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400 metres

Sprint running event

Field	Value
event	400 metres
image	400m CIF San Diego Championship 2007.jpg
image_upright	1.25
caption	The closing stages of a men's 400 m race
WRmen	Wayde van Niekerk 43.03 (2016)
ORmen	Wayde van Niekerk 43.03 (2016)
CRmen	Michael Johnson 43.18 (1999)
WRwomen	Marita Koch 47.60 (1985)
ORwomen	Marileidy Paulino 48.17 (2024)
CRwomen	Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone 47.78 (2025)
ShWRwomen	Femke Bol 49.17 (2024)	ShWRmen=Kerron Clement 44.57 (2005)	WU20Rmen=Steve Lewis 43.87 (1988)	WU20Rwomen=Grit Breuer 49.42 (1991)

The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor running track, it is one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and race in separate lanes for the entire course. In many countries, athletes previously competed in the 440-yard dash (402.336 m)—which is a quarter of a mile (1,760 yards) and was referred to as the "quarter-mile"—instead of the 400 m (437.445 yards), though this distance is now obsolete.

The current men's world record and Olympic record is held by Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa; his time of 43.03 seconds is the fastest 400 m ever run, in either an open 400 m or a relay split (excluding reaction time). While Michael Johnson holds the fastest 400 m relay split with a time of 42.94, relay splits are typically faster because athletes have a running start and do not need to react to the gun if they are not the leadoff leg. Considering van Niekerk's reaction time of 0.181 seconds in his run of 43.03, van Niekerk covered the 400-metre distance itself in 42.85 seconds, therefore being 0.09 s faster than Johnson's relay split.

Quincy Hall is the reigning men's Olympic champion. Collen Kebinatshipi is the current men's world champion. Kerron Clement is the men's world indoor record holder with a time of 44.57 seconds. The current women's world record is held by Marita Koch, with a time of 47.60 seconds. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is the current women's world champion, holding the championship record of 47.78 seconds. Marileidy Paulino is the women’s Olympic champion, and holds the Olympic record in a time of 48.17 seconds. Femke Bol holds the women's world indoor record at 49.17 (2024). The men's T43 Paralympic world record of 45.07 seconds is held by Oscar Pistorius.

An Olympic double of 200 metres and 400 m was first achieved by Valerie Brisco-Hooks in 1984, and later by Marie-José Pérec of France and Michael Johnson from the United States on the same evening in 1996. Alberto Juantorena of Cuba at the 1976 Summer Olympics became the first and so far the only athlete to win both the 400 m and 800 m Olympic titles. Pérec became the first to defend the Olympic title in 1996, Johnson became the first and only man to do so in 2000. From 31 appearances in the Olympic Games, the men's gold medalist came from the US 19 times (as of 2019).

Sprint

Like other sprint disciplines, the 400 m involves the use of starting blocks. The runners take up position in the blocks on the "ready" command, adopt a more efficient starting posture which isometrically preloads their muscles on the "set" command, and stride forwards from the blocks upon hearing the starter's pistol. The blocks allow the runners to begin more powerfully and thereby contribute to their overall sprint speed capability. Maximum sprint speed capability is a significant contributing factor to success in the event, but athletes also require substantial speed endurance and the ability to cope well with high amounts of lactic acid to sustain a fast speed over a whole lap. While considered to be predominantly an anaerobic event, there is some aerobic involvement and the degree of aerobic training required for 400-metre athletes is open to debate.

Continental records

Updated 18 September 2025.

Area	Men	Women	Time (s)	Athlete	Nation
and Caribbean (records)	Oceania (records)	South America (records)
43.03	Wayde van Niekerk	South Africa	49.10	Falilat Ogunkoya	Nigeria
43.93	Yousef Masrahi	Saudi Arabia	48.14	Salwa Eid Naser	Bahrain
43.44	Matthew Hudson-Smith	Great Britain	47.60	Marita Koch	East Germany
43.18	Michael Johnson	United States	47.78	Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone	United States
44.38	Darren Clark	Australia	48.63	Cathy Freeman	Australia
43.93	Anthony Zambrano	Colombia	49.64	Ximena Restrepo	Colombia

All-time top 25

- denotes top performance (only) for other top 25 athletes* who fall outside the top 25 400 m times*

Men (outdoor)

Correct as of September 2025.

