| | Event type

400 metres, Men

Date	24 – 25 July 1952
Status	Olympic
Location	Helsingin Olympiastadion, Helsinki
Participants	71 from 35 countries

The world record holder was Jamaica’s George Rhoden, who had run 45.8 in 1950 in Finland. His biggest rival was his countryman, Herb McKenley, the defending silver medalist who had been favored in 1948. The defending champion, Arthur Wint, was also back and Jamaican sweep was a possibility. In the final, Wint led early, which was unusual for him, but could not maintain the pace. Rhoden caught Wint just before the homestretch and quickly had a big lead. But McKenley closed very quickly and almost caught him by the line, with Wint fading to fifth place. The third-place finisher, Ollie Matson, was later a star running back in the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	R1	QF	SF	Final
1	296	George Rhoden	JAM	48.1 (1 h10)	47.2 (1 h2)	46.5 (2 h2)	45.9 (1)	Gold	OR
2	295	Herb McKenley	JAM	48.0 (1 h5)	47.4 (1 h4)	46.4 (1 h2)	45.9 (2)	Silver
3	987	Ollie Matson	USA	48.1 (1 h12)	47.4 (2 h2)	46.7 (3 h2)	46.8 (3)	Bronze
4	733	Karl-Friedrich Haas	GER	47.5 (1 h1)	47.4 (3 h2)	46.4 (2 h1)	47.0 (4)
5	297	Arthur Wint	JAM	47.3 (1 h3)	46.9 (1 h1)	46.3 (1 h1)	47.0 (5)
6	986	Mal Whitfield	USA	48.6 (1 h6)	47.6 (1 h3)	46.4 (3 h1)	47.1 (6)
4 h1 r3/4	988	Gene Cole	USA	48.3 (1 h9)	47.7 (2 h4)	46.8 (4 h1)	–
4 h2 r3/4	732	Hans Geister	GER	47.9 (1 h8)	47.7 (2 h3)	46.7 (4 h2)	–
5 h1 r3/4	416	Ardalion Ignatyev	URS	48.1 (1 h2)	48.0 (3 h4)	47.4 (5 h1)	–
5 h2 r3/4	349	Jack Carroll	CAN	48.0 (2 h3)	47.7 (3 h3)	47.4 (5 h2)	–
6 h1 r3/4	348	James Lavery	CAN	48.4 (1 h11)	47.5 (2 h1)	47.7 (6 h1)	–
3 h1 r2/4	671	Lars-Erik Wolfbrandt	SWE	48.4 (1 h4)	47.8 (3 h1)	– (DNS h2)	–
4 h1 r2/4	972	Guillermo Gutiérrez	VEN	48.7 (2 h6)	48.6 (4 h1)	–	–
4 h2 r2/4	17	Morris Curotta	AUS	48.7 (2 h7)	48.8 (4 h2)	–	–
4 h3 r2/4	107	Louis van Biljon	RSA	48.1 (2 h5)	48.5 (4 h3)	–	–
4 h4 r2/4	600	Yves Camus	FRA	48.0 (2 h8)	48.1 (4 h4)	–	–
5 h1 r2/4	173	Les Lewis	GBR	47.8 (2 h1)	49.0 (5 h1)	–	–
5 h2 r2/4	775	Rolf Back	FIN	48.5 (2 h2)	51.1 (5 h2)	–	–
5 h3 r2/4	602	Jacques Degats	FRA	48.5 (1 h7)	48.8 (5 h3)	–	–
5 h4 r2/4	172	Terry Higgins	GBR	48.7 (2 h4)	49.1 (5 h4)	–	–
6 h1 r2/4	846	Hans Ernst Schneider	SUI	48.7 (2 h12)	49.2 (6 h1)	–	–
6 h3 r2/4	171	Alan Dick	GBR	48.7 (2 h9)	49.0 (6 h3)	–	–
2 h10 r1/4	564	Gerard Mach	POL	48.5 (2 h10)	– (DNS h4)	–	–
2 h11 r1/4	417	Yury Lituyev	URS	48.8 (2 h11)	– (DNS h2)	–	–
3 h1 r1/4	20	Edwin Carr, Jr.	AUS	48.0 (3 h1)	–	–	–
3 h2 r1/4	275	Rupert Blöch	AUT	49.6 (3 h2)	–	–	–
3 h3 r1/4	934	Egon Solymossy	HUN	49.2 (3 h3)	–	–	–
3 h4 r1/4	302	Junkichi Matoba	JPN	49.4 (3 h4)	–	–	–
