| | Event type

400 metres, Men

Date	12 – 14 August 2016
Status	Olympic
Location	Estádio Olímpico João Havelange, Engenho de Dentro, Rio de Janeiro
Participants	53 from 35 countries

The two dominant 400 metre runners over the last few years had been Grenadian Kirani James and American LaShawn Merritt. Merritt was Olympic gold medallist in 2008, and World Champion in 2009 and 2013, while James was 2011 World Champion and 2012 Olympic Champion. At the 2015 World Championships, both were upset by South African Wayde van Niekerk. The Rio Olympic final was expected to be a battle between the three, but most expected the battle to be between James and Merritt.

James and Merritt were in the first semi-final and pushed hard, James winning in 44.02 to Merritt’s 44.21. In the second semi van Niekerk trailed Trinidadian Machel Cedenio, who ran 44.39 to van Niekerk’s 44.45.

In the final, James and van Niekerk, running in lane eight, led on the first turn, but Merritt took the lead at 200 metres, passing in 20.4. On the final turn, van Niekerk powered ahead, reaching 300 metres in 31.0 to 31.2 for his two adversaries. Many thought he had gone too hard and would struggle on the run-in, but he never slowed, increasing his lead and finishing his gold medal run in a world record time of 43.03, with James second in 43.76, and Merritt taking bronze in 43.85. Cedenio finished fourth in a national record time of 44.01.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	R1	SF	Final
1	2910	Wayde van Niekerk	RSA	45.26 (1 h3)	44.45 (2 h2)	43.03 (1)	Gold
2	2539	Kirani James	GRN	44.93 (1 h6)	44.02 (1 h1)	43.76 (2)	Silver
3	3090	LaShawn Merritt	USA	45.28 (1 h5)	44.21 (2 h1)	43.85 (3)	Bronze
4	2977	Machel Cedenio	TTO	44.98 (1 h1)	44.39 (1 h2)	44.01 (4)
5	2125	Karabo Sibanda	BOT	45.56 (3 h2)	44.47 (3 h1)	44.25 (5)
6	2171	Ali Khamis	BRN	45.12 (1 h7)	44.49 (3 h3)	44.36 (6)
7	2540	Bralon Taplin	GRN	45.15 (1 h2)	44.44 (1 h3)	44.45 (7)
8	2461	Matt Hudson-Smith	GBR	45.26 (3 h6)	44.48 (2 h3)	44.61 (8)
3 h2 r2/3	2304	Pavel Maslák	CZE	45.54 (5 h7)	45.06 (3 h2)	–
4 h1 r2/3	2327	Luguelín Santos	DOM	45.61 (2 h3)	44.71 (4 h1)	–
4 h2 r2/3	2929	Luka Janežič	SLO	45.33 (2 h4)	45.07 (4 h2)	–
4 h3 r2/3	3093	Gil Roberts	USA	45.27 (2 h1)	44.65 (4 h3)	–
5 h1 r2/3	2620	Javon Francis	JAM	45.88 (3 h3)	44.96 (5 h1)	–
5 h2 r2/3	3102	David Verburg	USA	45.48 (4 h6)	45.61 (5 h2)	–
5 h3 r2/3	2065	Steven Gardiner	BAH	45.24 (2 h7)	44.72 (5 h3)	–
6 h1 r2/3	2262	Nery Brenes	CRC	45.53 (2 h2)	45.02 (6 h1)	–
6 h2 r2/3	2623	Rusheen McDonald	JAM	45.22 (2 h6)	46.12 (6 h2)	–
6 h3 r2/3	2275	Yoandys Lescay	CUB	45.36 (3 h1)	45.00 (6 h3)	–
7 h1 r2/3	2780	Liemarvin Bonevacia	NED	45.49 (3 h7)	45.03 (7 h1)	–
7 h2 r2/3	2880	Abdalelah Haroun	QAT	45.76 (2 h5)	46.66 (7 h2)	–
7 h3 r2/3	2849	Rafał Omelko	POL	45.54 (4 h7)	45.28 (7 h3)	–
8 h1 r2/3	2980	Lalonde Gordon	TTO	45.24 (1 h4)	45.13 (8 h1)	–
8 h3 r2/3	2121	Isaac Makwala	BOT	45.91 (3 h5)	46.60 (8 h3)	–
DNS r2/3	2126	Baboloki Thebe	BOT	45.41 (3 h4)	– (DNS h2)	–
4 h1 r1/3	2617	Fitzroy Dunkley	JAM	45.66 (4 h1)	–	–
4 h2 r1/3	2600	Matteo Galvan	ITA	46.07 (4 h2)	–	–
4 h3 r1/3	2088	Jonathan Borlée	BEL	46.01 (4 h3)	–	–
4 h4 r1/3	2063	Chris Brown	BAH	45.56 (4 h4)	–	–
4 h5 r1/3	3027	Vitaliy Butrym	UKR	45.92 (4 h5)	–	–
5 h1 r1/3	2089	Kévin Borlée	BEL	45.90 (5 h1)	–	–
5 h2 r1/3	2679	Raymond Kibet	KEN	46.15 (5 h2)	–	–
5 h3 r1/3	2685	Alphas Leken Kishoyian	KEN	46.74 (5 h3)	–	–
5 h4 r1/3	2472	Martyn Rooney	GBR	45.60 (5 h4)	–	–
5 h5 r1/3	2587	Donald Sanford	ISR	46.06 (5 h5)	–	–
5 h6 r1/3	2547	Winston George	GUY	45.77 (5 h6)	–	–
6 h1 r1/3	3115	Alberth Bravo	VEN	46.15 (6 h1)	–	–
6 h2 r1/3	2816	Mehboob Ali	PAK	48.37 (6 h2)	–	–
6 h3 r1/3	3122	Brandon Valentine-Parris	VIN	47.62 (6 h3)	–	–
6 h4 r1/3	2663	Julian Walsh	JPN	46.37 (6 h4)	–	–
6 h5 r1/3	2982	Deon Lendore	TTO	46.15 (6 h5)	–	–
6 h6 r1/3	2254	Diego Palomeque	COL	46.48 (6 h6)	–	–
6 h7 r1/3	2572	Mohammad Anas Yahiya	IND	45.95 (6 h7)	–	–
7 h1 r1/3	2697	Alexander Sampao	KEN	46.62 (7 h1)	–	–
7 h2 r1/3	2217	Bachir Mahamat	CHA	48.59 (7 h2)	–	–
7 h4 r1/3	2321	Gustavo Cuesta	DOM	46.92 (7 h4)	–	–
7 h5 r1/3	2147	Hederson Estefani	BRA	46.68 (7 h5)	–	–
7 h7 r1/3	2792	Orukpe Eraiyokan	NGR	47.42 (7 h7)	–	–
8 h1 r1/3	2801	Djibo Idrissa Ousseini	NIG	50.06 (8 h1)	–	–
8 h4 r1/3	2885	James Nyang Chiengjiek	EOR	52.89 (8 h4)	–	–
8 h7 r1/3	2642	Yuzo Kanemaru	JPN	48.38 (8 h7)	–	–
AC h2 r1/3	2333	Anas Beshr	EGY	– (DQ h2)	–	–
AC h3 r1/3	2073	Alonzo Russell	BAH	– (DQ h3)	–	–
AC h6 r1/3	2160	Abubakar Abbas	BRN	– (DQ h6)	–	–