Ath.#	Perf.#	Time (s)	Reaction (s)	Athlete	Nation	Date	Place
1	1	43.03	0.181	Wayde van Niekerk		14 August 2016	Rio de Janeiro
2	2	43.18	0.150	Michael Johnson		26 August 1999	Seville
3	3	43.29		Butch Reynolds		17 August 1988	Zürich
	4	43.39		Johnson #2		9 August 1995	Gothenburg
4	5	43.40	0.168	Quincy Hall		7 August 2024	Saint-Denis
	6	43.44		Johnson #3		19 June 1996	Atlanta
5	6	43.44	0.149	Matthew Hudson-Smith		7 August 2024	Saint-Denis
6	8	43.45	0.182	Jeremy Wariner		31 August 2007	Osaka
	Michael Norman		20 April 2019	Torrance
	10	43.48	0.156	van Niekerk #2		26 August 2015	Beijing
8	11	43.48	0.164	Steven Gardiner		4 October 2019	Doha
	12	43.49		Johnson #4		29 July 1996	Atlanta
9	13	43.50		Quincy Watts		5 August 1992	Barcelona
	14	43.50		Wariner #2		7 August 2007	Stockholm
10	15	43.53	0.134	Collen Kebinatshipi		18 September 2025	Tokyo
	16	43.56		Norman #2		25 June 2022	Eugene
17	43.60	0.130	Norman #3	28 May 2022	Eugene
18	43.61		Norman #4	8 June 2018	Eugene
19	43.61	0.145	Kebinatshipi #2	16 September 2025	Tokyo
20	43.62		Wariner #3	14 July 2006	Rome
0.164	van Niekerk #3	6 July 2017	Lausanne
11	22	43.64		Fred Kerley		27 July 2019	Des Moines
	23	43.65		Johnson #5		17 August 1993	Stuttgart
12	24	43.65	0.195	LaShawn Merritt		26 August 2015	Beijing
	25	43.66		Johnson #6		16 June 1995	Sacramento
	Johnson #7	3 July 1996	Lausanne
13		43.70		Champion Allison		25 June 2022	Eugene
14	43.72		Isaac Makwala		5 July 2015	La Chaux-de-Fonds
0.145	Jereem Richards		18 September 2025	Tokyo
16	43.74		Kirani James		3 July 2014	Lausanne
0.185	Muzala Samukonga		7 August 2024	Saint-Denis
18	43.76		Zakithi Nene		31 May 2025	Nairobi
19	43.81		Danny Everett		26 June 1992	New Orleans
20	43.85		Randolph Ross		11 June 2021	Eugene
0.158	Jacory Patterson		28 August 2025	Zurich
22	43.86		Lee Evans		18 October 1968	Mexico City
23	43.87		Steve Lewis		28 September 1988	Seoul
24	43.91		Khaleb McRae		22 June 2025	London
25	43.93		Yousef Masrahi		23 August 2015	Beijing	title=400m Men - Heats Results	url=http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-championships/15th-iaaf-world-championships-4875/results/men/400-metres/heats/result#resultheader	publisher=IAAF	date=23 August 2015	access-date=23 August 2015}}
	Rusheen McDonald		23 August 2015	Beijing
	Anthony Zambrano		2 August 2021	Tokyo

Women (outdoor)

Correct as of September 2025.

