Women's 400 metres at the 2025 World Athletics Championships | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Venue | National Stadium | |||||||||
Location | Tokyo, Japan | |||||||||
Dates | 14 September (heats) 16 September (semi-finals) 18 September (final) | |||||||||
Winning time | 47.78 CR , AR , WL | |||||||||
Medalists | ||||||||||
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Events at the 2025 World Championships | ||
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Track events | ||
100 m | men | women |
200 m | men | women |
400 m | men | women |
800 m | men | women |
1500 m | men | women |
5000 m | men | women |
10,000 m | men | women |
100 m hurdles | women | |
110 m hurdles | men | |
400 m hurdles | men | women |
3000 m steeplechase | men | women |
4 × 100 m relay | men | women |
4 × 400 m relay | men | women |
mixed | ||
Road events | ||
Marathon | men | women |
20 km walk | men | women |
35 km walk | men | women |
Field events | ||
High jump | men | women |
Pole vault | men | women |
Long jump | men | women |
Triple jump | men | women |
Shot put | men | women |
Discus throw | men | women |
Hammer throw | men | women |
Javelin throw | men | women |
Combined events | ||
Heptathlon | women | |
Decathlon | men | |
World Team event | ||
World Team | ||
The women's 400 metres at the 2025 World Athletics Championships was held at the National Stadium in Tokyo on 14, 16 and 18 September 2025. [1]
The fact that Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino #4 in history is the returning champion is only a small part of the story in this event. 2019 World champion Salwa Eid Naser #3 in history is world leader and she is younger than Paulino. Additionally, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone #12 in history is also a previous world champion, in the 400 metres hurdles, where she has set the world record 6 times. After toying with the race without hurdles for a couple of years, she is concentrating on this event for the first time. Almost forgotten, Nickisha Pryce is #8 in history.
The championship record is 42 years old, the former world record and #2 in history. The world record is almost exactly 40 years old, a race that included two others performances that remain in the top ten in history. Decades later, there are still accusations of the chemical enhancements that might have aided these historical performance.
Nasser had the fastest time in the heats. At 49.17 it might have been excessive as it would almost be one of the top 25 in history. The semis were all about excessive for McLaughlin-Levrone, 48.29 was the American record and #7 in history. [2] Two time bronze medalist Sada Williams and a 49.88 by Martina Weil did not get out of the semis.
The finals put Paulino in lane 9, the far outside. Nasser got 7, McLaughlin-Levrone in 5. With the track still wet from earlier rains, the weather less oppressive than other events had been. Down the backstretch, it was clear the three had already separated from the rest of the field. Using the painted marks, McLaughlin-Levrone had a slight edge, over Paulino then Nasser. The positioning held through the turn and when they hit the straightaway, McLaughlin-Levrone only had a metre on the fast closing Paulino who only had another metre on Nasser. Both McLaughlin-Levrone and Nasser running disciplined form hard to the finish, Paulino twisting, over-striding and gaining slightly on McLaughlin-Levrone until giving up the fight the last few steps when it was clear it wouldn't be enough. [3]
McLaughlin-Levrone's 47.78 in first broke that impossible Championship record, the North American record Paulino had set at the Olympics and her own American record from two days earlier. It was the number two time in history, only .18 off that world record. Paulino 47.98 was the new number 3 time in history. And Nasser 48.17 in third just .03 off her personal best from 6 years earlier, which was the #3 all time at the start of the race.
