| | Event type

400 metres, Women

Date	15 – 17 October 1964
Status	Olympic
Location	Kokuritsu Kyogijo, Shinjuku, Tokyo
Participants	23 from 17 countries

This was the first Olympic 400 metres for women. The world record was held by Dan Shin-Geum of North Korea, but she was ineligible to compete. North Korea had participated at the 1963 Games of the New Emerging Forces (GANEFO), and athletes who had competed there were banned by the IAAF from competing at Tokyo. The favorite was likely Soviet Mariya Itkina who had won the 1958 and 1962 European Championships. Britain’s Ann Packer was also highly regarded. She had extra incentive as her fiancé, Robbie Brightwell, had hoped to medal in the men’s 400 but placed fourth. Australia’s Betty Cuthbert had won gold in the 100, 200, and 4×100 relay at the 1956 Olympic Games, when she was heralded as the “Golden Girl”. She was back, now in the 400 metres and her speed had to make the field respect her. In the final Cuthbert bolted to an early lead and was two metres ahead at the halfway point. Packer closed on her over the final straight but Cuthbert held on to win her fourth Olympic gold medal.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	R1	SF	Final
1	12	Betty Cuthbert	AUS	56.0 (3 h1)	53.8 (2 h1)	52.0 (1)	Gold	OR
2	55	Ann Packer	GBR	53.1 (1 h3)	52.7 (1 h1)	52.2 (2)	Silver
3	11	Judy Amoore	AUS	53.8 (2 h3)	53.3 (1 h2)	53.4 (3)	Bronze
4	105	Antónia Munkácsi	HUN	54.4 (1 h1)	54.0 (3 h1)	54.4 (4)
5	197	Mariya Itkina	URS	54.9 (1 h2)	53.5 (2 h2)	54.6 (5)
6	143	Tilly van der Zwaard	NED	54.8 (2 h1)	54.1 (3 h2)	55.2 (6)
7	72	Gertrud Schmidt	GER	55.1 (4 h3)	54.2 (4 h2)	55.4 (7)
8	44	Évelyne Lebret	FRA	54.8 (3 h3)	54.5 (4 h1)	55.5 (8)
5 h1 r2/3	53	Joy Grieveson	GBR	56.8 (4 h1)	54.8 (5 h1)	–
5 h2 r2/3	54	Pat Kippax	GBR	55.5 (6 h2)	54.4 (5 h2)	–
6 h1 r2/3	123	Una Morris	JAM	55.3 (3 h2)	54.9 (6 h1)	–
6 h2 r2/3	221	Janell Smith	USA	55.5 (5 h2)	54.5 (6 h2)	–
7 h1 r2/3	73	Margret Buscher	GER	55.3 (2 h2)	55.2 (7 h1)	–
7 h2 r2/3	114	Maeve Kyle	IRL	55.4 (4 h2)	55.3 (7 h2)	–
8 h1 r2/3	241	Kiyoki Ogawa	JPN	57.6 (5 h1)	57.1 (8 h1)	–
5 h3 r1/3	106	Olga Kazi	HUN	56.5 (5 h3)	– (DNS h2)	–
6 h1 r1/3	113	Stephie D'Souza	IND	58.0 (6 h1)	–	–
6 h3 r1/3	133	Mary Rajamani	MAS	57.8 (6 h3)	–	–
7 h1 r1/3	74	Erna Maisack	GER	58.6 (7 h1)	–	–
7 h2 r1/3	28	Abby Hoffman	CAN	55.9 (7 h2)	–	–
7 h3 r1/3	127	Han Myeong-Hui	KOR	58.7 (7 h3)	–	–
8 h1 r1/3	135	Ramazangiin Aldaa-nysh	MGL	1:00.8 (8 h1)	–	–
8 h2 r1/3	183	Samruay Charonggool	THA	1:04.0 (8 h2)	–	–

Round One

Date	15 October 1964 — 11:00
Format	Top five in each heat and next fastest advanced to the semi-finals.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Time (automatic)	Time (hand)
1	55	Ann Packer	GBR	53.18	53.1	QOR
2	11	Judy Amoore	AUS	53.85	53.8	Q
3	105	Antónia Munkácsi	HUN	54.42	54.4	QOR
4	44	Évelyne Lebret	FRA	54.8	–	Q
5	143	Tilly van der Zwaard	NED	54.86	54.8	Q
6	197	Mariya Itkina	URS	54.99	54.9	Q
7	72	Gertrud Schmidt	GER	55.1	–	Q
8	73	Margret Buscher	GER	55.32	55.3	Q
9	123	Una Morris	JAM	55.39	55.3	Q
10	114	Maeve Kyle	IRL	55.42	55.4	Q
11	221	Janell Smith	USA	55.56	55.5	Q
12	54	Pat Kippax	GBR	55.57	55.5	q
13	28	Abby Hoffman	CAN	55.98	55.9
14	12	Betty Cuthbert	AUS	56.0	–	Q
15	106	Olga Kazi	HUN	56.5	–	Q
16	53	Joy Grieveson	GBR	56.8	–	Q
17	241	Kiyoki Ogawa	JPN	57.6	–	Q
18	133	Mary Rajamani	MAS	57.8	–
19	113	Stephie D'Souza	IND	58.0	–
20	74	Erna Maisack	GER	58.6	–
21	127	Han Myeong-Hui	KOR	58.7	–
22	135	Ramazangiin Aldaa-nysh	MGL	1:00.8	–
23	183	Samruay Charonggool	THA	1:04.0	–