Ath.#	Perf.#	Time (s)	Reaction (s)	Athlete	Nation	Date	Place
1	1	47.60		Marita Koch		6 October 1985	Canberra
2	2	47.78	0.171	Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone		18 September 2025	Tokyo
3	3	47.98	0.183	Marileidy Paulino		18 September 2025	Tokyo
4	4	47.99		Jarmila Kratochvílová		10 August 1983	Helsinki
5	5	48.14	0.186	Salwa Eid Naser		3 October 2019	Doha
	6	48.16		Koch #2		8 September 1982	Athens
	Koch #3	16 August 1984	Prague
8	48.17		Paulino #2	9 August 2024	Saint-Denis	title=Paulino powers to Olympic record to win 400m gold in Paris News Paris 24 Olympic Games	url=https://worldathletics.org/competitions/olympic-games/paris24/news/article/paris-2024-olympics-report-women-400m	access-date=2024-08-09	website=worldathletics.org	language=en}}
9	48.19	0.189	Naser #2	18 September 2025	Tokyo
10	48.22		Koch #4	28 August 1986	Stuttgart
6	11	48.25		Marie-José Pérec		29 July 1996	Atlanta
	12	48.26		Koch #5		27 July 1984	Dresden
7	13	48.27		Olga Bryzgina		6 October 1985	Canberra
	14	48.29		McLaughlin-Levrone #2		16 September 2025	Tokyo
8	15	48.36		Shaunae Miller-Uibo		6 August 2021	Tokyo
	16	48.37	0.145	Miller-Uibo #2		3 October 2019	Doha
17	48.45		Kratochvílová #2	23 July 1983	Prague
18	48.53		Naser #3	9 August 2024	Saint-Denis
9	19	48.57		Nickisha Pryce		20 July 2024	London
10	20	48.59		Taťána Kocembová		10 August 1983	Helsinki
	21	48.60		Koch #6		4 August 1979	Turin
	Bryzgina #2	17 August 1985	Moscow
23	48.61		Kratochvílová #3	6 September 1981	Rome
11	24	48.63		Cathy Freeman		29 July 1996	Atlanta
	25	48.65		Bryzgina #3		26 September 1988	Seoul
12		48.70		Sanya Richards-Ross		16 September 2006	Athens
13	48.83		Valerie Brisco-Hooks		6 August 1984	Los Angeles
14	48.89		Ana Guevara		27 August 2003	Saint-Denis
15	48.90		Natalia Kaczmarek		20 July 2024	London
16	49.05		Chandra Cheeseborough		6 August 1984	Los Angeles
17	49.07		Tonique Williams-Darling		12 September 2004	Berlin
	Rhasidat Adeleke	Ireland	10 June 2024	Rome	title=400m Results	url=https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7158244?eventId=10229511&gender=W	website=World Athletics	access-date=11 June 2024}}
19	49.09	0.200	Aaliyah Butler		11 July 2025	Monaco
20	49.10		Falilat Ogunkoya		29 July 1996	Atlanta
21	49.11		Olga Nazarova		25 September 1988	Seoul
22	49.13		Britton Wilson		13 May 2023	Baton Rouge
	Kaylyn Brown		8 June 2024	Eugene	title=Pryce, Long and Jones impress in sprints at NCAA Championships REPORT World Athletics	url=https://worldathletics.org/news/report/ncaa-championships-2024-pryce-long-jones-valby	access-date=2024-06-09	website=worldathletics.org}}
24	49.14		Gabrielle Thomas		5 April 2025	Kingston
25	49.16		Antonina Krivoshapka		5 July 2012	Cheboksary

Annulled marks

Christine Mboma ran 48.54 in Bydgoszcz on 30 June 2021, but her performance was removed from the World Athletics database due to testosterone regulations in women's athletics.

Men (indoor)

Correct as of September 2024.