Before the competition records were as follows: [4]
Record | Athlete & Nat. | Perf. | Location | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
World record | ![]() | 47.60 | Canberra, Australia | 6 October 1985 |
Championship record | ![]() | 47.99 | Helsinki, Finland | 10 August 1983 |
World Leading | ![]() | 48.67 | Kingston, Jamaica | 5 April 2025 |
African Record | ![]() | 49.10 | Atlanta, United States | 29 July 1996 |
Asian Record | ![]() | 48.14 | Doha, Qatar | 3 October 2019 |
European Record | ![]() | 47.60 | Canberra, Australia | 6 October 1985 |
North, Central American and Caribbean record | ![]() | 48.17 | Paris, France | 9 August 2024 |
Oceanian record | ![]() | 48.63 | Atlanta, United States | 29 July 1996 |
South American Record | ![]() | 49.64 | Barcelona, Spain | 5 August 1992 |
The following records were set at the competition:
Record | Athlete & Nat. | Perf. | Date |
---|---|---|---|
Championship record | ![]() | 47.78 | 18 September 2025 |
World Leading | |||
North, Central American and Caribbean record |
The standard to qualify automatically for entry was 50.75. [5]
The event schedule, in local time (UTC+9), was as follows: [1]
Date | Time | Round |
---|---|---|
14 September | 19:25 | Heats |
16 September | 21:07 | Semi-finals |
18 September | 22:24 | Final |
The heats took place on 14 September. The first three athletes in each heat ( Q ) and the six fastest ( q ) qualified for the semi-finals.
Place | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 5 | Lieke Klaver | ![]() | 50.32 | Q |
2 | 8 | Isabella Whittaker | ![]() | 50.82 | Q |
3 | 6 | Dejanea Oakley | ![]() | 51.07 | Q |
4 | 4 | Lauren Gale | ![]() | 51.56 | |
5 | 9 | Alice Mangione | ![]() | 51.70 | |
6 | 2 | Mette Baas | ![]() | 51.92 | |
7 | 7 | Vimbayi Maisvorewa | ![]() | 52.28 | |
8 | 3 | Ellie Beer | ![]() | 52.31 | |
[6] |
Place | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 8 | Wadeline Venlogh | ![]() | 49.91 | Q, NR |
2 | 5 | Natalia Bukowiecka | ![]() | 50.16 | Q |
3 | 6 | Aaliyah Butler | ![]() | 50.44 | Q |
4 | 7 | Sada Williams | ![]() | 50.93 | q |
5 | 4 | Leni Shida | ![]() | 51.61 | |
6 | 2 | Zoe Sherar | ![]() | 52.19 | |
7 | 3 | Myrte van der Schoot | ![]() | 52.19 | |
8 | 9 | Miranda Coetzee | ![]() | 57.78 | |
[6] |
Place | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 6 | Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone | ![]() | 49.41 | Q |
2 | 7 | Martina Weil | ![]() | 50.61 | Q |
3 | 8 | Mercy Oketch | ![]() | 50.76 | Q |
4 | 9 | Sharlene Mawdsley | ![]() | 51.04 | q |
5 | 4 | Caitlyn Bobb | ![]() | 51.72 | |
6 | 3 | Eveline Saalberg | ![]() | 51.73 | |
7 | 5 | Javonya Valcourt | ![]() | 52.00 | |
8 | 2 | Tiffani Marinho | ![]() | 53.34 | |
9 | 1 | Esther Mayadjim Mingueyam | ![]() | 56.35 | PB |
[6] |
Place | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 6 | Nickisha Pryce | ![]() | 49.91 | Q |
2 | 7 | Henriette Jæger | ![]() | 50.12 | Q |
3 | 5 | Roxana Gómez | ![]() | 50.35 | Q, SB |
4 | 9 | Printassia Johnson | ![]() | 50.53 | q, PB |
5 | 8 | Yemi Mary John | ![]() | 50.71 | q |