3 h5 r1/4	36	Roger Moens	BEL	48.6 (3 h5)	–	–	–
3 h6 r1/4	247	Gianni Rocca	ITA	49.2 (3 h6)	–	–	–
3 h7 r1/4	248	Vincenzo Lombardo	ITA	49.3 (3 h7)	–	–	–
3 h8 r1/4	898	Milan Fillo	TCH	48.7 (3 h8)	–	–	–
3 h9 r1/4	418	Edmunds Pīlāgs	URS	49.2 (3 h9)	–	–	–
3 h10 r1/4	146	Paul Dolan	IRL	48.5 (3 h10)	–	–	–
3 h11 r1/4	543	Frank Rivera	PUR	49.3 (3 h11)	–	–	–
3 h12 r1/4	59	Argemiro Roque	BRA	48.9 (3 h12)	–	–	–
4 h1 r1/4	935	Zoltán Adamik	HUN	48.5 (4 h1)	–	–	–
4 h2 r1/4	404	Gérard Rasquin	LUX	50.0 (4 h2)	–	–	–
4 h3 r1/4	847	Sepp Steger	SUI	49.2 (4 h3)	–	–	–
4 h4 r1/4	375	Vasilios Sillis	GRE	49.7 (4 h4)	–	–	–
4 h5 r1/4	933	Ferenc Bánhalmi	HUN	49.4 (4 h5)	–	–	–
4 h6 r1/4	670	Gösta Brännström	SWE	50.1 (4 h6)	–	–	–
4 h7 r1/4	274	Rudolf Haidegger	AUT	49.9 (4 h7)	–	–	–
4 h8 r1/4	157	Guðmundur Lárusson	ISL	49.7 (4 h8)	–	–	–
4 h9 r1/4	399	Ángel García	CUB	49.2 (4 h9)	–	–	–
4 h10 r1/4	601	Jean-Pierre Goudeau	FRA	48.8 (4 h10)	–	–	–
4 h11 r1/4	246	Antonio Siddi	ITA	50.9 (4 h11)	–	–	–
4 h12 r1/4	105	Schalk Booysen	RSA	49.0 (4 h12)	–	–	–
5 h1 r1/4	400	Evelio Planas	CUB	49.4 (5 h1)	–	–	–
5 h2 r1/4	106	John Anderton	RSA	50.3 (5 h2)	–	–	–
5 h3 r1/4	777	Jaakko Suikkari	FIN	50.9 (5 h3)	–	–	–
5 h4 r1/4	915	Doğan Acarbay	TUR	50.7 (5 h4)	–	–	–
5 h5 r1/4	233	Arie Gill	ISR	50.2 (5 h5)	–	–	–
5 h6 r1/4	409	Javier Souza	MEX	50.3 (5 h6)	–	–	–
5 h7 r1/4	37	Albert Lowagie	BEL	50.1 (5 h7)	–	–	–
5 h8 r1/4	888	Sompop Svadanandana	THA	53.6 (5 h8)	–	–	–
5 h9 r1/4	35	Antoine Uytterhoeven	BEL	50.0 (5 h9)	–	–	–
5 h10 r1/4	347	Doug Clement	CAN	50.0 (5 h10)	–	–	–
5 h12 r1/4	897	Jiří David	TCH	49.1 (5 h12)	–	–	–
6 h1 r1/4	526	Abdul Rehman	PAK	51.2 (6 h1)	–	–	–
6 h2 r1/4	891	Pongummart Ummarttayakul	THA	52.9 (6 h2)	–	–	–
6 h3 r1/4	527	Aurang Zeb	PAK	51.0 (6 h3)	–	–	–
6 h4 r1/4	138	Ivan Jacob	IND	51.3 (6 h4)	–	–	–
6 h5 r1/4	845	Ernst von Gunten	SUI	50.7 (6 h5)	–	–	–
6 h6 r1/4	916	Emin Doybak	TUR	51.1 (6 h6)	–	–	–
6 h8 r1/4	120	Jeremías Stokes	GUA	53.6 (6 h8)	–	–	–
6 h9 r1/4	407	Jean Hamilius	LUX	50.3 (6 h9)	–	–	–
6 h12 r1/4	403	Fred Hammer	LUX	49.6 (6 h12)	–	–	–
7 h6 r1/4	555	Fernando Casimiro	POR	52.2 (7 h6)	–	–	–
7 h12 r1/4	776	Ossi Mildh	FIN	50.2 (7 h12)	–	–	–
AC h5 r1/4	672	Tage Ekfeldt	SWE	– (DQ h5)	–	–	–
DNS	539	Cirilo McSween	PAN	– (DNS h4)	–	–	–
DNS	870	Knud Schibsbye	DEN	– (DNS h7)	–	–	–
DNS	540	Sam LaBeach	PAN	– (DNS h7)	–	–	–
DNS	97	José Fórmica	ESP	– (DNS h9)	–	–	–
DNS	541	Clayton Clark	PAN	– (DNS h11)	–	–	–
DNS	73	Gustavo Ehlers	CHI	– (DNS h8)	–	–	–
DNS	376	Vasilios Mavroidis	GRE	– (DNS h1)	–	–	–
DNS	149	Jimmy Reardon	IRL	– (DNS h3)	–	–	–
DNS	303	Eitaro Okano	JPN	– (DNS h11)	–	–	–
DNS	368	Eom Pal-Yong	KOR	– (DNS h10)	–	–	–
DNS	914	Ekrem Koçak	TUR	– (DNS h10)	–	–	–