Ath.#	Perf.#	Time (s)	Athlete	Nation	Date	Place
1	1	44.49	Christopher Morales Williams	Canada	24 February 2024	Fayetteville
2	2	44.52	Michael Norman	United States	10 March 2018	College Station
3	3	44.57	Kerron Clement	United States	12 March 2005	Fayetteville
4	4	44.62	Randolph Ross	United States	12 March 2022	Birmingham
5	5	44.63	Michael Johnson	United States	4 March 1995	Atlanta
	6	44.66	Johnson #2		2 March 1996	Atlanta
7	44.67	Morales Williams #2	7 March 2024	Boston
6	8	44.71	Noah Williams	United States	13 March 2021	Fayetteville
7	9	44.75	Elija Godwin	United States	25 February 2023	Fayetteville
	10	44.75	Godwin #2		11 March 2023	Albuquerque
8	11	44.80	Kirani James	Grenada	27 February 2011	Fayetteville
9	12	44.82	Tyrell Richard	United States	9 March 2019	Birmingham
	13	44.83	Ross #2		11 February 2022	Clemson
10	14	44.85	Fred Kerley	United States	11 March 2017	College Station
11	15	44.86	Akeem Bloomfield	Jamaica	10 March 2018	College Station
12	16	44.88	Bralon Taplin	Grenada	3 February 2018	College Station
13	17	44.91	Auhmad Robinson	United States	9 March 2024	Boston
14	18	44.93	LaShawn Merritt	United States	11 February 2005	Fayetteville
44.93	Ryan Willie	United States	11 March 2023	Albuquerque	date=11 March 2023	title=400m Result	url=https://flashresults.ncaa.com/Indoor/2023/003-2.pdf	access-date=18 March 2023	work=Flash Results}}
	20	44.94	Kerley #2		25 February 2017	Nashville
21	44.97	Johnson #3	10 February 1995	Reno
22	44.99	Ross #3	13 March 2021	Fayetteville
23	45.00	Norman #2	9 February 2018	Clemson
16	23	45.00	Jereem Richards	Trinidad and Tobago	19 March 2022	Belgrade
17	25	45.02	Danny Everett	United States	2 February 1992	Stuttgart
	25	45.02	Kerley #3		10 February 2017	Clemson
Bloomfield #2	9 February 2018	Clemson
17	25	45.02	Khaleb McCrae	United States	3 February 2024	Albuquerque
19		45.03	Torrin Lawrence	United States	12 February 2010	Fayetteville
Deon Lendore	Trinidad and Tobago	1 March 2014	College Station
Kahmari Montgomery	United States	9 March 2019	Birmingham
22	45.04	Champion Allison	United States	26 February 2022	College Station	date=26 February 2022	title=400m Result	url=https://results.flashresults.com/2022_02-25_SEC/023-2.pdf	access-date=27 February 2022	work=flashresults.com}}
23	45.05	Thomas Schönlebe	East Germany	5 February 1988	Sindelfingen
Alvin Harrison	United States	28 February 1998	Atlanta
Karsten Warholm	Norway	2 March 2019	Glasgow	date=2 March 2019	title=400m Final Results	url=https://www.european-athletics.org/externalmodules/AT/pdf/ATM004101_C73A.pdf	url-status=dead	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323034601/https://www.european-athletics.org/externalmodules/AT/pdf/ATM004101_C73A.pdf	archive-date=23 March 2019	access-date=10 March 2019	publisher=EAA}}
Trevor Bassitt	United States	19 March 2022	Belgrade
Jacory Patterson	United States	25 February 2023	Fayetteville

Women (indoor)

Correct as of March 2025.

