| | Event type
400 metres Hurdles, Women
| Date | 21 – 25 August 2004 |
|---|---|
| Status | Olympic |
| Location | Olympiako Stadio, Olympiako Athletiko Kentro Athinon Spiros Loues, Maroussi |
| Participants | 33 from 25 countries |
The early-season favorites were American Sheena Johnson, the 1999 World Champion Jana Pittman, and Russian world record holder Yuliya Pechyonkina. Also expected to challenge was Romanian Ionela Târlea-Manolache, winner of the 1998 and 2002 European Championships. All four made it to the final, which was somewhat of an upset for Pittman, recovering from recent knee surgery. But none of them won and only Tîrlea got a medal, a silver. The winner, in a huge upset, was Greek Fani Khalkia. Khalkia was a former high jumper who was only in her second year of running the 400 hurdles. Khalkia was little known but won the second semi-final in 52.77, the fifth fastest time ever. In the final she took the lead at the seventh hurdle and stormed ahead to win by half a second.
| Pos | Nr | Athlete | NOC | R1 | SF | Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1980 | Fani Chalkia |  GRE | 53.85 (1 h4) | 52.77 (1 h2) | 52.82 (1) | Gold | ||
| 2 | 2801 | Ionela Târlea-Manolache |  ROU | 54.41 (1 h3) | 53.32 (2 h2) | 53.38 (2) | Silver | ||
| 3 | 3200 | Tetiana Tereshchuk-Antypova |  UKR | 54.63 (2 h1) | 53.37 (3 h2) | 53.44 (3) | Bronze | ||
| 4 | 3292 | Sheena Johnson |  USA | 54.81 (2 h5) | 54.32 (3 h1) | 53.83 (4) | |||
| 5 | 1084 | Jana Pittman |  AUS | 54.83 (1 h2) | 54.05 (2 h1) | 53.92 (5) | |||
| 6 | 2855 | Yekaterina Bikert |  RUS | 54.95 (2 h2) | 53.79 (4 h2) | 54.18 (6) | |||
| 7 | 3348 | Brenda Taylor | USA | 54.72 (2 h3) | 55.02 (4 h1) | 54.97 (7) | |||
| 8 | 2921 | Yuliya Pechyonkina | RUS | 53.57 (1 h1) | 53.31 (1 h1) | 55.79 (8) | |||
| 5 h1 r2/3 | 2326 | Nataliya Torshina-Alimzhanova |  KAZ | 55.22 (3 h2) | 55.08 (5 h1) | – | |||
| 5 h2 r2/3 | 3251 | Lashinda Demus | USA | 54.66 (2 h4) | 54.32 (5 h2) | – | |||
| 6 h1 r2/3 | 2692 | Małgorzata Pskit |  POL | 54.75 (1 h5) | 55.24 (6 h1) | – | |||
| 6 h2 r2/3 | 2854 | Yekaterina Bakhvalova | RUS | 55.16 (3 h4) | 54.98 (6 h2) | – | |||
| 7 h1 r2/3 | 1942 | Ulrike Urbansky |  GER | 55.15 (3 h1) | 56.44 (7 h1) | – | |||
| 7 h2 r2/3 | 2238 | Debbie-Ann Parris |  JAM | 55.21 (4 h4) | 54.99 (7 h2) | – | |||
| 8 h1 r2/3 | 1487 | Andri Sialou |  CYP | 55.02 (4 h5) | 1:05.72 (8 h1) | – | |||
| 8 h2 r2/3 | 1349 | Huang Xiaoxiao |  CHN | 54.83 (3 h5) | 55.53 (8 h2) | – | |||
| 3 h3 r1/3 | 2464 | Nezha Bidouane |  MAR | 55.69 (3 h3) | – | – | |||
| 4 h1 r1/3 | 2197 | Monika Niederstätter |  ITA | 55.57 (4 h1) | – | – | |||
| 4 h2 r1/3 | 2430 | Ieva Zunda |  LAT | 56.21 (4 h2) | – | – | |||