Round One

Date	24 July 1952 — 15:20
Format	Top two in each heat advanced to the quarter-finals.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Time (automatic)	Time (hand)
1	297	Arthur Wint	JAM	47.42	47.3	Q
2	733	Karl-Friedrich Haas	GER	47.58	47.5	Q
3	173	Les Lewis	GBR	47.95	47.8	Q
4	732	Hans Geister	GER	47.99	47.9	Q
5	349	Jack Carroll	CAN	48.05	48.0	Q
6	600	Yves Camus	FRA	48.06	48.0	Q
7	295	Herb McKenley	JAM	48.09	48.0	Q
8	987	Ollie Matson	USA	48.17	48.1	Q
9	416	Ardalion Ignatyev	URS	48.22	48.1	Q
10	20	Edwin Carr, Jr.	AUS	48.23	48.0
11	296	George Rhoden	JAM	48.28	48.1	Q
12	107	Louis van Biljon	RSA	48.31	48.1	Q
13	988	Gene Cole	USA	48.44	48.3	Q
14	348	James Lavery	CAN	48.47	48.4	Q
15	671	Lars-Erik Wolfbrandt	SWE	48.57	48.4	Q
16	775	Rolf Back	FIN	48.58	48.5	Q
17	602	Jacques Degats	FRA	48.60	48.5	Q
18	564	Gerard Mach	POL	48.64	48.5	Q
19	996	Mal Whitfield	USA	48.68	48.6	Q
20	935	Zoltán Adamik	HUN	48.70	48.5
21	36	Roger Moens	BEL	48.71	48.6
22	172	Terry Higgins	GBR	48.77	48.7	Q
23	146	Paul Dolan	IRL	48.81	48.5
24	972	Guillermo Gutiérrez	VEN	48.82	48.7	Q
25	171	Alan Dick	GBR	48.84	48.7	Q
26	846	Hans Ernst Schneider	SUI	48.86	48.7	Q
27	17	Morris Curotta	AUS	48.87	48.7	Q
28	898	Milan Fillo	TCH	48.91	48.7
29	601	Jean-Pierre Goudeau	FRA	48.94	48.8
30	417	Yury Lituyev	URS	49.01	48.8	Q
31	59	Argemiro Roque	BRA	49.05	48.9
32	105	Schalk Booysen	RSA	49.17	49.0
33	897	Jiří David	TCH	49.23	49.1
34	418	Edmunds Pīlāgs	URS	49.29	49.2
35	934	Egon Solymossy	HUN	49.32	49.2
36	399	Ángel García	CUB	49.34	49.2
37	847	Sepp Steger	SUI	49.35	49.2
38	400	Evelio Planas	CUB	49.44	49.4
39	543	Frank Rivera	PUR	49.48	49.3
40	247	Gianni Rocca	ITA	49.51	49.2
41	248	Vincenzo Lombardo	ITA	49.53	49.3
42	933	Ferenc Bánhalmi	HUN	49.55	49.4
43	302	Junkichi Matoba	JPN	49.57	49.4
44	375	Vasilios Sillis	GRE	49.79	49.7
45	157	Guðmundur Lárusson	ISL	49.81	49.7
46	275	Rupert Blöch	AUT	49.82	49.6
47	403	Fred Hammer	LUX	49.90	49.6
48	274	Rudolf Haidegger	AUT	50.01	49.9
49	404	Gérard Rasquin	LUX	50.12	50.0
50	347	Doug Clement	CAN	50.19	50.0
51	35	Antoine Uytterhoeven	BEL	50.21	50.0
52	37	Albert Lowagie	BEL	50.26	50.1
53	233	Arie Gill	ISR	50.27	50.2
54	670	Gösta Brännström	SWE	50.32	50.1
55	106	John Anderton	RSA	50.35	50.3
56	776	Ossi Mildh	FIN	50.36	50.2
57	409	Javier Souza	MEX	50.47	50.3
58	407	Jean Hamilius	LUX	50.75	50.3
59	915	Doğan Acarbay	TUR	50.83	50.7
60	845	Ernst von Gunten	SUI	50.88	50.7
61	777	Jaakko Suikkari	FIN	50.92	50.9
62	246	Antonio Siddi	ITA	51.03	50.9
63	527	Aurang Zeb	PAK	51.25	51.0
64	916	Emin Doybak	TUR	51.34	51.1
65	526	Abdul Rehman	PAK	51.47	51.2
66	138	Ivan Jacob	IND	51.48	51.3
67	555	Fernando Casimiro	POR	52.33	52.2
68	891	Pongummart Ummarttayakul	THA	53.23	52.9
69	888	Sompop Svadanandana	THA	53.68	53.6
70	120	Jeremías Stokes	GUA	53.81	53.6
DQ	672	Tage Ekfeldt	SWE	–	–
DNS	376	Vasilios Mavroidis	GRE	–	–
DNS	149	Jimmy Reardon	IRL	–	–
DNS	539	Cirilo McSween	PAN	–	–
DNS	870	Knud Schibsbye	DEN	–	–
DNS	540	Sam LaBeach	PAN	–	–
DNS	73	Gustavo Ehlers	CHI	–	–
DNS	97	José Fórmica	ESP	–	–
DNS	368	Eom Pal-Yong	KOR	–	–
DNS	914	Ekrem Koçak	TUR	–	–
DNS	541	Clayton Clark	PAN	–	–
DNS	303	Eitaro Okano	JPN	–	–