Ath.#	Perf.#	Time (s)	Athlete	Nation	Date	Place
1	1	49.17	Femke Bol	Netherlands	2 March 2024	Glasgow
	2	49.24	Bol #2		17 February 2024	Apeldoorn
2	2	49.24	Isabella Whittaker	United States	15 March 2025	Virginia Beach
	4	49.26	Bol #3		19 February 2023	Apeldoorn
3	5	49.48	Britton Wilson	United States	11 March 2023	Albuquerque
4	6	49.59	Jarmila Kratochvílová	Czechoslovakia	7 March 1982	Milan
	7	49.63	Bol #4		10 February 2024	Liévin
8	49.64	Kratochvílová #2	28 January 1981	Vienna
5	9	49.68	Natalya Nazarova	Russia	18 February 2004	Moscow
	10	49.69	Kratochvílová #3		6 March 1983	Budapest
Bol #5	1 February 2024	Metz
6	12	49.76	Taťána Kocembová	Czechoslovakia	2 February 1984	Vienna
7	13	49.78	Aaliyah Butler	United States	1 March 2025	College Station
	14	49.85	Bol #6		4 March 2023	Istanbul
15	49.90	Whittaker #2	1 March 2025	College Station
16	49.96	Bol #7	11 February 2023	Metz
17	49.97	Kocembová #2	4 March 1984	Gothenburg
Butler #2	15 March 2025	Virginia Beach
19	49.98	Nazarova #2	18 February 2006	Moscow
20	50.00	Kratochvílová #4	10 February 1983	Vienna
8	21	50.01	Sabine Busch	East Germany	2 February 1984	Vienna
9	22	50.02	Nicola Sanders	Great Britain	3 March 2007	Birmingham
10	23	50.04	Olesya Krasnomovets	Russia	18 February 2006	Moscow
	24	50.04	Krasnomovets #2		12 March 2006	Moscow
25	50.07	Kratochvílová #5	22 February 1981	Grenoble
11		50.10	Lieke Klaver	Netherlands	18 February 2024	Apeldoorn
12	50.15	Olga Zaytseva	Russia	25 January 2006	Moscow
Talitha Diggs	United States	25 February 2023	Fayetteville	date=25 February 2023	title=Weekend Recap: All-Time Marks Canvas Conference Championships Weekend	url=https://www.ustfccca.org/2023/02/featured/weekend-recap-all-time-marks-canvas-conference-championships-weekend	access-date=25 February 2023	website=USTFCCCA	language=en}}
14	50.21	Vania Stambolova	Bulgaria	12 March 2006	Moscow
Shaunae Miller-Uibo	Bahamas	13 February 2021	New York City	author=Taylor Dutch	date=14 February 2021	title=Three American Records and 10 National Records Fall at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix	url=https://www.runnersworld.com/races-places/a35499064/new-balance-indoor-grand-prix-results/	access-date=23 February 2021	website=runnersworld.com}}
16	50.23	Irina Privalova	Russia	12 March 1995	Barcelona
17	50.24	Alexis Holmes	United States	2 March 2024	Glasgow
18	50.28	Petra Müller	East Germany	6 March 1988	Budapest
19	50.33	Rhasidat Adeleke	Ireland	25 February 2023	Lubbock
20	50.34	Christine Amertil	Bahamas	12 March 2006	Moscow
Kendall Ellis	United States	10 March 2018	College Station
22	50.36	Sydney McLaughlin	United States	10 March 2018	College Station
23	50.37	Natalya Antyukh	Russia	18 February 2006	Moscow
24	50.40	Dagmar Neubauer	East Germany	2 February 1984	Vienna
25	50.41	Svetlana Pospelova	Russia	5 March 2005	Madrid

Fastest relay splits

Men

Split	Athlete	Leg	Date	Event	Place	Ref.	42.94	42.93	43.04	43.06	43.09	43.10	43.1	43.11	43.18	43.20
Michael Johnson	L4	22 August 1993	[World Championships](1993-world-championships-in-athletics)	Stuttgart	date=11 July 2022	title=World Athletics Championships Oregon22 Statistics Handbook	url=https://iaafmedia.s3.amazonaws.com/misc/Oregon22/Oregon%20stats%20book.pdf	editor-last=Butler	editor-first=Mark	publisher=World Athletics	others=Association of Track and Field Statisticians	pages=254-255	access-date=21 September 2025}}	Jeremy Wariner	2 September 2007	Osaka
Letsile Tebogo	L4	10 August 2024	[Summer Olympics](2024-summer-olympics)	Saint-Denis	title=Men's 4 x 400m Relay Results	work=olympics.com	date=10 August 2024	access-date=17 August 2024	url=https://olympics.com/OG2024/pdf/OG2024/ATH/OG2024_ATH_C73D_ATHM4X400M------------FNL-000100--.pdf}}
Michael Norman	L4	27 May 2018	NCAA West Prelims	Sacramento
Matthew Hudson-Smith	L4	10 August 2024	[Summer Olympics](2024-summer-olympics)	Saint-Denis
Jeremy Wariner	L4	2 September 2007	[World Championships](2007-world-championships-in-athletics)	Osaka
Quincy Watts	L2	8 August 1992	[Summer Olympics](1992-summer-olympics)	Barcelona		Christopher Bailey	L1	20 September 2025	[World Championships](2025-world-athletics-championships)	Tokyo	"[World Athletics Championships Tokyo'25 - Men's 4X400m Relay - Heat 1 (revised)](https://media.aws.iaaf.org/competitiondocuments/pdf/7190593/AT-4X4-M-h----.RS6.pdf)", World Athletics, 21 September 2025. Retrieved 21 September 2025. --
Jeremy Wariner	L4	23 August 2008	[Summer Olympics](2008-summer-olympics)	Beijing
James Benson II	L4	7 June 2024	[NCAA Championships](2024-ncaa-division-i-outdoor-track-and-field-championships)	Eugene
Rai Benjamin	L4	10 August 2024	[Summer Olympics](2024-summer-olympics)	Saint-Denis
Auhmad Robinson	L4	7 June 2024	[NCAA Championships](2024-ncaa-division-i-outdoor-track-and-field-championships)	Eugene
Ronald Freeman	L2	20 October 1968	[Summer Olympics](1968-summer-olympics)	Mexico City
Jeremy Wariner	L2	8 April 2006	Texas Relays	Austin
Tony McQuay	L2	20 August 2016	[Summer Olympics](2016-summer-olympics)	Rio de Janeiro
Butch Reynolds	L3	22 August 1993	[World Championships](1993-world-championships-in-athletics)	Stuttgart
Jonathan Jones	L4	10 June 2022	[NCAA Championships](2022-ncaa-division-i-outdoor-track-and-field-championships)	Eugene
Vernon Norwood	L2	10 August 2024	[Summer Olympics](2024-summer-olympics)	Saint-Denis
Wayde Van Niekerk	L3	21 September 2025	[World Championships](2025-world-athletics-championships)	Tokyo
Demetrius Pinder	L2	10 August 2012	[Summer Olympics](2012-summer-olympics)	London

