2011 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 400 metres
The Women's 400 metres at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Daegu Stadium on August 27, 28 and 29.
The defending champion was Sanya Richards-Ross and despite her poor form earlier in the season, she ran 49.66 seconds in London just three weeks before the championships. The only faster athlete that year was Russian champion Anastasiya Kapachinskaya, who had run a personal best of 49.35 sec. Two-time 200 m world champion, Allyson Felix, was also challenging for the 400 m title, while Amantle Montsho had five straight wins on the Diamond League circuit. Jamaica's Rosemarie Whyte, Novlene Williams-Mills and Shericka Williams were also contenders, as was 2009 third placer Antonina Krivoshapka.
The event started in controversy when reigning Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu was disqualified in her preliminary race for a false start. 2011 was the first year of a new IAAF rule allowing no leniency for a false start.
In the [|final], Montsho was a clear leader off of the turn, with Felix closing fast at the end to make the race close. This was Felix's personal best. Not only was this Montsho's personal best, but also the national record for Botswana. For the bronze medal, Anastasia Kapachinskaya was faster down the final 80 metres to pull away from Francena McCorory, who had run her personal best in the semi-finals.
After the championships, Kapachinskaya was disqualified for a doping violation for having stanozol and turinabol in tests held during the 2008 Olympics. She received a lifetime ban. In 2017, McCorory was advanced to the bronze medal.
Medalists
Records
Prior to the competition, the records were as follows:| World record | 47.60 | Canberra, Australia | 6 October 1985 | |
| Championship record | 47.99 | Helsinki, Finland | 10 August 1983 | |
| World Leading | 49.35 | Cheboksary, Russia | 22 July 2011 | |
| African Record | 49.10 | Atlanta, GA, United States | 29 July 1996 | |
| Asian Record | 49.81 | Beijing, China | 11 September 1993 | |
| North, Central American and Caribbean record | 48.70 | Athens, Greece | 16 September 2006 | |
| South American record | 49.64 | Barcelona, Spain | 5 August 1992 | |
| European Record | 47.60 | Canberra, Australia | 6 October 1985 | |
| Oceanian record | 48.63 | Atlanta, GA, United States | 29 July 1996 |
Qualification standards
Schedule
Results
Heats
Qualification: First 4 in each heat and the next 4 fastest advance to the [|semifinals].| Rank | Heat | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 4 | Amantle Montsho | 50.95 | Q | |
| 2 | 1 | Novlene Williams-Mills | 51.30 | Q | |
| 3 | 2 | Antonina Yefremova | 51.35 | Q | |
| 4 | 5 | Sanya Richards-Ross | 51.37 | Q | |
| 5 | 3 | Rosemarie Whyte | 51.38 | Q | |
| 6 | 2 | Anastasiya Kapachinskaya | 51.43 | Q | |
| 7 | 1 | Allyson Felix | 51.45 | Q | |
| 8 | 3 | Antonina Krivoshapka | 51.52 | Q | |
| 9 | 5 | Shericka Williams | 51.66 | Q | |
| 10 | 3 | Nataliya Pyhyda | 51.67 | Q | |
| 11 | 1 | Joanne Cuddihy | 51.82 | Q, SB | |
| 12 | 1 | Marta Milani | 51.94 | Q, SB | |
| 13 | 1 | Geisa Coutinho | 52.15 | q | |
| 14 | 4 | Francena McCorory | 52.18 | Q | |
| 15 | 2 | Ndeye Fatou Soumah | 52.23 | Q | |
| 15 | 3 | Fantu Magiso | 52.23 | Q | |
| 17 | 5 | Moa Hjelmer | 52.26 | Q | |
| 18 | 2 | Jessica Beard | 52.40 | Q | |
| 19 | 5 | Denisa Rosolová | 52.51 | Q | |
| 20 | 5 | Nicola Sanders | 52.65 | q | |
| 21 | 4 | Lee McConnell | 52.75 | Q | |
| 22 | 4 | Maris Mägi | 52.93 | Q | |
| 23 | 4 | Norma González | 53.35 | q | |
| 24 | 3 | Racheal Nachula | 53.49 | q, SB | |
| 25 | 1 | Pınar Saka | 53.59 | ||
| 25 | 2 | Aliann Pompey | 53.59 | ||
| 27 | 4 | Aymée Martínez | 53.67 | ||
| 28 | 3 | Daisurami Bonne | 53.69 | ||
| 29 | 2 | Tjipekapora Herunga | 54.08 | ||
| 30 | 5 | Kseniya Karandyuk | 54.10 | ||
| 31 | 4 | Ambwene Simukonda | 54.81 | ||
| 32 | 2 | Alaa Hikmat Al-Qaysi | 55.62 | ||
| 33 | 5 | Betty Burua | 56.98 | ||
| 34 | 1 | Graciela Martins | 58.22 | PB | |
| 35 | 1 | Sandrine Thiébaud-Kangni | 59.68 | ||
| 36 | 3 | Evodie Lydie Saramandji | SB | ||
| 3 | Christine Ohuruogu |
Semifinals
Qualification: First 2 in each heat and the next 2 fastest advance to the final.| Rank | Heat | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 3 | Amantle Montsho | 50.13 | Q | |
| 2 | 2 | Francena McCorory | 50.24 | Q, PB | |
| 3 | 1 | Allyson Felix | 50.36 | Q | |
| 4 | 3 | Anastasiya Kapachinskaya | 50.41 | Q | |
| 5 | 2 | Shericka Williams | 50.46 | Q, SB | |
| 6 | 1 | Novlene Williams-Mills | 50.48 | Q | |
| 7 | 1 | Antonina Krivoshapka | 50.55 | q | |
| 8 | 2 | Sanya Richards-Ross | 50.66 | q | |
| 9 | 2 | Antonina Yefremova | 50.88 | ||
| 10 | 3 | Rosemarie Whyte | 50.90 | ||
| 11 | 3 | Jessica Beard | 51.27 | ||
| 12 | 1 | Nataliya Pyhyda | 51.61 | ||
| 13 | 2 | Marta Milani | 51.86 | PB | |
| 14 | 2 | Geisa Coutinho | 51.87 | ||
| 15 | 2 | Lee McConnell | 51.97 | ||
| 16 | 3 | Ndeye Fatou Soumah | 52.10 | ||
| 17 | 2 | Norma González | 52.29 | ||
| 18 | 1 | Moa Hjelmer | 52.35 | ||
| 19 | 1 | Nicola Sanders | 52.47 | ||
| 20 | 3 | Denisa Rosolová | 52.53 | ||
| 21 | 1 | Maris Mägi | 53.27 | ||
| 22 | 3 | Racheal Nachula | 53.30 | SB | |
| 23 | 1 | Fantu Magiso | 53.41 | ||
| 3 | Joanne Cuddihy |