4x400m relay. Christine Amertil of the Bahamas wound up fourth in 51.51. In heat one World champion Christine Ohuruogu produced her best performance of the season to win the first semi-final in 50.14. The British athlete came with her familair late surge down the home straight to lift herself from fourth to first which suggests she will be the chief challenger to Richards. She will be joined in the final by Shericka Williams. The 22-year-old Jamaican led coming off the final bend but did not panic when Ohuruogu swept past her and held on to second by 0.03 from the fast-finishing Tatyana Firova of Russia in 50.28. Firova also progressed as one of the two fastest losers. Aliann Pompey, of Guyana, who led the field through 200m faded to fourth in 50.93. Russia secured a full complement of three women in the final as Yuliya Guschina took victory in the third semi-final in 50.48. The bottle-blonde Guschina, who likes Kapachinskaya has achieved the bulk of her previous success in the 200m, was rewarded for her aggressive tactics and held off world No.1 Amantle Montsho of Botswana by 0.06. Behind them Jamaican champion Rosemarie Whyte snatched third in 50.63 to claim the second fastest loser spot for the final. But Sanders missed out after finishing fourth in 50.71. The British athlete rounded into the homestretch even with Guschina, but ran out of gas in the latter stages and faded to fourth in 50.71. Richards, however, will be the only US athlete in the final. Mary Wineberg finished fifth in 51.13 in heat one and DeeDee Trotter seventh in 51.87 in heat three. Steve Landells for the IAAF
*400 m*	Women		Semifinal 1	17 August

Rank	Mark		Athlete	Country	NOC	Birth Date	Records
1	50.14	Q	Christine Ohuruogu	Great Britain	GBR	17 May 84
2	50.28	Q	Shericka Williams	Jamaica	JAM	17 Sep 85
3	50.31	Q	Tatyana Firova	Russia	RUS	10 Oct 82
4	50.93		Aliann Pompey	Guyana	GUY	9 Mar 78	NR
5	51.13		Mary Wineberg	United States	USA	3 Jan 80
6	51.80		Indira Terrero	Cuba	CUB	29 Nov 85
7	52.45		Joke Odumosu	Nigeria	NGR	27 Oct 87
8	52.97		Gabriela Medina	Mexico	MEX	3 Mar 85
*400 m*	Women		Semifinal 2	17 August

Rank	Mark		Athlete	Country	NOC	Birth Date	Records
1	49.90	Q	Sanya Richards-Ross	United States	USA	26 Feb 85
2	50.30	Q	Anastasiya Kapachinskaya	Russia	RUS	21 Nov 79
3	51.06		Novlene Williams-Mills	Jamaica	JAM	26 Apr 82
4	51.51		Christine Amertil	Bahamas	BAH	18 Aug 79
5	51.87		Joy Eze	Nigeria	NGR	23 Apr 87
6	52.11		Lee McConnell	Great Britain	GBR	9 Oct 78
7	52.37		Carline Muir	Canada	CAN	1 Oct 87
8	52.67		Racheal Nachula	Zambia	ZAM	14 Jan 90
*400 m*	Women		Semifinal 3	17 August

Rank	Mark		Athlete	Country	NOC	Birth Date	Records
1	50.48	Q	Yuliya Gushchina	Russia	RUS	4 Mar 83
2	50.54	Q	Amantle Montsho	Botswana	BOT	4 Jul 83
3	50.63	Q	Rosemarie Whyte-Robinson	Jamaica	JAM	8 Sep 86
4	50.71		Nicola Sanders	Great Britain	GBR	23 Jun 82
5	50.83		Libania Grenot	Italy	ITA	12 Jul 83	NR
6	51.30		Sade Abugan	Nigeria	NGR	17 Dec 90
7	51.87		Deedee Trotter	United States	USA	8 Dec 82
8	54.18		Nawal Al-Jak	Sudan	SUD	17 Oct 88
Women's 400m first round Sanya Richards reaffirmed why she is a red hot favourite to land Olympic gold by recording the fastest qualification time in the opening round. The 23-year-old American has dominated her event for the past three seasons but last year illness cost her a place in the World Championships at this distance and she is desperate to lift her first global championship here in Beijing. Richards, who is unbeaten over 400m this season, looked every inch a future Olympic champion, comfortably staving off a challenge from Guyana's Ailann Pompey to win heat five in 50.54. Pompey, the 2002 Commonwealth champion, recorded 50.99 for second. The second fastest qualifier was Jamaican bronze medallist Shericka Williams, who produced a swift heat seven victory in 50.57. Williams, who boasts a lifetime best of 50.24, appeared to be running hard, much harder than Richards at least, and we will perhaps know more of her medal credentials after tomorrow night's semi-finals. Russia's fast-finishing Tayana Firova, a former World Student Games champion, also impressed placing second in 50.59. Jamaican champion Rosemarie Whyte lacks big event experience but looked comfortable in the rareified atmosphere of the Olympic Games by producing a patient run to take heat one in 51.00 from former World Indoor silver medallist Christine Amertil of the Bahamas (51.25). Cuban-born Italian Libania Grenot took a sizeable 0.18 from her lifetime best to secure victory in heat two in 50.87 to also impress. Botswana's World leader Amantle Montsho, the African champion, was second in 50.91. The 2003 200m World champion Anastasia Kapachinskaya has made a serious bid to step up to the 400m this season and showed signs in the morning heats she could be a real force over the longer distance. Looking cool as a cucumber and perfectly relaxed the Russian took heat three in 51.32 from US championship runner-up Mary Wineberg (51.46). Reigning World champion Christine Ohuruogu came with her charateristic late surge to bag top spot in heat four. She trailed Russian champion Yuliya Gushchina by five metres coming into the home straight but the British athlete drew upon her vast reserves of strength to shade the heat win in 51.00 from Gushchina, the 2006 European 200m silver medallist. Heat six pitted Nicola Sanders and Novelene Williams, the 2007 World silver and bronze medallists respectively, against each other. On this occasion Jamaica's Williams gained the upper hand on her British rival, finishing strongly to win in 51.51. Sanders, who held a clear advantage entering the final 100m, appeared to step off the gas over the final 40m and jogged across the finish line in 51.81. Steve Landells for the IAAF
*400 m*	Women		Heat 1	16 August

