Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Women's 400 metres hurdles

The women's 400 metres hurdles at the 2004 Summer Olympics as part of the athletics program were held at the Athens Olympic Stadium from August 21 to 25.[1]

Women's 400 metres hurdles
at the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad
Olympic Athletics
VenueAthens Olympic Stadium
Date21–25 August
Competitors34 from 25 nations
Winning time52.82
Medalists
1st place, gold medalist(s) Faní Halkiá  Greece
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Ionela Târlea-Manolache  Romania
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Tetyana Tereshchuk-Antipova  Ukraine
← 2000
2008 →

The first round had split a full roster of runners into five heats with the first two gaining a direct qualification and then the next six fastest across all heats advancing to the semifinals. The top four runners in both of the semifinal heats moved on directly to the final.

The final was expected to witness four early-season favorites, U.S. top runner Sheena Johnson, 2003 world champion Jana Pittman, current world record holder Yuliya Pechenkina, and two-time European champion Ionela Târlea-Manolache, challenging each other for the Olympic title. Inside the stadium, however, the raucous Greek crowd turned their attention on home favorite Faní Halkiá, who had previously lowered the Olympic record by 0.05 of a second in the second semifinal. All three medalists came from that semi, fifth place equalling 3rd place in the first semi.

From the start in lane four, Halkia drew level with Pittman outside her at the halfway turn, until she quickly pulled away from the field on the last hundred metres and cleared the final hurdle. With none of the pre-race favorites willing to chase her on the home stretch, Halkia raced comfortably to an Olympic gold.[2][3] Behind her, Târlea-Manolache and Ukraine's Tetyana Tereshchuk-Antipova came through on the inside to take the silver and bronze medals respectively.[4] Running bravely against a tore knee injury, Pittman managed to finish the race in fifth place, while Pechenkina stumbled behind on a wretched run to round out the field in last.[2]

Halkia's triumph proved to be a redemption for the host nation Greece in track and field, after the anti-doping scandal and suspicious affair on 2000 Olympic medalists and sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Ekaterini Thanou that tainted the start of the Games.[4]

Records

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Prior to the competition, the existing World record, Olympic record, and world leading time were as follows:

World record   Yuliya Pechenkina (RUS) 52.34 s Tula, Russia 8 August 2003
Olympic record   Deon Hemmings (JAM) 52.82 s Atlanta, United States 31 July 1996
World Leading   Sheena Johnson-Tosta (USA) 52.95 s Sacramento, United States 11 July 2004

The following records were established during the competition:

Date Event Name Nationality Result Record
22 August Semifinal 2 Faní Halkiá   Greece 52.77 OR

Qualification

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The qualification period for Athletics was 1 January 2003 to 9 August 2004. For the women's 400 metres hurdles, each National Olympic Committee was permitted to enter up to three athletes that had run the race in 55.60 seconds or faster during the qualification period. If an NOC had no athletes that qualified under that standard, one athlete that had run the race in 56.25 seconds or faster could be entered.

Schedule

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All times are Greece Standard Time (UTC+2)

Date Time Round
Saturday, 21 August 2004 09:05 Round 1
Sunday, 22 August 2004 21:20 Semifinals
Wednesday, 25 August 2004 21:55 Final

Results

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Round 1

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Qualification rule: The first two finishers in each heat (Q) plus the next six fastest overall runners (q) advanced to the semifinals.[5]

Heat 1

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Rank Lane Name Nationality Result Notes
1 2 Yuliya Pechenkina   Russia 53.57 Q, SB
2 7 Tetyana Tereshchuk-Antipova   Ukraine 54.63 Q
3 8 Ulrike Urbansky   Germany 55.15 q, SB
4 4 Monika Niederstätter   Italy 55.57
5 6 Cora Olivero   Spain 56.19
6 5 Patrina Allen   Jamaica 56.40
7 3 Aïssata Soulama   Burkina Faso 57.60 PB

Heat 2

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Rank Lane Name Nationality Result Notes
1 2 Jana Pittman   Australia 54.83 Q
2 3 Yekaterina Bikert   Russia 54.95 Q
3 5 Natalya Torshina-Alimzhanova   Kazakhstan 55.22 q, SB
4 4 Ieva Zunda   Latvia 56.21
5 7 Benedetta Ceccarelli   Italy 56.28
6 6 Surita Febbraio   South Africa 56.49