Heat #1

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	733	Karl-Friedrich Haas	GER	47.5	47.58	Q
2	173	Les Lewis	GBR	47.8	47.95	Q
3	20	Edwin Carr, Jr.	AUS	48.0	48.23
4	935	Zoltán Adamik	HUN	48.5	48.70
5	400	Evelio Planas	CUB	49.4	49.44
6	526	Abdul Rehman	PAK	51.2	51.47
DNS	376	Vasilios Mavroidis	GRE	–	–

Heat #2

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	416	Ardalion Ignatyev	URS	48.1	48.22	Q
2	775	Rolf Back	FIN	48.5	48.58	Q
3	275	Rupert Blöch	AUT	49.6	49.82
4	404	Gérard Rasquin	LUX	50.0	50.12
5	106	John Anderton	RSA	50.3	50.35
6	891	Pongummart Ummarttayakul	THA	52.9	53.23

Heat #3

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	297	Arthur Wint	JAM	47.3	47.42	Q
2	349	Jack Carroll	CAN	48.0	48.05	Q
3	934	Egon Solymossy	HUN	49.2	49.32
4	847	Sepp Steger	SUI	49.2	49.35
5	777	Jaakko Suikkari	FIN	50.9	50.92
6	527	Aurang Zeb	PAK	51.0	51.25
DNS	149	Jimmy Reardon	IRL	–	–

Heat #4

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	671	Lars-Erik Wolfbrandt	SWE	48.4	48.57	Q
2	172	Terry Higgins	GBR	48.7	48.77	Q
3	302	Junkichi Matoba	JPN	49.4	49.57
4	375	Vasilios Sillis	GRE	49.7	49.79
5	915	Doğan Acarbay	TUR	50.7	50.83
6	138	Ivan Jacob	IND	51.3	51.48
DNS	539	Cirilo McSween	PAN	–	–

Heat #5

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	295	Herb McKenley	JAM	48.0	48.09	Q
2	107	Louis van Biljon	RSA	48.1	48.31	Q
3	36	Roger Moens	BEL	48.6	48.71
4	933	Ferenc Bánhalmi	HUN	49.4	49.55
5	233	Arie Gill	ISR	50.2	50.27
6	845	Ernst von Gunten	SUI	50.7	50.88
DQ	672	Tage Ekfeldt	SWE	–	–

