| | Event type

400 metres, Women

Date	26 – 29 July 1996
Status	Olympic
Location	Centennial Olympic Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Participants	49 from 35 countries

The favorite was the defending champion, Marie-José Pérec, who had also won the 1991 and 1995 World Championships and the 1994 Europeans. In Atlanta she was trying to win the 200/400 double, which had only been done before at the Olympics by Valerie Brisco-Hooks in 1984, but in a boycotted Olympics. On the men’s side, Michael Johnson was favored to win the same double, and would succeed in dramatic fashion. The 400 was first for Pérec. She led thru the first 200 metres, even at that point with Pauline Davis of the Bahamas, Australia’s Cathy Freeman a stride to the rear. Pérec pushed the turn but Freeman was even stronger, pulling even at the top of the stretch. They were still even with 40 metres to go, but Pérec had a bit more in reserve and won by three metres. Freeman, an Aboriginal Australian, won the silver medal, with the bronze going to Nigeria’s Falilat Ogunkoya. A few days later Pérec would win the 200, completing the rare double.

Pos	Nr	Athlete	NOC	R1	QF	SF	Final
1	3298	Marie-José Pérec	FRA	51.82 (3 h4)	51.00 (1 h2)	49.19 (1 h2)	48.25 (1)	Gold	OR
2	3025	Cathy Freeman	AUS	51.99 (2 h7)	50.43 (1 h1)	50.32 (1 h1)	48.63 (2)	Silver
3	3595	Falilat Ogunkoya	NGR	52.65 (2 h6)	50.65 (1 h3)	49.57 (2 h2)	49.10 (3)	Bronze
4	3056	Pauline Davis	BAH	51.00 (1 h1)	51.08 (2 h2)	49.85 (3 h2)	49.28 (4)
5	3857	Jearl Miles	USA	51.96 (1 h5)	50.84 (2 h3)	50.21 (4 h2)	49.55 (5)
6	3603	Fatima Yusuf	NGR	52.25 (3 h3)	51.27 (2 h4)	50.36 (2 h1)	49.77 (6)
7	3480	Sandie Richards	JAM	51.79 (2 h4)	51.22 (3 h3)	50.74 (3 h1)	50.45 (7)
8	3344	Grit Breuer	GER	52.20 (2 h5)	50.57 (2 h1)	50.75 (4 h1)	50.71 (8)
5 h1 r3/4	3836	Kim Graham	USA	51.70 (1 h3)	50.96 (3 h1)	51.13 (5 h1)	–
5 h2 r3/4	3681	Svetlana Goncharenko	RUS	51.07 (2 h1)	51.35 (4 h2)	50.84 (5 h2)	–
6 h1 r3/4	3856	Maicel Malone	USA	51.28 (1 h2)	51.16 (1 h4)	51.16 (6 h1)	–
6 h2 r3/4	3242	Sandy Myers	ESP	52.54 (1 h6)	51.53 (3 h4)	51.42 (6 h2)	–
7 h1 r3/4	3469	Merlene Frazer	JAM	52.20 (3 h5)	51.57 (4 h4)	51.18 (7 h1)	–
7 h2 r3/4	3042	Renée Poetschka	AUS	51.55 (4 h1)	51.33 (4 h3)	51.49 (7 h2)	–