| 4 h3 r1/3 | 2674 | Anna Jesień | POL | 56.03 (4 h3) | – | – | |||
| 5 h1 r1/3 | 1609 | Cora Olivero |  ESP | 56.19 (5 h1) | – | – | |||
| 5 h2 r1/3 | 2166 | Benedetta Ceccarelli | ITA | 56.28 (5 h2) | – | – | |||
| 5 h3 r1/3 | 2250 | Shevon Stoddart | JAM | 56.61 (5 h3) | – | – | |||
| 5 h4 r1/3 | 2761 | Yvonne Harrison |  PUR | 55.84 (5 h4) | – | – | |||
| 5 h5 r1/3 | 1474 | Daimí Pernía |  CUB | 55.91 (5 h5) | – | – | |||
| 6 h1 r1/3 | 2212 | Patrina Allen | JAM | 56.40 (6 h1) | – | – | |||
| 6 h2 r1/3 | 2815 | Surita Febbraio |  RSA | 56.49 (6 h2) | – | – | |||
| 6 h3 r1/3 | 1006 | Klodiana Shala |  ALB | 1:00.00 (6 h3) | – | – | |||
| 6 h4 r1/3 | 2992 | Mame Tacko Diouf |  SEN | 57.25 (6 h4) | – | – | |||
| 6 h5 r1/3 | 1134 | Andrea Blackett |  BAR | 56.49 (6 h5) | – | – | |||
| 7 h1 r1/3 | 1297 | Aïssata Soulama |  BUR | 57.60 (7 h1) | – | – | |||
| 7 h4 r1/3 | 1425 | Salhate Djamalidine |  COM | 59.72 (7 h4) | – | – | |||
| 7 h5 r1/3 | 2372 | Galina Pedan |  KGZ | 59.02 (7 h5) | – | – | |||
| 1896 | Stephanie Kampf | GER | – (DNS h3) | – | – |
Round One (21 August 2004 — 09:05-09:35)
Top two in each heat and next six fastest advanced to the semi-finals.
Heat One (9:05)
| Pos | Lane | Athlete | NOC | Time (A) | Reaction Time | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Yuliya Pechyonkina | RUS | 53.57 | 0.184 | |||
| 2 | 7 | Tetiana Tereshchuk-Antypova | UKR | 54.63 | 0.330 | |||
| 3 | 8 | Ulrike Urbansky | GER | 55.15 | 0.277 | |||
| 4 | 4 | Monika Niederstätter | ITA | 55.57 | 0.355 | |||
| 5 | 6 | Cora Olivero | ESP | 56.19 | 0.353 | |||
| 6 | 5 | Patrina Allen | JAM | 56.40 | 0.235 | |||
| 7 | 3 | Aïssata Soulama | BUR | 57.60 | 0.218 |
Heat Two (9:12)
| Pos | Lane | Athlete | NOC | Time (A) | Reaction Time | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Jana Pittman | AUS | 54.83 | 0.215 | |||
| 2 | 3 | Yekaterina Bikert | RUS | 54.95 | 0.327 | |||
| 3 | 5 | Nataliya Torshina-Alimzhanova | KAZ | 55.22 | 0.314 | |||
| 4 | 4 | Ieva Zunda | LAT | 56.21 | 0.337 | |||
| 5 | 7 | Benedetta Ceccarelli | ITA | 56.28 | 0.341 | |||
| 6 | 6 | Surita Febbraio | RSA | 56.49 | 0.307 |
Heat Three (9:19)
| Pos | Lane | Athlete | NOC | Time (A) | Reaction Time | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Ionela Târlea-Manolache | ROU | 54.41 | 0.262 | |||
| 2 | 4 | Brenda Taylor | USA | 54.72 | 0.202 | |||
| 3 | 2 | Nezha Bidouane | MAR | 55.69 | 0.223 | |||
| 4 | 8 | Anna Jesień | POL | 56.03 | 0.348 | |||
| 5 | 6 | Shevon Stoddart | JAM | 56.61 | 0.228 | |||
| 6 | 3 | Klodiana Shala | ALB | 1:00.00 | 0.213 | |||
| 7 | Stephanie Kampf | GER | – | – |
Heat Four (9:26)