Heat #6

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	996	Mal Whitfield	USA	48.6	48.68	Q
2	972	Guillermo Gutiérrez	VEN	48.7	48.82	Q
3	247	Gianni Rocca	ITA	49.2	49.51
4	670	Gösta Brännström	SWE	50.1	50.32
5	409	Javier Souza	MEX	50.3	50.47
6	916	Emin Doybak	TUR	51.1	51.34
7	555	Fernando Casimiro	POR	52.2	52.33

Heat #7

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	602	Jacques Degats	FRA	48.5	48.60	Q
2	17	Morris Curotta	AUS	48.7	48.87	Q
3	248	Vincenzo Lombardo	ITA	49.3	49.53
4	274	Rudolf Haidegger	AUT	49.9	50.01
5	37	Albert Lowagie	BEL	50.1	50.26
DNS	870	Knud Schibsbye	DEN	–	–
DNS	540	Sam LaBeach	PAN	–	–

Heat #8

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	732	Hans Geister	GER	47.9	47.99	Q
2	600	Yves Camus	FRA	48.0	48.06	Q
3	898	Milan Fillo	TCH	48.7	48.91
4	157	Guðmundur Lárusson	ISL	49.7	49.81
5	888	Sompop Svadanandana	THA	53.6	53.68
6	120	Jeremías Stokes	GUA	53.6	53.81
DNS	73	Gustavo Ehlers	CHI	–	–

Heat #9

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	988	Gene Cole	USA	48.3	48.44	Q
2	171	Alan Dick	GBR	48.7	48.84	Q
3	418	Edmunds Pīlāgs	URS	49.2	49.29
4	399	Ángel García	CUB	49.2	49.34
5	35	Antoine Uytterhoeven	BEL	50.0	50.21
6	407	Jean Hamilius	LUX	50.3	50.75
DNS	97	José Fórmica	ESP	–	–

Heat #10

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	296	George Rhoden	JAM	48.1	48.28	Q
2	564	Gerard Mach	POL	48.5	48.64	Q
3	146	Paul Dolan	IRL	48.5	48.81
4	601	Jean-Pierre Goudeau	FRA	48.8	48.94
5	347	Doug Clement	CAN	50.0	50.19
DNS	368	Eom Pal-Yong	KOR	–	–
DNS	914	Ekrem Koçak	TUR	–	–

Heat #11

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	348	James Lavery	CAN	48.4	48.47	Q
2	417	Yury Lituyev	URS	48.8	49.01	Q
3	543	Frank Rivera	PUR	49.3	49.48
4	246	Antonio Siddi	ITA	50.9	51.03
DNS	541	Clayton Clark	PAN	–	–
DNS	303	Eitaro Okano	JPN	–	–

Heat #12

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	987	Ollie Matson	USA	48.1	48.17	Q
2	846	Hans Ernst Schneider	SUI	48.7	48.86	Q
3	59	Argemiro Roque	BRA	48.9	49.05
4	105	Schalk Booysen	RSA	49.0	49.17
5	897	Jiří David	TCH	49.1	49.23
6	403	Fred Hammer	LUX	49.6	49.90
7	776	Ossi Mildh	FIN	50.2	50.36

Quarter-Finals

Date	24 July 1952 — 18:35
Format	Top three in each heat advanced to the semi-finals.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Time (automatic)	Time (hand)
1	297	Arthur Wint	JAM	46.98	46.9	Q
2	296	George Rhoden	JAM	47.24	47.2	Q
3	987	Ollie Matson	USA	47.53	47.4	Q
4	295	Herb McKenley	JAM	47.56	47.4	Q
5	733	Karl-Friedrich Haas	GER	47.66	47.4	Q
6	348	James Lavery	CAN	47.67	47.5	Q
7	996	Mal Whitfield	USA	47.74	47.6	Q
8	732	Hans Geister	GER	47.81	47.7	Q
9	349	Jack Carroll	CAN	47.82	47.7	Q
10	988	Gene Cole	USA	47.88	47.7	Q
11	671	Lars-Erik Wolfbrandt	SWE	48.08	47.8	Q
12	416	Ardalion Ignatyev	URS	48.25	48.0	Q
13	600	Yves Camus	FRA	48.43	48.1
14	107	Louis van Biljon	RSA	48.63	48.5
15	972	Guillermo Gutiérrez	VEN	48.75	48.6
16	17	Morris Curotta	AUS	48.86	48.8
17	602	Jacques Degats	FRA	48.90	48.8
18	173	Les Lewis	GBR	49.09	49.0
19	171	Alan Dick	GBR	49.20	49.0
20	172	Terry Higgins	GBR	49.22	49.1
21	846	Hans Ernst Schneider	SUI	49.32	49.2
22	775	Rolf Back	FIN	51.53	51.1
DNS	417	Yury Lituyev	URS	–	–
DNS	564	Gerard Mach	POL	–	–