8 h1 r3/4	3587	Bisi Afolabi	NGR	51.80 (1 h7)	51.07 (4 h1)	51.40 (8 h1)	–
8 h2 r3/4	3467	Juliet Campbell	JAM	51.57 (2 h2)	51.17 (3 h2)	51.65 (8 h2)	–
5 h1 r2/4	3204	Hana Benešová	CZE	52.28 (5 h2)	51.30 (5 h1)	–	–
5 h2 r2/4	3101	Magnólia Figueiredo	BRA	52.41 (4 h5)	51.98 (5 h2)	–	–
5 h3 r2/4	3442	Virna De Angeli	ITA	51.68 (1 h4)	51.77 (5 h3)	–	–
5 h4 r2/4	3206	Helena Fuchsová	CZE	51.71 (2 h3)	51.70 (5 h4)	–	–
6 h1 r2/4	3692	Olga Kotlyarova	RUS	51.90 (4 h2)	51.36 (6 h1)	–	–
6 h2 r2/4	3125	LaDonna Antoine	CAN	51.99 (4 h4)	52.03 (6 h2)	–	–
6 h3 r2/4	3082	Hanna Kazak	BLR	52.39 (3 h7)	52.14 (6 h3)	–	–
6 h4 r2/4	3333	Phylis Smith	GBR	51.29 (3 h1)	52.16 (6 h4)	–	–
7 h1 r2/4	3307	Donna Fraser	GBR	52.78 (3 h6)	51.58 (7 h1)	–	–
7 h2 r2/4	3534	Grace Ann Dinkins	LBR	51.83 (3 h2)	52.53 (7 h2)	–	–
7 h3 r2/4	3728	Diane Francis	SKN	52.48 (5 h5)	52.24 (7 h3)	–	–
7 h4 r2/4	3461	Patrizia Spuri	ITA	52.45 (4 h7)	52.78 (7 h4)	–	–
8 h1 r2/4	3203	Dora Kyriakou	CYP	52.09 (5 h1)	52.26 (8 h1)	–	–
8 h2 r2/4	3801	Yana Manuylova	UKR	52.51 (6 h2)	52.82 (8 h2)	–	–
8 h3 r2/4	3208	Naděžda Koštovalová	CZE	53.03 (4 h6)	53.21 (8 h3)	–	–
8 h4 r2/4	3040	Lee Naylor	AUS	52.53 (4 h3)	53.75 (8 h4)	–	–
5 h3 r1/4	3808	Olena Rurak	UKR	52.92 (5 h3)	–	–	–
5 h4 r1/4	3896	Ngozi Mwanamwambwa	ZAM	54.12 (5 h4)	–	–	–
5 h6 r1/4	3500	Svetlana Bodritskaya	KAZ	53.24 (5 h6)	–	–	–
5 h7 r1/4	3178	Zoila Stewart	CRC	52.66 (5 h7)	–	–	–
6 h1 r1/4	3787	Grace Birungi	UGA	53.12 (6 h1)	–	–	–
6 h3 r1/4	3895	Marina Živković	SCG	53.10 (6 h3)	–	–	–
6 h4 r1/4	3385	Mercy Addy	GHA	54.92 (6 h4)	–	–	–
6 h5 r1/4	3064	Melissa Straker	BAR	52.92 (6 h5)	–	–	–
6 h6 r1/4	3144	Du Xiujie	CHN	53.95 (6 h6)	–	–	–
6 h7 r1/4	3760	Corinne Simasotchi	SUI	53.69 (6 h7)	–	–	–
7 h1 r1/4	3176	Ahamada Haoulata	COM	1:03.44 (7 h1)	–	–	–
7 h2 r1/4	3429	Ameerah Bello	ISV	53.40 (7 h2)	–	–	–
7 h3 r1/4	3735	Melrose Mansaray	SLE	54.37 (7 h3)	–	–	–
7 h5 r1/4	3006	Guilhermina da Cruz	ANG	55.42 (7 h5)	–	–	–
7 h6 r1/4	3221	Arely Franco	ESA	1:01.38 (7 h6)	–	–	–
7 h7 r1/4	3121	Denise Ouabangui	CAF	55.74 (7 h7)	–	–	–
AC h4 r1/4	3174	Ximena Restrepo	COL	– (DNF h4)	–	–	–

Round One (26 July 1996)

Top four in each heat and next four fastest advanced to the quarter-finals.

