2018 European Athletics Championships – Women's 400 metres
| Women's 400 metres at the 2018 European Athletics Championships | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | Olympic Stadium | |||||||||
| Location | Berlin, Germany | |||||||||
| Dates |
| |||||||||
| Competitors | 42 from 21 nations | |||||||||
| Winning time | 50.41 s | |||||||||
| Medalists | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
The women's 400 metres at the 2018 European Athletics Championships was held over three rounds at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Germany, on 8, 9, and 11 August 2018. It was the nineteenth time this event was contested at the European Athletics Championships. Athletes could qualify by achieving the entry standard of 53.40 seconds or by their ranking in selected athletics meetings. Forty-two athletes from twenty-one nations competed in the event.
Thirty-two athletes competed in round 1, where fourteen athletes advanced to the semi-finals. Ten athletes with a bye in the first round joined them there. Eight athletes qualified for the final, which was won by Justyna Święty-Ersetic of Poland in 50.41 seconds, followed by Maria Belimpasaki of Greece in second place in a national record of 50.45 seconds and Lisanne de Witte in third place in a national record of 50.77 seconds.
Background
At the European Athletics Championships, the women's 400 metres had been contested eighteen times before 2018, at every edition since its introduction in 1958.[1] In the event, athletes run one lap on a 400-metre athletics track in designated lanes.[2]
At the start of the 2018 championships, Marita Koch of East Germany held the European and world record of 47.60 s set in 1985 and the championship record of 48.16 s set in 1982.[3][4] Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas had run the world leading time of 48.97 s on 20 July 2018 and Léa Sprunger of Switzerland had run the European leading time of 50.52 s on 1 July 2018.[5][6] Libania Grenot of Italy was the defending champion, having won the 2016 title in 50.73 s.[7]
The event was held at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Germany.[8] It was built for the 1936 Summer Olympics and renovated in 2000–2004.[9][10] During the 2018 European Athletics Championships, it had a capacity of 55,000 spectators.[11]
| Record | Athlete (nation) | Time | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World record[3] | Marita Koch (GDR) | 47.60 | Canberra, Australia | 6 October 1985 |
| European record[4] | ||||
| Championship record[4] | 48.16 | Athens, Greece | 8 September 1982 | |
| World leading[5] | Shaunae Miller-Uibo (BAH) | 48.97 | Monaco | 20 July 2018 |
| European leading[6] | Léa Sprunger (SUI) | 50.52 | La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland | 1 July 2018 |
Qualification
For this event, the qualification period was from 1 January 2017 until 30 July 2018. Athletes could qualify by running the entry standard of 53.40 s or faster, by finishing in the top three of a European Athletics Premium meeting, by winning a European Athletics Classic meeting, or by wildcard for the previous European champion. When a nation had no qualified athletes in the event, it could enter one unqualified athlete to be accepted at the discretion of European Athletics. Up to three athletes from one nation could participate, or four in case one had received a wildcard.[12]
Results
Round 1
Thirty-two athletes from twenty nations competed in the four heats of round 1 on 8 August, which started at 11:30 (UTC+2) in the morning. The first two athletes in each heat (Q) and the next six fastest athletes of the rest (q) advanced to the semi-finals. Six athletes set a personal best (PB) during this round.[4]
| Rank | Heat | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 6 | Laviai Nielsen | Great Britain & N.I. | 51.67 | Q, PB |
