| | Event type

400 metres Hurdles, Women

Date	28 – 31 July 1996
Status	Olympic
Location	Centennial Olympic Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Participants	30 from 21 countries

At the 1995 World Championships, Kim Batten (USA) won the gold with her teammate Tonja Buford in second, and Jamaica’s Deon Hemmings in third. Batten had also broken the world record in 1995, running 52.61 in Göteborg, Sweden. The defending champion, Sally Gunnell, was back and was a threat, but she was slightly injured and did not finish her semi-final. Hemmings and Batten led the qualifiers in the semi-finals, and Tonja Buford-Bailey also qualified easily. Hemmings took the lead from the second hurdle. Batten was in the lane outside her and she almost made up the stagger on her on the backstretch. But by the eighth hurdle, Batten, Hemmings and Buford-Bailey were virtually even. Hemmings then put the hammer down, pulling away on the run-in, and won the race by 2-3 metres, with Batten getting the silver medal over her teammate.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	R1	SF	Final
1	3473	Deon Hemmings	JAM	54.70 (1 h4)	52.99 (1 h1)	52.82 (1)	Gold	OR
2	3817	Kim Batten	USA	54.92 (1 h3)	53.65 (1 h2)	53.08 (2)	Silver
3	3822	Tonja Buford	USA	55.23 (1 h2)	53.38 (2 h1)	53.22 (3)	Bronze
4	3479	Debbie-Ann Parris	JAM	55.64 (2 h1)	54.72 (4 h2)	53.97 (4)
5	3365	Heike Meißner	GER	55.05 (2 h4)	54.27 (3 h1)	54.03 (5)
6	3131	Rosey Edeh	CAN	55.64 (4 h2)	54.49 (3 h2)	54.39 (6)
7	3666	Ionela Târlea	ROU	55.42 (4 h4)	54.41 (4 h1)	54.40 (7)
8	3373	Silvia Rieger	GER	55.33 (3 h2)	54.27 (2 h2)	54.57 (8)
5 h1 r2/3	3426	Susan Smith	IRL	55.22 (3 h4)	54.93 (5 h1)	–
5 h2 r2/3	3427	Guðrún Arnardóttir	ISL	54.88 (1 h1)	54.81 (5 h2)	–
6 h1 r2/3	3066	Ann Mercken	BEL	55.88 (3 h3)	54.95 (6 h1)	–
6 h2 r2/3	3758	Michèle Schenk	SUI	55.70 (3 h1)	55.96 (6 h2)	–
7 h1 r2/3	3084	Tatsiana Ledauskaya	BLR	55.82 (4 h1)	54.99 (7 h1)	–
8 h1 r2/3	3811	Tetiana Tereshchuk	UKR	55.82 (2 h3)	55.34 (8 h1)	–
AC h2 r2/3	3309	Sally Gunnell	GBR	55.29 (2 h2)	– (DNF h2)	–
4 h3 r1/3	3690	Anna Knoroz	RUS	56.21 (4 h3)	–	–
5 h4 r1/3	3530	Lana Jēkabsone	LAT	56.18 (5 h4)	–	–
5 h2 r1/3	3507	Nataliya Torshina	KAZ	55.94 (5 h2)	–	–
5 h3 r1/3	3483	Catherine Pomales-Scott	JAM	56.21 (5 h3)	–	–
5 h1 r1/3	3442	Virna De Angeli	ITA	57.12 (5 h1)	–	–
6 h1 r1/3	3891	Mary-Estelle Kapalu	VAN	58.68 (6 h1)	–	–
6 h2 r1/3	3761	Martina Stoop	SUI	56.32 (6 h2)	–	–
6 h3 r1/3	3671	Karen van der Veen	RSA	57.00 (6 h3)	–	–
6 h4 r1/3	3091	Neli Vorankava	BLR	56.97 (6 h4)	–	–
7 h1 r1/3	3781	Hsu Pei-Chin	TPE	58.80 (7 h1)	–	–
7 h2 r1/3	3223	Miriam Alonso	ESP	56.53 (7 h2)	–	–
7 h3 r1/3	3083	Tatsiana Kurochkina	BLR	57.28 (7 h3)	–	–
7 h4 r1/3	3243	Eva Paniagua	ESP	58.10 (7 h4)	–	–
8 h2 r1/3	3589	Lade Akinremi	NGR	56.83 (8 h2)	–	–
DQ	3831	Sandra Farmer-Patrick	USA	[55.55] (DQ h1)	[54.73] (DQ h2)	–			1