-- Annulled marks

The American athlete Antonio Pettigrew recorded a split time of 43.1 at the 1997 World Championships men's 4 x 400 m finals in Athens, but his time was annulled in 2008, after Pettigrew admitted to multiple doping violations between 1997 and 2003.

Women

Split	Athlete	Leg	Date	Event
Jarmila Kratochvílová	L4	11 September 1982	[European Championships](1982-european-athletics-championships)	Athens
Marita Koch	L4	3 June 1984	National Championships	Erfurt
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone	L2	10 August 2024	[Summer Olympics](2024-summer-olympics)	Saint-Denis
Allyson Felix	L3	30 August 2015	[World Championships](2015-world-championships-in-athletics)	Beijing
Jarmila Kratochvílová	L4	14 August 1983	[World Championships](1983-world-championships-in-athletics)	Helsinki
Olga Bryzgina	L4	1 October 1988	[Summer Olympics](1988-summer-olympics)	Seoul
Olga Nazarova	L2	1 October 1988	[Summer Olympics](1988-summer-olympics)	Seoul
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone	L4	21 September 2025	[World Championships](2025-world-athletics-championships)	Tokyo
Taťána Kocembová	L4	18 August 1984	Friendship Games	Prague
Jarmila Kratochvílová	L4	5 July 1981	[European Cup Semifinal](1981-european-cup-athletics)	Frankfurt
Jarmila Kratochvílová	L4	2 August 1981	[European Cup B Final](1981-european-cup-athletics)	Pescara
Marita Koch	L4	11 September 1982	[European Championships](1982-european-athletics-championships)	Athens
Jarmila Kratochvílová	L4	21 August 1983	[European Cup Final](1983-european-cup-a-final)	London
Marita Koch	L4	4 October 1985	[IAAF World Cup](1985-iaaf-world-cup)	Canberra
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone	L4	24 July 2022	[World Championships](2022-world-athletics-championships)	Eugene
Femke Bol	L4	3 August 2024	[Summer Olympics](2024-summer-olympics)	Saint-Denis
Allyson Felix	L2	2 September 2007	[World Championships](2007-world-championships-in-athletics)	Osaka
Florence Griffith-Joyner	L4	1 October 1988	[Summer Olympics](1988-summer-olympics)	Seoul
Alicia Brown	L4	12 May 2019	[IAAF World Relays](2019-iaaf-world-relays)	Yokohama

Relay splits are typically faster because athletes have a running start and do not need to react to the gun if they are not the leadoff leg.
World Athletics reports a split time of 42.94, which is based on "photo-finish pictures taken at the start and finish of Johnson’s leg supplied by Seiko. Using different methods, the DLV Biomechanics Report from Stuttgart 1993 variously showed timings of 42.91 and 42.92.
Run in a mixed 4 x 400 metres relay race.