Round One

Date	12 August 2016
Format	Top three in each heat and next three fastest advanced to the semi-finals.

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (automatic)	Reaction Time
1	–	Kirani James	GRN	44.93	0.156	Q
2	–	Machel Cedenio	TTO	44.98	0.179	Q
3	–	Ali Khamis	BRN	45.12	0.161	Q
4	–	Bralon Taplin	GRN	45.15	0.162	Q
5	–	Rusheen McDonald	JAM	45.22	0.179	Q
=6	–	Lalonde Gordon	TTO	45.24	0.153	Q
=6	–	Steven Gardiner	BAH	45.24	0.149	Q
=8	–	Wayde van Niekerk	RSA	45.26	0.147	Q
=8	–	Matt Hudson-Smith	GBR	45.26	0.142	Q
10	–	Gil Roberts	USA	45.27	0.168	Q
11	–	LaShawn Merritt	USA	45.28	0.235	Q
12	–	Luka Janežič	SLO	45.33	0.148	Q
13	–	Yoandys Lescay	CUB	45.36	0.199	Q
14	–	Baboloki Thebe	BOT	45.41	0.155	Q
15	–	David Verburg	USA	45.48	0.167	q
16	–	Liemarvin Bonevacia	NED	45.49	0.142	Q
17	–	Nery Brenes	CRC	45.53	0.151	Q
18	–	Rafał Omelko	POL	45.54	0.177	q
19	–	Pavel Maslák	CZE	45.54	0.183	q
=20	–	Karabo Sibanda	BOT	45.56	0.166	Q
=20	–	Chris Brown	BAH	45.56	0.147
22	–	Martyn Rooney	GBR	45.60	0.154
23	–	Luguelín Santos	DOM	45.61	0.148	Q
24	–	Fitzroy Dunkley	JAM	45.66	0.176
25	–	Abdalelah Haroun	QAT	45.76	0.190	Q
26	–	Winston George	GUY	45.77	0.186
27	–	Javon Francis	JAM	45.88	0.172	Q
28	–	Kévin Borlée	BEL	45.90	0.138
29	–	Isaac Makwala	BOT	45.91	0.242	Q
30	–	Vitaliy Butrym	UKR	45.92	0.166
31	–	Mohammad Anas Yahiya	IND	45.95	0.158
32	–	Jonathan Borlée	BEL	46.01	0.162
33	–	Donald Sanford	ISR	46.06	0.163
34	–	Matteo Galvan	ITA	46.07	0.154
=35	–	Alberth Bravo	VEN	46.15	0.205
=35	–	Raymond Kibet	KEN	46.15	0.234
=35	–	Deon Lendore	TTO	46.15	0.201
38	–	Julian Walsh	JPN	46.37	0.149
39	–	Diego Palomeque	COL	46.48	0.159
40	–	Alexander Sampao	KEN	46.62	0.199
41	–	Hederson Estefani	BRA	46.68	0.234
42	–	Alphas Leken Kishoyian	KEN	46.74	0.147
43	–	Gustavo Cuesta	DOM	46.92	0.143
44	–	Orukpe Eraiyokan	NGR	47.42	0.180
45	–	Brandon Valentine-Parris	VIN	47.62	0.144
46	–	Mehboob Ali	PAK	48.37	0.212
47	–	Yuzo Kanemaru	JPN	48.38	0.144
48	–	Bachir Mahamat	CHA	48.59	0.188
49	–	Djibo Idrissa Ousseini	NIG	50.06	0.173
50	–	James Nyang Chiengjiek	EOR	52.89	0.213
DQ	–	Anas Beshr	EGY	–	[0.141]		1
DQ	–	Alonzo Russell	BAH	–	[0.159]
DQ	–	Abubakar Abbas	BRN	–	[0.192]