Round One

Date	28 July 1996
Format	Top three in each heat and next four fastest advanced to the semi-finals.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Time (automatic)	Reaction Time
1	3473	Deon Hemmings	JAM	54.70	0.437	Q
2	3427	Guðrún Arnardóttir	ISL	54.88	0.247	Q
3	3817	Kim Batten	USA	54.92	0.340	Q
4	3365	Heike Meißner	GER	55.05	0.411	Q
5	3426	Susan Smith	IRL	55.22	0.278	Q
6	3822	Tonja Buford	USA	55.23	0.210	Q
7	3309	Sally Gunnell	GBR	55.29	0.337	Q
8	3373	Silvia Rieger	GER	55.33	0.300	Q
9	3666	Ionela Târlea	ROU	55.42	0.229	q
=10	3479	Debbie-Ann Parris	JAM	55.64	0.252	Q
=10	3131	Rosey Edeh	CAN	55.64	0.366	q
12	3758	Michèle Schenk	SUI	55.70	0.391	q
=13	3084	Tatsiana Ledauskaya	BLR	55.82	0.334	q
=13	3811	Tetiana Tereshchuk	UKR	55.82	–	Q
15	3066	Ann Mercken	BEL	55.88	0.251	Q
16	3507	Nataliya Torshina	KAZ	55.94	0.291
17	3530	Lana Jēkabsone	LAT	56.18	0.219
18	3690	Anna Knoroz	RUS	56.21	0.245
19	3483	Catherine Pomales-Scott	JAM	56.21	0.443
20	3761	Martina Stoop	SUI	56.32	0.257
21	3223	Miriam Alonso	ESP	56.53	0.289
22	3589	Lade Akinremi	NGR	56.83	–
23	3091	Neli Vorankava	BLR	56.97	0.276
24	3671	Karen van der Veen	RSA	57.00	0.345
25	3442	Virna De Angeli	ITA	57.12	0.582
26	3083	Tatsiana Kurochkina	BLR	57.28	0.404
27	3243	Eva Paniagua	ESP	58.10	–
28	3891	Mary-Estelle Kapalu	VAN	58.68	0.564
29	3781	Hsu Pei-Chin	TPE	58.80	0.276
DQ	3831	Sandra Farmer-Patrick	USA	[55.55]	[0.334]	Q	2

Heat #1

Time	11:30

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)	Reaction Time
1	3427	Guðrún Arnardóttir	ISL	54.88	0.247	Q
2	3479	Debbie-Ann Parris	JAM	55.64	0.252	Q
3	3758	Michèle Schenk	SUI	55.70	0.391	q
4	3084	Tatsiana Ledauskaya	BLR	55.82	0.334	q
5	3442	Virna De Angeli	ITA	57.12	0.582
6	3891	Mary-Estelle Kapalu	VAN	58.68	0.564
7	3781	Hsu Pei-Chin	TPE	58.80	0.276
DQ	3831	Sandra Farmer-Patrick	USA	[55.55]	[0.334]	Q	3

Heat #2

Time	11:37

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)	Reaction Time
1	3822	Tonja Buford	USA	55.23	0.210	Q
2	3309	Sally Gunnell	GBR	55.29	0.337	Q
3	3373	Silvia Rieger	GER	55.33	0.300	Q
4	3131	Rosey Edeh	CAN	55.64	0.366	q
5	3507	Nataliya Torshina	KAZ	55.94	0.291
6	3761	Martina Stoop	SUI	56.32	0.257
7	3223	Miriam Alonso	ESP	56.53	0.289
8	3589	Lade Akinremi	NGR	56.83	–