| Pos | Lane | Athlete | NOC | Time (A) | Reaction Time | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Fani Chalkia | GRE | 53.85 | 0.250 | |||
| 2 | 7 | Lashinda Demus | USA | 54.66 | 0.348 | |||
| 3 | 2 | Yekaterina Bakhvalova | RUS | 55.16 | 0.220 | |||
| 4 | 8 | Debbie-Ann Parris | JAM | 55.21 | – | |||
| 5 | 4 | Yvonne Harrison | PUR | 55.84 | 0.302 | |||
| 6 | 3 | Mame Tacko Diouf | SEN | 57.25 | 0.234 | |||
| 7 | 6 | Salhate Djamalidine | COM | 59.72 | 0.318 |
Heat Five (9:33)
| Pos | Lane | Athlete | NOC | Time (A) | Reaction Time | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Małgorzata Pskit | POL | 54.75 | 0.301 | |||
| 2 | 3 | Sheena Johnson | USA | 54.81 | 0.304 | |||
| 3 | 8 | Huang Xiaoxiao | CHN | 54.83 | 0.235 | |||
| 4 | 5 | Andri Sialou | CYP | 55.02 | 0.291 | |||
| 5 | 2 | Daimí Pernía | CUB | 55.91 | 0.249 | |||
| 6 | 6 | Andrea Blackett | BAR | 56.49 | 0.251 | |||
| 7 | 7 | Galina Pedan | KGZ | 59.02 | 0.336 |
Semi-Finals (22 August 2004 — 21:20-21:32)
Top four in each heat advanced to the final.
Heat One (21:20)
| Pos | Lane | Athlete | NOC | Time (A) | Reaction Time | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Yuliya Pechyonkina | RUS | 53.31 | 0.232 | |||
| 2 | 3 | Jana Pittman | AUS | 54.05 | 0.296 | |||
| 3 | 1 | Sheena Johnson | USA | 54.32 | 0.260 | |||
| 4 | 4 | Brenda Taylor | USA | 55.02 | 0.229 | |||
| 5 | 8 | Nataliya Torshina-Alimzhanova | KAZ | 55.08 | 0.387 | |||
| 6 | 5 | Małgorzata Pskit | POL | 55.24 | – | |||
| 7 | 7 | Ulrike Urbansky | GER | 56.44 | 0.368 | |||
| 8 | 2 | Andri Sialou | CYP | 1:05.72 | 0.323 |
Heat Two (21:29)
| Pos | Lane | Athlete | NOC | Time (A) | Reaction Time | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Fani Chalkia | GRE | 52.77 | 0.278 | |||
| 2 | 3 | Ionela Târlea-Manolache | ROU | 53.32 | 0.241 | |||
| 3 | 6 | Tetiana Tereshchuk-Antypova | UKR | 53.37 | 0.379 | |||
| 4 | 8 | Yekaterina Bikert | RUS | 53.79 | 0.378 | |||
| 5 | 5 | Lashinda Demus | USA | 54.32 | 0.261 | |||
| 6 | 7 | Yekaterina Bakhvalova | RUS | 54.98 | 0.360 | |||
| 7 | 2 | Debbie-Ann Parris | JAM | 54.99 | 0.239 | |||
| 8 | 1 | Huang Xiaoxiao | CHN | 55.53 | 0.206 |
Final (25 August 2004 — 21:55)
| Pos | Lane | Athlete | NOC | Time (A) | Reaction Time | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Fani Chalkia | GRE | 52.82 | 0.295 | |||
| 2 | 3 | Ionela Târlea-Manolache | ROU | 53.38 | 0.292 | |||
| 3 | 1 | Tetiana Tereshchuk-Antypova | UKR | 53.44 | 0.312 | |||
| 4 | 8 | Sheena Johnson | USA | 53.83 | 0.408 | |||
| 5 | 5 | Jana Pittman | AUS | 53.92 | 0.248 | |||
| 6 | 7 | Yekaterina Bikert | RUS | 54.18 | 0.322 | |||
| 7 | 2 | Brenda Taylor | USA | 54.97 | 0.184 | |||
| 8 | 6 | Yuliya Pechyonkina | RUS | 55.79 | 0.244 |