Rank	Mark		Athlete	Country	NOC	Birth Date	Records
1	51.00	Q	Rosemarie Whyte-Robinson	Jamaica	JAM	8 Sep 86
2	51.25	Q	Christine Amertil	Bahamas	BAH	18 Aug 79
3	51.39	Q	Joke Odumosu	Nigeria	NGR	27 Oct 87
4	51.41	Q	Deedee Trotter	United States	USA	8 Dec 82
5	52.41		Tiandra Ponteen	Saint Kitts and Nevis	SKN	9 Nov 84
6	53.22		Antonina Yefremova	Ukraine	UKR	19 Jul 81
*400 m*	Women		Heat 2	16 August

Rank	Mark		Athlete	Country	NOC	Birth Date	Records
1	50.87	Q	Libania Grenot	Italy	ITA	12 Jul 83	NR
2	50.91	Q	Amantle Montsho	Botswana	BOT	4 Jul 83
3	51.55	Q	Carline Muir	Canada	CAN	1 Oct 87
4	51.56	Q	Indira Terrero	Cuba	CUB	29 Nov 85
5	52.24		Makelesi Batimala	Fiji	FIJ	23 Oct 77
6	52.88		Mandeep Kaur	India	IND	19 Apr 88
7	54.15		Justine Bayiga	Uganda	UGA	15 Jan 79
*400 m*	Women		Heat 3	16 August

Rank	Mark		Athlete	Country	NOC	Birth Date	Records
1	51.32	Q	Anastasiya Kapachinskaya	Russia	RUS	21 Nov 79
2	51.46	Q	Mary Wineberg	United States	USA	3 Jan 80
3	51.87	Q	Lee McConnell	Great Britain	GBR	9 Oct 78
4	53.06		Barbara Petráhn	Hungary	HUN	16 Sep 78
5	53.08		Carol Rodriguez	Puerto Rico	PUR	16 Dec 85
6	53.94		Ginou Etienne	Haiti	HAI	12 Jan 85
7	63.19		Rachidatou Seini Maikido	Niger	NIG	18 Sep 88	NR
*400 m*	Women		Heat 4	16 August

Rank	Mark		Athlete	Country	NOC	Birth Date	Records
1	51.00	Q	Christine Ohuruogu	Great Britain	GBR	17 May 84
2	51.18	Q	Yuliya Gushchina	Russia	RUS	4 Mar 83
3	51.96	Q	Gabriela Medina	Mexico	MEX	3 Mar 85
4	52.38		Tamsyn Manou	Australia	AUS	20 Jul 78
5	53.26		María Laura Almirão	Brazil	BRA	20 Sep 77
6	53.32		Joanne Cuddihy	Ireland	IRL	11 May 84
7	66.19		Ghada Ali	Libya	LBA	5 May 89
*400 m*	Women		Heat 5	16 August

Rank	Mark		Athlete	Country	NOC	Birth Date	Records
1	50.54	Q	Sanya Richards-Ross	United States	USA	26 Feb 85
2	50.99	Q	Aliann Pompey	Guyana	GUY	9 Mar 78
3	51.45	Q	Sade Abugan	Nigeria	NGR	17 Dec 90
4	52.60		Asami Chiba	Japan	JPN	25 Sep 85
5	52.69		Dímitra Dóva	Greece	GRE	2 Jul 74
6	53.36		Olga Tereshkova	Kazakhstan	KAZ	26 Oct 84
7	53.99		Kia Davis	Liberia	LBR	23 May 76
*400 m*	Women		Heat 6	16 August

Rank	Mark		Athlete	Country	NOC	Birth Date	Records
1	51.52	Q	Novlene Williams-Mills	Jamaica	JAM	26 Apr 82
2	51.81	Q	Nicola Sanders	Great Britain	GBR	23 Jun 82
3	52.77	Q	Nawal Al-Jak	Sudan	SUD	17 Oct 88
4	52.87		Kineke Alexander	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	VIN	21 Feb 86
5	52.88		Trish Bartholomew	Grenada	GRN	23 Oct 86
6	54.11		Tsholofelo Thipe	South Africa	RSA	9 Dec 86
7	54.84		Klodiana Shala	Albania	ALB	22 Aug 79
8	58.14		Munguntuya Batgerel	Mongolia	MGL	24 Nov 88
*400 m*	Women		Heat 7	16 August

Rank	Mark		Athlete	Country	NOC	Birth Date	Records
1	50.57	Q	Shericka Williams	Jamaica	JAM	17 Sep 85
2	50.59	Q	Tatyana Firova	Russia	RUS	10 Oct 82
3	51.62	Q	Racheal Nachula	Zambia	ZAM	14 Jan 90
4	51.97	Q	Joy Eze	Nigeria	NGR	23 Apr 87
5	52.80		Monika Bejnar	Poland	POL	10 Mar 81
6	54.16		Sandrine Thiébaud-Kangni	Togo	TOG	21 Apr 76
7	59.91		Temalangeni Dlamini	Swaziland	SWZ	16 Aug 87
	DQ		Alissa Kallinicou	Cyprus	CYP	24 May 85