Heat #1

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	105	Antónia Munkácsi	HUN	54.4	54.42	QOR
2	143	Tilly van der Zwaard	NED	54.8	54.86	Q
3	12	Betty Cuthbert	AUS	56.0	–	Q
4	53	Joy Grieveson	GBR	56.8	–	Q
5	241	Kiyoki Ogawa	JPN	57.6	–	Q
6	113	Stephie D'Souza	IND	58.0	–
7	74	Erna Maisack	GER	58.6	–
8	135	Ramazangiin Aldaa-nysh	MGL	1:00.8	–

Heat #2

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	197	Mariya Itkina	URS	54.9	54.99	Q
2	73	Margret Buscher	GER	55.3	55.32	Q
3	123	Una Morris	JAM	55.3	55.39	Q
4	114	Maeve Kyle	IRL	55.4	55.42	Q
5	221	Janell Smith	USA	55.5	55.56	Q
6	54	Pat Kippax	GBR	55.5	55.57	q
7	28	Abby Hoffman	CAN	55.9	55.98
8	183	Samruay Charonggool	THA	1:04.0	–

Heat #3

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	55	Ann Packer	GBR	53.1	53.18	QOR
2	11	Judy Amoore	AUS	53.8	53.85	Q
3	44	Évelyne Lebret	FRA	54.8	–	Q
4	72	Gertrud Schmidt	GER	55.1	–	Q
5	106	Olga Kazi	HUN	56.5	–	Q
6	133	Mary Rajamani	MAS	57.8	–
7	127	Han Myeong-Hui	KOR	58.7	–

Semi-Finals

Date	16 October 1964 — 14:15
Format	Top four in each heat advanced to the final.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Time (automatic)	Time (hand)
1	55	Ann Packer	GBR	52.77	52.7	QOR
2	11	Judy Amoore	AUS	53.39	53.3	Q
3	197	Mariya Itkina	URS	53.50	53.5	Q
4	12	Betty Cuthbert	AUS	53.8	–	Q
5	105	Antónia Munkácsi	HUN	54.0	–	Q
6	143	Tilly van der Zwaard	NED	54.19	54.1	Q
7	72	Gertrud Schmidt	GER	54.27	54.2	Q
8	54	Pat Kippax	GBR	54.4	–
=9	44	Évelyne Lebret	FRA	54.5	–	Q
=9	221	Janell Smith	USA	54.5	–
11	53	Joy Grieveson	GBR	54.8	–
12	123	Una Morris	JAM	54.9	–
13	73	Margret Buscher	GER	55.2	–
14	114	Maeve Kyle	IRL	55.3	–
15	241	Kiyoki Ogawa	JPN	57.1	–
DNS	106	Olga Kazi	HUN	–	–

Heat #1

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	55	Ann Packer	GBR	52.7	52.77	QOR
2	12	Betty Cuthbert	AUS	53.8	–	Q
3	105	Antónia Munkácsi	HUN	54.0	–	Q
4	44	Évelyne Lebret	FRA	54.5	–	Q
5	53	Joy Grieveson	GBR	54.8	–
6	123	Una Morris	JAM	54.9	–
7	73	Margret Buscher	GER	55.2	–
8	241	Kiyoki Ogawa	JPN	57.1	–

Heat #2

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	11	Judy Amoore	AUS	53.3	53.39	Q
2	197	Mariya Itkina	URS	53.5	53.50	Q
3	143	Tilly van der Zwaard	NED	54.1	54.19	Q
4	72	Gertrud Schmidt	GER	54.2	54.27	Q
5	54	Pat Kippax	GBR	54.4	–
6	221	Janell Smith	USA	54.5	–
7	114	Maeve Kyle	IRL	55.3	–
DNS	106	Olga Kazi	HUN	–	–

Final Round

Date	17 October 1964 — 15:40

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	12	Betty Cuthbert	AUS	52.0	52.01	OR
2	55	Ann Packer	GBR	52.2	52.20
3	11	Judy Amoore	AUS	53.4	–
4	105	Antónia Munkácsi	HUN	54.4	–
5	197	Mariya Itkina	URS	54.6	–
6	143	Tilly van der Zwaard	NED	55.2	–
7	72	Gertrud Schmidt	GER	55.4	–
8	44	Évelyne Lebret	FRA	55.5	–