6 | 2 | Lada Vondrová | ![]() | 51.90 | |
7 | 3 | Dianna Proctor | ![]() | 51.98 | |
8 | 4 | Gabby Scott | ![]() | 52.55 | |
[6] |
Place | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 5 | Salwa Eid Naser | ![]() | 49.13 | Q |
2 | 7 | Stacey-Ann Williams | ![]() | 49.59 | Q, PB |
3 | 4 | Andrea Miklós | ![]() | 50.96 | Q, SB |
4 | 9 | Victoria Ohuruogu | ![]() | 51.37 | q |
5 | 6 | Anna Polinari | ![]() | 51.55 | |
6 | 3 | Shirley Nekhubui | ![]() | 51.82 | |
7 | 1 | Nanako Matsumoto | ![]() | 52.41 | |
8 | 2 | Nadeesha Ramanayake | ![]() | 53.63 | |
9 | 8 | Evelis Aguilar | ![]() | 53.82 | |
[6] |
Place | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 6 | Marileidy Paulino | ![]() | 49.85 | Q |
2 | 5 | Amber Anning | ![]() | 49.96 | Q |
3 | 8 | Bassant Hemida | ![]() | 50.36 | Q, NR |
4 | 7 | Paula Sevilla | ![]() | 50.69 | q, PB |
5 | 3 | Justyna Święty-Ersetic | ![]() | 51.80 | |
6 | 2 | Sophie Becker | ![]() | 52.19 | |
7 | 9 | Veronika Drljačić | ![]() | 52.67 | |
8 | 4 | Susanne Gogl-Walli | ![]() | 52.92 | |
9 | 1 | Samira Awali Boubacar | ![]() | 52.99 | SB |
[6] |
The heats took place on 16 September. The first two athletes in each heat ( Q ) and the two fastest ( q ) qualified for the final.
Place | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 5 | Natalia Bukowiecka | ![]() | 49.67 | Q, SB |
2 | 6 | Marileidy Paulino | ![]() | 49.82 | Q |
3 | 7 | Henriette Jæger | ![]() | 49.87 | q |
4 | 3 | Sada Williams | ![]() | 50.39 | SB |
5 | 4 | Aaliyah Butler | ![]() | 50.63 | |
6 | 8 | Wadeline Venlogh | ![]() | 50.67 | |
7 | 9 | Dejanea Oakley | ![]() | 51.42 | |
8 | 2 | Yemi Mary John | ![]() | 51.51 | |
[7] |
Place | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 5 | Salwa Eid Naser | ![]() | 49.47 | Q |
2 | 9 | Roxana Gómez | ![]() | 49.78 | Q, SB |
3 | 6 | Isabella Whittaker | ![]() | 50.20 | |
4 | 8 | Lieke Klaver | ![]() | 50.25 | |
5 | 7 | Stacey-Ann Williams | ![]() | 50.39 | |
6 | 3 | Printassia Johnson | ![]() | 50.81 | |
7 | 4 | Mercy Oketch | ![]() | 51.36 | |
8 | 2 | Victoria Ohuruogu | ![]() | 51.65 | |
[7] |
Place | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 8 | Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone | ![]() | 48.29 | Q, NR , WL |
2 | 6 | Amber Anning | ![]() | 49.38 | Q, SB |
3 | 7 | Nickisha Pryce | ![]() | 49.46 | q, SB |
4 | 5 | Martina Weil | ![]() | 49.88 | |
5 | 9 | Bassant Hemida | ![]() | 50.69 | |
6 | 4 | Andrea Miklós | ![]() | 50.90 | SB |
7 | 2 | Paula Sevilla | ![]() | 50.97 | |
8 | 3 | Sharlene Mawdsley | ![]() | 51.22 | |
[7] |
Place | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | 5 | Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone | ![]() | 47.78 | CR , AR , WL |
![]() | 9 | Marileidy Paulino | ![]() | 47.98 | NR |
![]() | 7 | Salwa Eid Naser | ![]() | 48.19 | SB |
4 | 8 | Natalia Bukowiecka | ![]() | 49.27 | SB |
5 | 6 | Amber Anning | ![]() | 49.36 | SB |
6 | 4 | Roxana Gómez | ![]() | 49.48 | NR |
7 | 3 | Henriette Jæger | ![]() | 49.74 | |
8 | 2 | Nickisha Pryce | ![]() | 49.97 | |
[8] |