Heat #1

Time	21:05

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)	Reaction Time
1	–	Machel Cedenio	TTO	44.98	0.179	Q
2	–	Gil Roberts	USA	45.27	0.168	Q
3	–	Yoandys Lescay	CUB	45.36	0.199	Q
4	–	Fitzroy Dunkley	JAM	45.66	0.176
5	–	Kévin Borlée	BEL	45.90	0.138
6	–	Alberth Bravo	VEN	46.15	0.205
7	–	Alexander Sampao	KEN	46.62	0.199
8	–	Djibo Idrissa Ousseini	NIG	50.06	0.173

Heat #2

Time	21:13

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)	Reaction Time
1	–	Bralon Taplin	GRN	45.15	0.162	Q
2	–	Nery Brenes	CRC	45.53	0.151	Q
3	–	Karabo Sibanda	BOT	45.56	0.166	Q
4	–	Matteo Galvan	ITA	46.07	0.154
5	–	Raymond Kibet	KEN	46.15	0.234
6	–	Mehboob Ali	PAK	48.37	0.212
7	–	Bachir Mahamat	CHA	48.59	0.188
DQ	–	Anas Beshr	EGY	–	[0.141]		2

Heat #3

Time	21:21

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)	Reaction Time
1	–	Wayde van Niekerk	RSA	45.26	0.147	Q
2	–	Luguelín Santos	DOM	45.61	0.148	Q
3	–	Javon Francis	JAM	45.88	0.172	Q
4	–	Jonathan Borlée	BEL	46.01	0.162
5	–	Alphas Leken Kishoyian	KEN	46.74	0.147
6	–	Brandon Valentine-Parris	VIN	47.62	0.144
DQ	–	Alonzo Russell	BAH	–	[0.159]

Heat #4

Time	21:29

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)	Reaction Time
1	–	Lalonde Gordon	TTO	45.24	0.153	Q
2	–	Luka Janežič	SLO	45.33	0.148	Q
3	–	Baboloki Thebe	BOT	45.41	0.155	Q
4	–	Chris Brown	BAH	45.56	0.147
5	–	Martyn Rooney	GBR	45.60	0.154
6	–	Julian Walsh	JPN	46.37	0.149
7	–	Gustavo Cuesta	DOM	46.92	0.143
8	–	James Nyang Chiengjiek	EOR	52.89	0.213

Heat #5

Time	21:37

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)	Reaction Time
1	–	LaShawn Merritt	USA	45.28	0.235	Q
2	–	Abdalelah Haroun	QAT	45.76	0.190	Q
3	–	Isaac Makwala	BOT	45.91	0.242	Q
4	–	Vitaliy Butrym	UKR	45.92	0.166
5	–	Donald Sanford	ISR	46.06	0.163
6	–	Deon Lendore	TTO	46.15	0.201
7	–	Hederson Estefani	BRA	46.68	0.234

Heat #6

Time	21:45

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)	Reaction Time
1	–	Kirani James	GRN	44.93	0.156	Q
2	–	Rusheen McDonald	JAM	45.22	0.179	Q
3	–	Matt Hudson-Smith	GBR	45.26	0.142	Q
4	–	David Verburg	USA	45.48	0.167	q
5	–	Winston George	GUY	45.77	0.186
6	–	Diego Palomeque	COL	46.48	0.159
DQ	–	Abubakar Abbas	BRN	–	[0.192]