Most successful athletes

3 or more 400-metre victories at the Olympic Games and World Championships:

6 wins: Michael Johnson (USA) - Olympic champion in 1996 and 2000, world champion in 1993, 1995, 1997 and 1999.
4 wins: Marie-Jose Perec (FRA) - Olympic champion in 1992 and 1996, world champion in 1991 and 1995.
3 wins: Cathy Freeman (AUS) - Olympic champion in 2000, world champion in 1997 and 1999.
3 wins: Jeremy Wariner (USA) - Olympic champion in 2004, world champion in 2005 and 2007.
3 wins: Christine Ohuruogu (GBR) - Olympic champion in 2008, world champion in 2007 and 2013.
3 wins: LaShawn Merritt (USA) - Olympic champion in 2008, world champion in 2009 and 2013.
3 wins: Wayde van Niekerk (RSA) - Olympic champion in 2016, world champion in 2015 and 2017.
3 wins: Shaunae Miller-Uibo (BAH) - Olympic champion in 2016 and 2020, world champion in 2022.

The Olympic champion has frequently won a second gold medal in the 4 × 400 metres relay. This has been accomplished 14 times by men; Charles Reidpath, Ray Barbuti, Bill Carr, George Rhoden, Charles Jenkins, Otis Davis, Mike Larrabee, Lee Evans, Viktor Markin, Alonzo Babers, Steve Lewis, Quincy Watts, Jeremy Wariner and LaShawn Merritt; and 4 times by women; Monika Zehrt, Valerie Brisco-Hooks, Olga Bryzgina and Sanya Richards-Ross. All but Rhoden, Markin, Zehrt and Bryzgina ran on American relay teams. Injured after his double in 1996, Johnson also accomplished the feat in 2000 only to have it disqualified when his teammate Antonio Pettigrew admitted to doping.

Olympic medalists

Men

Women

World Championships medalists

Men

Women

World Indoor Championships medalists

Men

[2025 Nanjing](2025-world-athletics-indoor-championships)
Christopher Bailey	Brian Faust	Jacory Patterson

Women

[2025 Nanjing](2025-world-athletics-indoor-championships)
Amber Anning	Alexis Holmes	Henriette Jæger

Known as the World Indoor Games

Season's bests

Men

Year	Time	Athlete
44.82	Wendell Mottley	Kingston
44.74	Tommie Smith	San Jose
43.86	Lee Evans	Mexico City
44.67	Curtis Mills	Knoxville
45.01	Charles Asati	Edinburgh
44.44	John Smith	Eugene
44.34	Wayne Collett	Eugene
44.85	Maurice Peoples	Baton Rouge
44.94	Alberto Juantorena	Mexico City
44.45	Ronnie Ray	Mexico City
44.26	Alberto Juantorena	Montreal
44.65	Alberto Juantorena	La Habana
44.27	Alberto Juantorena	Medellín
44.92	Harald Schmid	Stuttgart
44.60	Viktor Markin	Moscow
44.58	Bert Cameron	Baton Rouge
44.68	Sunder Nix	Indianapolis
44.50	Erwin Skamrahl	München
44.27	Alonzo Babers	Los Angeles
44.47	Michael Franks	Canberra
44.30	Gabriel Tiacoh	Indianapolis
44.10	Butch Reynolds	Columbus
43.29	Butch Reynolds	Zurich
44.27	Antonio Pettigrew	Houston
44.06	Danny Everett	Seville
44.17	Michael Johnson	Lausanne
43.50	Quincy Watts	Barcelona
43.65	Michael Johnson	Stuttgart
43.90	Michael Johnson	Madrid
43.39	Michael Johnson	Gothenburg
43.44	Michael Johnson	Atlanta
43.75	Michael Johnson	Waco
43.68	Michael Johnson	Zürich
43.18	Michael Johnson	Sevilla
43.68	Michael Johnson	Sacramento
44.28	Tyree Washington	Los Angeles
44.45	Leonard Byrd	Belém
44.33	Tyree Washington	Palo Alto
44.00	Jeremy Wariner	Athens
43.93	Jeremy Wariner	Helsinki
43.62	Jeremy Wariner	Rome
43.45	Jeremy Wariner	Osaka
43.75	LaShawn Merritt	Beijing
44.06	LaShawn Merritt	Berlin
44.13	Jeremy Wariner	Zürich
44.35	LaShawn Merritt	Daegu
43.94	Kirani James	London
43.74	LaShawn Merritt	Moscow
43.74	Kirani James	Lausanne
43.48	Wayde van Niekerk	Beijing
43.03	Wayde van Niekerk	Rio de Janeiro
43.62	Wayde van Niekerk	Lausanne
43.61	Michael Norman	Eugene
43.45	Michael Norman	Torrance
44.91	Justin Robinson	Marietta
43.85	Randolph Ross	Eugene
Steven Gardiner	Tokyo
43.56	Michael Norman	Eugene
43.74	Steven Gardiner	Székesfehérvár
43.40	Quincy Hall	Saint-Denis
43.53	Collen Kebinatshipi	Tokyo