Heat #1

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	297	Arthur Wint	JAM	46.9	46.98	Q
2	348	James Lavery	CAN	47.5	47.67	Q
3	671	Lars-Erik Wolfbrandt	SWE	47.8	48.08	Q
4	972	Guillermo Gutiérrez	VEN	48.6	48.75
5	173	Les Lewis	GBR	49.0	49.09
6	846	Hans Ernst Schneider	SUI	49.2	49.32

Heat #2

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	296	George Rhoden	JAM	47.2	47.24	Q
2	987	Ollie Matson	USA	47.4	47.53	Q
3	733	Karl-Friedrich Haas	GER	47.4	47.66	Q
4	17	Morris Curotta	AUS	48.8	48.86
5	775	Rolf Back	FIN	51.1	51.53
DNS	417	Yury Lituyev	URS	–	–

Heat #3

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	996	Mal Whitfield	USA	47.6	47.74	Q
2	732	Hans Geister	GER	47.7	47.81	Q
3	349	Jack Carroll	CAN	47.7	47.82	Q
4	107	Louis van Biljon	RSA	48.5	48.63
5	602	Jacques Degats	FRA	48.8	48.90
6	171	Alan Dick	GBR	49.0	49.20

Heat #4

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	295	Herb McKenley	JAM	47.4	47.56	Q
2	988	Gene Cole	USA	47.7	47.88	Q
3	416	Ardalion Ignatyev	URS	48.0	48.25	Q
4	600	Yves Camus	FRA	48.1	48.43
5	172	Terry Higgins	GBR	49.1	49.22
DNS	564	Gerard Mach	POL	–	–

Semi-Finals

Date	25 July 1952 — 15:00
Format	Top three in each heat advanced to the final.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Time (automatic)	Time (hand)
1	297	Arthur Wint	JAM	46.38	46.3	Q
2	295	Herb McKenley	JAM	46.53	46.4	Q
3	733	Karl-Friedrich Haas	GER	46.56	46.4	Q
4	296	George Rhoden	JAM	46.61	46.5	Q
5	996	Mal Whitfield	USA	46.64	46.4	Q
6	988	Gene Cole	USA	46.94	46.8
7	987	Ollie Matson	USA	46.99	46.7	Q
8	732	Hans Geister	GER	47.00	46.7
9	416	Ardalion Ignatyev	URS	47.49	47.4
10	349	Jack Carroll	CAN	47.61	47.4
11	348	James Lavery	CAN	47.83	47.7
DNS	671	Lars-Erik Wolfbrandt	SWE	–	–

Heat #1

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	297	Arthur Wint	JAM	46.3	46.38	Q
2	733	Karl-Friedrich Haas	GER	46.4	46.56	Q
3	996	Mal Whitfield	USA	46.4	46.64	Q
4	988	Gene Cole	USA	46.8	46.94
5	416	Ardalion Ignatyev	URS	47.4	47.49
6	348	James Lavery	CAN	47.7	47.83

Heat #2

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	295	Herb McKenley	JAM	46.4	46.53	Q
2	296	George Rhoden	JAM	46.5	46.61	Q
3	987	Ollie Matson	USA	46.7	46.99	Q
4	732	Hans Geister	GER	46.7	47.00
5	349	Jack Carroll	CAN	47.4	47.61
DNS	671	Lars-Erik Wolfbrandt	SWE	–	–

Final Round

Date	25 July 1952 — 17:05

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	296	George Rhoden	JAM	45.9	46.09	OR
2	295	Herb McKenley	JAM	45.9	46.20	=OR
3	987	Ollie Matson	USA	46.8	46.94
4	733	Karl-Friedrich Haas	GER	47.0	47.22
5	297	Arthur Wint	JAM	47.0	47.24
6	996	Mal Whitfield	USA	47.1	47.30