| 2 | 2 | 5 | Cynthia Bolingo | Belgium | 51.69 | Q, PB |
| 3 | 3 | 6 | Maria Benedicta Chigbolu | Italy | 51.76 | Q, SB |
| 4 | 1 | 5 | Cátia Azevedo | Portugal | 51.84 | Q, SB |
| 5 | 2 | 7 | Floria Gueï | France | 51.89 | Q |
| 6 | 1 | 2 | Gunta Latiševa-Čudare | Latvia | 51.98 | q |
| 7 | 4 | 7 | Polina Miller | Authorised Neutral Athletes | 52.01 | Q |
| 8 | 4 | 1 | Laura Bueno | Spain | 52.14 | Q, PB |
| 9 | 2 | 3 | Bianca Răzor | Romania | 52.19 | q, SB |
| 10 | 4 | 8 | Iga Baumgart-Witan | Poland | 52.23 | q |
| 11 | 2 | 1 | Tamara Salaški | Serbia | 52.39 | q |
| 12 | 3 | 4 | Camille Laus | Belgium | 52.40 | Q |
| 13 | 3 | 2 | Andrea Miklós | Romania | 52.40 | q |
| 14 | 3 | 3 | Tetyana Melnyk | Ukraine | 52.44 | q |
| 15 | 2 | 6 | Nadine Gonska | Germany | 52.54 | |
| 16 | 4 | 5 | Laura de Witte | Netherlands | 52.57 | |
| 17 | 4 | 4 | Matilda Hellqvist | Sweden | 52.68 | PB |
| 18 | 4 | 6 | Modesta Morauskaitė | Lithuania | 52.68 | |
| 19 | 1 | 1 | Alyona Mamina | Authorised Neutral Athletes | 52.72 | |
| 20 | 1 | 8 | Alexandra Bezeková | Slovakia | 52.88 | |
| 21 | 3 | 5 | Despina Mourta | Greece | 52.96 | PB |
| 22 | 4 | 3 | Alina Lohvynenko | Ukraine | 53.18 | |
| 23 | 3 | 7 | Iveta Putalová | Slovakia | 53.21 | |
| 24 | 2 | 8 | Lada Vondrová | Czech Republic | 53.21 | PB |
| 25 | 3 | 1 | Lena Symerská | Czech Republic | 53.25 | |
| 26 | 2 | 4 | Irini Vasiliou | Greece | 53.37 | |
| 27 | 2 | 2 | Kseniya Aksyonova | Authorised Neutral Athletes | 53.37 | |
| 28 | 1 | 4 | Zdeňka Seidlová | Czech Republic | 53.38 | |
| 29 | 1 | 7 | Anastasiia Bryzgina | Ukraine | 53.62 | |
| 30 | 1 | 3 | Maja Ćirić | Serbia | 53.65 | |
| 31 | 3 | 8 | Eva Misiūnaitė | Lithuania | 54.02 | |
| 32 | 4 | 2 | Evelin Nádházy | Hungary | 54.34 |
Semi-finals
Twenty-four athletes – ten who had a bye in round 1 and qualified directly based on their season's bests and fourteen who qualified in the first round – from sixteen nations competed in the three heats of the semi-finals on 9 August, that started at 19:50 (UTC+2) in the evening.[4][12][13] The first two athletes in each heat (Q) and the next two fastest athletes of the rest (q) qualified for the final. Laviai Nielsen of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Iga Baumgart-Witan of Poland set personal bests (PB) during this round.[13]
Final
Eight athletes from six nations competed in the final on 11 August at 20:12 (UTC+2) in the evening.[14] Around 300 metres into the race, coming out of the second bend, Maria Belimpasaki of Greece was in the lead, followed by Justyna Święty-Ersetic of Poland and Laviai Nielsen of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in second and third position, respectively, and Lisanne de Witte of the Netherlands in fourth position. At the finish, Święty-Ersetic moved into the winning position passing Belimpasaki, who tumbled over the line and finished second. Nielsen had fallen back to fourth place, while De Witte had moved up to third.[15] Święty-Ersetic won the gold medal in a European leading time (EL) of 50.41 s, Belimpasaki won silver in a Greek national record (NR) of 50.45 s, and De Witte won bronze in a Dutch national record (NR) of 50.77 s. Outside the medals, Iga Baumgart-Witan of Poland ran a personal best.[14]
Cathal Dennehy, reporting for the IAAF, wrote that Święty-Ersetic "produced a stunning performance to snatch gold in the dying strides of the women's 400m".[16] Tadeusz Kądziela of the Polish Gazeta Wyborcza called Święty-Ersetic's performance a "phenomenal run".[17]
The medalists were interviewed about the race. Święty-Ersetic said: "This time is amazing. It is the second-fastest time in the Polish history and also the first European gold for our country at this distance so it means a lot. Even Irena Szewińska who passed away this year got only bronze so it is very emotional and important for me."[18] Belimpasaki said: "I tried very hard, I felt good and I went on to win with a good mentality. I lost my stride in the last meters and fell."[19] De Witte said: "I went for a medal. Beforehand I said to my sister: you go and run. I was so nervous. I'm really happy with bronze."[20]
| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Justyna Święty-Ersetic | Poland | 50.41 | EL | |
| 4 | Maria Belimpasaki | Greece | 50.45 | NR | |
| 2 | Lisanne de Witte | Netherlands | 50.77 | NR | |
| 4 | 5 | Laviai Nielsen | Great Britain & N.I. | 51.21 | |
| 5 | 6 | Iga Baumgart-Witan | Poland | 51.24 | PB |
| 6 | 7 | Agnė Šerkšnienė | Lithuania | 51.42 | |
| 7 | 1 | Floria Gueï | France | 51.57 | |
| 8 | 8 | Madiea Ghafoor | Netherlands | 51.57 |
References
- ^ "European Athletics Championships Munich 2022 – Statistics Handbook – Athletics", European Athletics, pp. 732, 745. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
- ^ "400 Metres", World Athletics. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
- ^ a b "Records – Records by Events — 400 Metres – Women - Senior", World Athletics. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Round 1 results" (PDF). European Athletics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 August 2018. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
- ^ a b "Toplists – All time Top lists – Senior – 400 Metres women – World", World Athletics. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
- ^ a b "Toplists – All time Top lists – Senior – 400 Metres women – Europe", World Athletics. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
- ^ "European Athletics Championships – Results – 400m Women – Final", European Athletics, 8 July 2016. Archived 3 December 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
- ^ "Berlin to host 2018 European Athletics Championships", European Athletics, 2 November 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
- ^ Ciarán Fahey, "Spain and England to contest Euro 2024 final in a former Nazi stadium where Jesse Owens won gold", Associated Press, 17 July 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
- ^ "Sanierung und Modernisierung 2000–2004" (in German), Berlin.de. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
- ^ "A guide to Athletics at Berlin 2018", Europeanchampionships.com, 2 August 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
- ^ a b "European Athletics Championships 2018 – Entry Standards & Conditions", European Athletics, 7 December 2017. Archived 8 May 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Semifinals results" (PDF). European Athletics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 August 2018. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
- ^ a b c "Final results" (PDF). European Athletics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 August 2018. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
- ^ "Women's 400m Final | Berlin 2018", European Athletics on YouTube, 13 June 2020. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
- ^ Cathal Dennehy, "Ingebrigtsen, 17, completes distance double at European Championships", World Athletics, 11 August 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
- ^ Tadeusz Kądziela, "ME Berlin 2018. Justyna Święty-Ersetic mistrzynią Europy na 400 m. Złoto także w sztafecie!" (in Polish), Gazeta Wyborcza, 11 August 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
- ^ "50 Golden Moments: Swiety-Ersetic wins two titles in less than two hours", European Athletics, 20 August 2020.
- ^ Δημήτρης Βανδαράκης [Dimítris Vandarákis], "Μπελιμπασάκη: «Οι Έλληνες έχουμε ψυχή, είμαστε δυνατοί»" [Mpelimpasáki: «Oi Éllines échoyme psychí, eímaste dynatoí»] (in Greek), Sportime.gr, 11 August 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
- ^ "Nerveuze De Witte snelt naar EK-brons op 400 meter" (in Dutch), NOS, 11 August 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2025.