Women

Year	Time	Athlete
52.03	Colette Besson	Mexico City
51.72	Nicole Duclos	Athens
51.02	Marilyn Neufville	Edinburgh
52.14	Helga Seidler	Helsinki
51.08	Monika Zehrt	Munich
51.27	Mona-Lisa Pursiainen	Helsinki
50.14	Riitta Salin	Rome
50.50	Irena Szewinska	Nice
49.28	Irena Szewinska	Montreal
49.52	Irena Szewinska	Düsseldorf
48.94	Marita Koch	Prague
48.60	Marita Koch	Potsdam
48.88	Marita Koch	Moscow
48.61	Jarmila Kratochvílová	Rome
48.16	Marita Koch	Athens
47.99	Jarmila Kratochvílová	Helsinki
48.16	Marita Koch	Prague
47.60	Marita Koch	Canberra
48.22	Marita Koch	Stuttgart
49.38	Olga Bryzgina	Rome
48.65	Olga Bryzgina	Seoul
50.01	Ana Fidelia Quirot	Duisburg
49.50	Grit Breuer	Split
49.32	Marie-José Pérec	Frankfurt
48.83	Marie-José Pérec	Frankfurt
49.81	Ma Yuqin	Beijing
49.77	Marie-José Pérec	Paris
49.28	Marie-José Pérec	Gothenburg
48.25	Marie-José Pérec	Atlanta
49.39	Cathy Freeman	Oslo
49.29	Charity Opara	Rome
49.62	Falilat Ogunkoya	Lagos
49.11	Cathy Freeman	Sydney
49.59	Katharine Merry	Athens
49.16	Ana Guevara	Zürich
48.89	Ana Guevara	Saint-Denis
49.07	Tonique Williams-Darling	Berlin
48.92	Sanya Richards-Ross	Zürich
48.70	Sanya Richards-Ross	Athens
49.27	Sanya Richards-Ross	Berlin
Stuttgart
49.62	Christine Ohuruogu	Beijing
48.83	Sanya Richards-Ross	Brussels
49.64	Debbie Dunn	Des Moines
49.35	Anastasiya Kapachinskaya	Cheboksary
49.16	Antonina Krivoshapka	Cheboksary
49.33	Amantle Montsho	Monaco
49.48	Francena McCorory	Sacramento
49.26	Allyson Felix	Beijing
49.44	Shaunae Miller	Rio de Janeiro
49.46	Shaunae Miller-Uibo	Brussels
48.97	Shaunae Miller-Uibo	Monaco
48.14	Salwa Eid Naser	Doha
50.42	Beatrice Masilingi	Pretoria
48.36	Shaunae Miller-Uibo	Tokyo
48.99	Marileidy Paulino	Zürich
48.74	Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone	Eugene
48.17	Marileidy Paulino	Saint-Denis
47.78	Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone	Tokyo

References

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