Heat #3

Time	11:44

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)	Reaction Time
1	3817	Kim Batten	USA	54.92	0.340	Q
2	3811	Tetiana Tereshchuk	UKR	55.82	–	Q
3	3066	Ann Mercken	BEL	55.88	0.251	Q
4	3690	Anna Knoroz	RUS	56.21	0.245
5	3483	Catherine Pomales-Scott	JAM	56.21	0.443
6	3671	Karen van der Veen	RSA	57.00	0.345
7	3083	Tatsiana Kurochkina	BLR	57.28	0.404

Heat #4

Time	11:51

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)	Reaction Time
1	3473	Deon Hemmings	JAM	54.70	0.437	Q
2	3365	Heike Meißner	GER	55.05	0.411	Q
3	3426	Susan Smith	IRL	55.22	0.278	Q
4	3666	Ionela Târlea	ROU	55.42	0.229	q
5	3530	Lana Jēkabsone	LAT	56.18	0.219
6	3091	Neli Vorankava	BLR	56.97	0.276
7	3243	Eva Paniagua	ESP	58.10	–

Semi-Finals

Date	29 July 1996
Format	Top four in each heat advanced to the final.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Time (automatic)	Reaction Time
1	3473	Deon Hemmings	JAM	52.99	0.314	QOR
2	3822	Tonja Buford	USA	53.38	0.303	Q
3	3817	Kim Batten	USA	53.65	0.351	Q
=4	3365	Heike Meißner	GER	54.27	0.316	Q
=4	3373	Silvia Rieger	GER	54.27	0.383	Q
6	3666	Ionela Târlea	ROU	54.41	0.218	Q
7	3131	Rosey Edeh	CAN	54.49	0.240	Q
8	3479	Debbie-Ann Parris	JAM	54.72	0.384	Q
9	3427	Guðrún Arnardóttir	ISL	54.81	0.297
10	3426	Susan Smith	IRL	54.93	0.275
11	3066	Ann Mercken	BEL	54.95	0.191
12	3084	Tatsiana Ledauskaya	BLR	54.99	0.358
13	3811	Tetiana Tereshchuk	UKR	55.34	–
14	3758	Michèle Schenk	SUI	55.96	0.327
DNF	3309	Sally Gunnell	GBR	–	0.276
DQ	3831	Sandra Farmer-Patrick	USA	[54.73]	[0.305]		4

Heat #1

Time	21:24

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)	Reaction Time
1	3473	Deon Hemmings	JAM	52.99	0.314	QOR
2	3822	Tonja Buford	USA	53.38	0.303	Q
3	3365	Heike Meißner	GER	54.27	0.316	Q
4	3666	Ionela Târlea	ROU	54.41	0.218	Q
5	3426	Susan Smith	IRL	54.93	0.275
6	3066	Ann Mercken	BEL	54.95	0.191
7	3084	Tatsiana Ledauskaya	BLR	54.99	0.358
8	3811	Tetiana Tereshchuk	UKR	55.34	–

Heat #2

Time	21:40

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)	Reaction Time
1	3817	Kim Batten	USA	53.65	0.351	Q
2	3373	Silvia Rieger	GER	54.27	0.383	Q
3	3131	Rosey Edeh	CAN	54.49	0.240	Q
4	3479	Debbie-Ann Parris	JAM	54.72	0.384	Q
5	3427	Guðrún Arnardóttir	ISL	54.81	0.297
6	3758	Michèle Schenk	SUI	55.96	0.327
DNF	3309	Sally Gunnell	GBR	–	0.276
DQ	3831	Sandra Farmer-Patrick	USA	[54.73]	[0.305]		5

Final Round

Date	31 July 1996 — 19:40

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)	Reaction Time
1	3473	Deon Hemmings	JAM	52.82	0.348	OR
2	3817	Kim Batten	USA	53.08	0.283
3	3822	Tonja Buford	USA	53.22	0.274
4	3479	Debbie-Ann Parris	JAM	53.97	0.217
5	3365	Heike Meißner	GER	54.03	0.272
6	3131	Rosey Edeh	CAN	54.39	0.324
7	3666	Ionela Târlea	ROU	54.40	0.343
8	3373	Silvia Rieger	GER	54.57	0.297