Heat 3

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Rank Lane Name Nationality Result Notes
1 5 Ionela Târlea-Manolache   Romania 54.41 Q
2 4 Brenda Taylor   United States 54.72 Q
3 2 Nezha Bidouane   Morocco 55.69
4 8 Anna Jesień   Poland 56.03
5 6 Shevon Stoddart   Jamaica 56.61
6 3 Klodiana Shala   Albania 1:00.00
7 Stephanie Kampf   Germany DNS

Heat 4

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Rank Lane Name Nationality Result Notes
1 5 Faní Halkiá   Greece 53.85 Q, NR
2 7 Lashinda Demus   United States 54.66 Q
3 2 Yekaterina Bakhvalova   Russia 55.16 q
4 8 Debbie-Ann Parris-Thymes   Jamaica 55.21 q, SB
5 4 Yvonne Harrison   Puerto Rico 55.84
6 3 Mame Tacko Diouf   Senegal 57.25
7 6 Salhate Djamalidine   Comoros 59.72

Heat 5

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Rank Lane Name Nationality Result Notes
1 4 Małgorzata Pskit   Poland 54.75 Q, PB
2 3 Sheena Johnson   United States 54.81 Q
3 8 Huang Xiaoxiao   China 54.81 q, PB
4 5 Androula Sialou   Cyprus 55.02 q
5 2 Daimí Pernía   Cuba 55.91
6 6 Andrea Blackett   Barbados 56.49
7 7 Galina Pedan   Kyrgyzstan 59.02

Semifinals

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Qualification rule: The first four finishers in each heat (Q) moved on to the final.[6]

Semifinal 1

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Rank Lane Name Nationality Result Notes
1 6 Yuliya Pechenkina   Russia 53.31 Q, SB
2 3 Jana Pittman   Australia 54.05 Q
3 1 Sheena Johnson   United States 54.32 Q
4 4 Brenda Taylor   United States 55.02 Q
5 8 Natalya Torshina-Alimzhanova   Kazakhstan 55.08 SB
6 5 Małgorzata Pskit   Poland 55.24
7 7 Ulrike Urbansky   Germany 56.44
8 2 Androula Sialou   Cyprus 1:05.72

Semifinal 2

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Rank Lane Name Nationality Result Notes
1 4 Faní Halkiá   Greece 52.77 Q, OR
2 3 Ionela Târlea-Manolache   Romania 53.32 Q, SB
3 6 Tetyana Tereshchuk-Antipova   Ukraine 53.37 Q, NR
4 8 Yekaterina Bikert   Russia 53.79 Q
5 5 Lashinda Demus   United States 54.32
6 7 Yekaterina Bakhvalova   Russia 54.98
7 2 Debbie-Ann Parris-Thymes   Jamaica 54.99 SB
8 1 Huang Xiaoxiao   China 55.53

Final

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[7]

Rank Lane Name Nationality Result Notes
  4 Faní Halkiá   Greece 52.82
  3 Ionela Târlea-Manolache   Romania 53.38
  1 Tetyana Tereshchuk-Antipova   Ukraine 53.44
4 8 Sheena Johnson   United States 53.83
5 5 Jana Pittman   Australia 53.92
6 7 Yekaterina Bikert   Russia 54.18
7 2 Brenda Taylor   United States 54.97
8 6 Yuliya Pechenkina   Russia 55.79

References

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  1. ^ "Athletics at the 2004 Athens Summer Games: Women's 400 metres Hurdles". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Halkia win sends Athens crowd wild". CNN. 25 August 2004. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  3. ^ "Halkia gold gives Greeks a heroine to cheer". The Telegraph. 25 August 2004. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  4. ^ a b "Halkia sends Greece wild". BBC Sport. 25 August 2004. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  5. ^ "IAAF Athens 2004: Women's 400m Hurdles Heats". Athens 2004. IAAF. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  6. ^ "IAAF Athens 2004: Women's 400m Hurdles Semifinals". Athens 2004. IAAF. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  7. ^ "IAAF Athens 2004: Women's 400m Hurdles Final". Athens 2004. IAAF. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
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