Heat #7

Time	21:53

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)	Reaction Time
1	–	Ali Khamis	BRN	45.12	0.161	Q
2	–	Steven Gardiner	BAH	45.24	0.149	Q
3	–	Liemarvin Bonevacia	NED	45.49	0.142	Q
4	–	Rafał Omelko	POL	45.54	0.177	q
5	–	Pavel Maslák	CZE	45.54	0.183	q
6	–	Mohammad Anas Yahiya	IND	45.95	0.158
7	–	Orukpe Eraiyokan	NGR	47.42	0.180
8	–	Yuzo Kanemaru	JPN	48.38	0.144

Semi-Finals

Date	13 August 2016
Format	Top two in each heat and next two fastest advanced to the final.

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (automatic)	Reaction Time
1	–	Kirani James	GRN	44.02	0.144	Q
2	–	LaShawn Merritt	USA	44.21	0.271	Q
3	–	Machel Cedenio	TTO	44.39	0.243	Q
4	–	Bralon Taplin	GRN	44.44	0.171	Q
5	–	Wayde van Niekerk	RSA	44.45	0.156	Q
6	–	Karabo Sibanda	BOT	44.47	0.174	q
7	–	Matt Hudson-Smith	GBR	44.48	0.143	Q
8	–	Ali Khamis	BRN	44.49	0.145	q
9	–	Gil Roberts	USA	44.65	0.151
10	–	Luguelín Santos	DOM	44.71	0.155
11	–	Steven Gardiner	BAH	44.72	0.156
12	–	Javon Francis	JAM	44.96	0.170
13	–	Yoandys Lescay	CUB	45.00	0.216
14	–	Nery Brenes	CRC	45.02	0.181
15	–	Liemarvin Bonevacia	NED	45.03	0.166
16	–	Pavel Maslák	CZE	45.06	0.185
17	–	Luka Janežič	SLO	45.07	0.154
18	–	Lalonde Gordon	TTO	45.13	0.157
19	–	Rafał Omelko	POL	45.28	0.164
20	–	David Verburg	USA	45.61	0.159
21	–	Rusheen McDonald	JAM	46.12	0.182
22	–	Isaac Makwala	BOT	46.60	0.173
23	–	Abdalelah Haroun	QAT	46.66	0.173
DNS	–	Baboloki Thebe	BOT	–	–

Heat #1

Time	20:30

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)	Reaction Time
1	–	Kirani James	GRN	44.02	0.144	Q
2	–	LaShawn Merritt	USA	44.21	0.271	Q
3	–	Karabo Sibanda	BOT	44.47	0.174	q
4	–	Luguelín Santos	DOM	44.71	0.155
5	–	Javon Francis	JAM	44.96	0.170
6	–	Nery Brenes	CRC	45.02	0.181
7	–	Liemarvin Bonevacia	NED	45.03	0.166
8	–	Lalonde Gordon	TTO	45.13	0.157

Heat #2

Time	20:37

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)	Reaction Time
1	–	Machel Cedenio	TTO	44.39	0.243	Q
2	–	Wayde van Niekerk	RSA	44.45	0.156	Q
3	–	Pavel Maslák	CZE	45.06	0.185
4	–	Luka Janežič	SLO	45.07	0.154
5	–	David Verburg	USA	45.61	0.159
6	–	Rusheen McDonald	JAM	46.12	0.182
7	–	Abdalelah Haroun	QAT	46.66	0.173
DNS	–	Baboloki Thebe	BOT	–	–

Heat #3

Time	20:44

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)	Reaction Time
1	–	Bralon Taplin	GRN	44.44	0.171	Q
2	–	Matt Hudson-Smith	GBR	44.48	0.143	Q
3	–	Ali Khamis	BRN	44.49	0.145	q
4	–	Gil Roberts	USA	44.65	0.151
5	–	Steven Gardiner	BAH	44.72	0.156
6	–	Yoandys Lescay	CUB	45.00	0.216
7	–	Rafał Omelko	POL	45.28	0.164
8	–	Isaac Makwala	BOT	46.60	0.173

Final Round

Date	14 August 2016 — 22:00

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)	Reaction Time
1	–	Wayde van Niekerk	RSA	43.03	0.181	WR
2	–	Kirani James	GRN	43.76	0.134
3	–	LaShawn Merritt	USA	43.85	0.204
4	–	Machel Cedenio	TTO	44.01	0.203
5	–	Karabo Sibanda	BOT	44.25	0.164
6	–	Ali Khamis	BRN	44.36	0.148
7	–	Bralon Taplin	GRN	44.45	0.181
8	–	Matt Hudson-Smith	GBR	44.61	0.138