Heat #1 (12:00)

Pos	Lane	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)	Reaction Time
1	3	Pauline Davis	BAH	51.00	0.308	Q
2	1	Svetlana Goncharenko	RUS	51.07	0.270	Q
3	8	Phylis Smith	GBR	51.29	0.225	Q
4	5	Renée Poetschka	AUS	51.55	0.292	Q
5	4	Dora Kyriakou	CYP	52.09	0.322	q
6	2	Grace Birungi	UGA	53.12	–
7	7	Ahamada Haoulata	COM	1:03.44	–

Heat #2 (12:06)

Pos	Lane	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)	Reaction Time
1	3	Maicel Malone	USA	51.28	0.241	Q
2	2	Juliet Campbell	JAM	51.57	0.251	Q
3	1	Grace Ann Dinkins	LBR	51.83	0.248	Q
4	4	Olga Kotlyarova	RUS	51.90	0.361	Q
5	6	Hana Benešová	CZE	52.28	–	q
6	5	Yana Manuylova	UKR	52.51	0.327	q
7	8	Ameerah Bello	ISV	53.40	0.428

Heat #3 (12:12)

Pos	Lane	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)	Reaction Time
1	5	Kim Graham	USA	51.70	–	Q
2	7	Helena Fuchsová	CZE	51.71	0.354	Q
3	2	Fatima Yusuf	NGR	52.25	0.294	Q
4	1	Lee Naylor	AUS	52.53	–	Q
5	3	Olena Rurak	UKR	52.92	0.268
6	6	Marina Živković	SCG	53.10	–
7	4	Melrose Mansaray	SLE	54.37	0.307

Heat #4 (12:18)

Pos	Lane	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)	Reaction Time
1	5	Virna De Angeli	ITA	51.68	–	Q
2	7	Sandie Richards	JAM	51.79	0.366	Q
3	3	Marie-José Pérec	FRA	51.82	0.271	Q
4	6	LaDonna Antoine	CAN	51.99	0.323	Q
5	2	Ngozi Mwanamwambwa	ZAM	54.12	0.209
6	1	Mercy Addy	GHA	54.92	0.189
DNF	4	Ximena Restrepo	COL	–	0.273

Heat #5 (12:24)

Pos	Lane	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)	Reaction Time
1	2	Jearl Miles	USA	51.96	0.345	Q
2	6	Grit Breuer	GER	52.20	0.314	Q
3	1	Merlene Frazer	JAM	52.20	0.229	Q
4	7	Magnólia Figueiredo	BRA	52.41	0.335	Q
5	5	Diane Francis	SKN	52.48	0.390	q
6	3	Melissa Straker	BAR	52.92	0.355
7	8	Guilhermina da Cruz	ANG	55.42	0.398

Heat #6 (12:30)

Pos	Lane	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)	Reaction Time
1	5	Sandy Myers	ESP	52.54	0.295	Q
2	2	Falilat Ogunkoya	NGR	52.65	0.232	Q
3	3	Donna Fraser	GBR	52.78	0.234	Q
4	8	Naděžda Koštovalová	CZE	53.03	0.441	Q
5	1	Svetlana Bodritskaya	KAZ	53.24	0.154
6	4	Du Xiujie	CHN	53.95	0.264
7	7	Arely Franco	ESA	1:01.38	0.394

Heat #7 (12:36)

Pos	Lane	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)	Reaction Time
1	8	Bisi Afolabi	NGR	51.80	0.344	Q
2	4	Cathy Freeman	AUS	51.99	0.327	Q
3	6	Hanna Kazak	BLR	52.39	–	Q
4	1	Patrizia Spuri	ITA	52.45	0.245	Q
5	3	Zoila Stewart	CRC	52.66	0.263
6	2	Corinne Simasotchi	SUI	53.69	0.206
7	7	Denise Ouabangui	CAF	55.74	–

Quarter-Finals (27 July 1996)

Top four in each heat advanced to the semi-finals.

Heat #1 (11:00)

Pos	Lane	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)	Reaction Time
1	3	Cathy Freeman	AUS	50.43	0.281	Q
2	4	Grit Breuer	GER	50.57	0.268	Q
3	6	Kim Graham	USA	50.96	–	Q
4	5	Bisi Afolabi	NGR	51.07	0.319	Q
5	7	Hana Benešová	CZE	51.30	0.254
6	2	Olga Kotlyarova	RUS	51.36	0.234
7	8	Donna Fraser	GBR	51.58	0.222
8	1	Dora Kyriakou	CYP	52.26	0.226

Heat #2 (11:06)

Pos	Lane	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)	Reaction Time
1	3	Marie-José Pérec	FRA	51.00	0.170	Q
2	5	Pauline Davis	BAH	51.08	0.306	Q
3	4	Juliet Campbell	JAM	51.17	0.261	Q
4	6	Svetlana Goncharenko	RUS	51.35	–	Q
5	2	Magnólia Figueiredo	BRA	51.98	0.213
6	8	LaDonna Antoine	CAN	52.03	0.296
7	7	Grace Ann Dinkins	LBR	52.53	–
8	1	Yana Manuylova	UKR	52.82	0.214

Heat #3 (11:12)

Pos	Lane	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)	Reaction Time
1	5	Falilat Ogunkoya	NGR	50.65	0.198	Q
2	6	Jearl Miles	USA	50.84	0.219	Q
3	4	Sandie Richards	JAM	51.22	0.283	Q
4	2	Renée Poetschka	AUS	51.33	0.176	Q
5	3	Virna De Angeli	ITA	51.77	–
6	8	Hanna Kazak	BLR	52.14	0.342
7	7	Diane Francis	SKN	52.24	0.338
8	1	Naděžda Koštovalová	CZE	53.21	–

Heat #4 (11:18)

Pos	Lane	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)	Reaction Time
1	6	Maicel Malone	USA	51.16	–	Q
2	1	Fatima Yusuf	NGR	51.27	0.209	Q
3	3	Sandy Myers	ESP	51.53	0.198	Q
4	7	Merlene Frazer	JAM	51.57	0.382	Q
5	5	Helena Fuchsová	CZE	51.70	0.314
6	4	Phylis Smith	GBR	52.16	0.187
7	8	Patrizia Spuri	ITA	52.78	–
8	2	Lee Naylor	AUS	53.75	0.250

Semi-Finals (28 July 1996)

Top four in each heat advanced to the final.

Heat #1 (20:10)

Pos	Lane	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)	Reaction Time
1	3	Cathy Freeman	AUS	50.32	0.326	Q
2	6	Fatima Yusuf	NGR	50.36	0.285	Q
3	8	Sandie Richards	JAM	50.74	0.364	Q
4	4	Grit Breuer	GER	50.75	0.275	Q
5	2	Kim Graham	USA	51.13	0.202
6	5	Maicel Malone	USA	51.16	0.464
7	1	Merlene Frazer	JAM	51.18	0.221
8	7	Bisi Afolabi	NGR	51.40	0.352

Heat #2 (20:20)

Pos	Lane	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)	Reaction Time
1	5	Marie-José Pérec	FRA	49.19	0.308	Q
2	4	Falilat Ogunkoya	NGR	49.57	0.249	Q
3	3	Pauline Davis	BAH	49.85	0.278	Q
4	6	Jearl Miles	USA	50.21	0.268	Q
5	7	Svetlana Goncharenko	RUS	50.84	0.335
6	8	Sandy Myers	ESP	51.42	0.258
7	2	Renée Poetschka	AUS	51.49	0.194
8	1	Juliet Campbell	JAM	51.65	0.196

Final (29 July 1996 — 19:35)

Pos	Lane	Athlete	NOC	Time (A)	Reaction Time
1	3	Marie-José Pérec	FRA	48.25	0.209	OR
2	4	Cathy Freeman	AUS	48.63	0.320
3	5	Falilat Ogunkoya	NGR	49.10	0.288
4	2	Pauline Davis	BAH	49.28	0.222
5	8	Jearl Miles	USA	49.55	0.320
6	6	Fatima Yusuf	NGR	49.77	0.319
7	7	Sandie Richards	JAM	50.45	0.341
8	1	Grit Breuer	GER	50.71	0.219