2025 World Athletics Championships – Women's 400 metres
| 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 | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
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]
Summary
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 performances.
Naser 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. Naser got 7, McLaughlin-Levrone in 5. With the track still wet from earlier rain, the weather was less oppressive than it had been for other events. 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 Naser. Both McLaughlin-Levrone and Naser 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.
Records
Before the competition records were as follows:[4]
| Record | Athlete & Nat. | Perf. | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World record |  Marita Koch (GDR)
|
47.60 | Canberra, Australia | 6 October 1985 |
| Championship record |  Jarmila Kratochvílová (TCH)
|
47.99 | Helsinki, Finland | 10 August 1983 |
| World Leading |  Salwa Eid Naser (BHR)
|
48.67 | Kingston, Jamaica | 5 April 2025 |
| African Record |  Falilat Ogunkoya (NGR)
|
49.10 | Atlanta, United States | 29 July 1996 |
| Asian Record | Salwa Eid Naser (BHR)
|
48.14 | Doha, Qatar | 3 October 2019 |
| European Record | Marita Koch (GDR)
|
47.60 | Canberra, Australia | 6 October 1985 |
| North, Central American and Caribbean record |  Marileidy Paulino (DOM)
|
48.17 | Paris, France | 9 August 2024 |
| Oceanian record | .svg.png){kind=small} Cathy Freeman (AUS)
|
48.63 | Atlanta, United States | 29 July 1996 |
| South American Record |  Ximena Restrepo (COL)
|
49.64 | Barcelona, Spain | 5 August 1992 |
The following records were set at the competition:
| Record | Athlete & Nat. | Perf. | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Championship record |  Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA)
|
47.78 | 18 September 2025 |
| World Leading | |||
| North, Central American and Caribbean record |
Qualification standard
The standard to qualify automatically for entry was 50.75.[5]
Schedule
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 |
Results
Heats
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.
Heat 1
| Place | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Lieke Klaver |  Netherlands
|
50.32 | Q |
| 2 | 8 | Isabella Whittaker | United States
|
50.82 | Q |
| 3 | 6 | Dejanea Oakley |  Jamaica
|
51.07 | Q |
| 4 | 4 | Lauren Gale | .svg.png){kind=small} Canada
|
51.56 | |
| 5 | 9 | Alice Mangione |  Italy
|
51.70 | |
| 6 | 2 | Mette Baas |  Finland
|
51.92 | |
| 7 | 7 | Vimbayi Maisvorewa |  Zimbabwe
|
52.28 | |
| 8 | 3 | Ellie Beer |  Australia
|
52.31 | |
| [6] | |||||
Heat 2
| Place | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | Wadeline Venlogh |  Haiti
|
49.91 | Q, NR |
| 2 | 5 | Natalia Bukowiecka |  Poland
|
50.16 | Q |
| 3 | 6 | Aaliyah Butler | United States
|
50.44 | Q |
| 4 | 7 | Sada Williams |  Barbados
|
50.93 | q |
| 5 | 4 | Leni Shida |  Uganda
|
51.61 | |
| 6 | 2 | Zoe Sherar | Canada
|
52.19 | |
| 7 | 3 | Myrte van der Schoot | Netherlands
|
52.19 | |
| 8 | 9 | Miranda Coetzee |  South Africa
|
57.78 | |
| [6] | |||||
Heat 3
| Place | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone | United States
|
49.41 | Q |
| 2 | 7 | Martina Weil |  Chile
|
50.61 | Q |
| 3 | 8 | Mercy Oketch |  Kenya
|
50.76 | Q |
| 4 | 9 | Sharlene Mawdsley |  Ireland
|
51.04 | q |
| 5 | 4 | Caitlyn Bobb |  Bermuda
|
51.72 | |
| 6 | 3 | Eveline Saalberg | Netherlands
|
51.73 | |
| 7 | 5 | Javonya Valcourt |  Bahamas
|
52.00 | |
| 8 | 2 | Tiffani Marinho |  Brazil
|
53.34 | |
| 9 | 1 | Esther Mayadjim Mingueyam |  Chad
|
56.35 | PB |
| [6] | |||||
Heat 4
| Place | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Nickisha Pryce | Jamaica
|
49.91 | Q |
| 2 | 7 | Henriette Jæger |  Norway
|
50.12 | Q |
| 3 | 5 | Roxana Gómez |  Cuba
|
50.35 | Q, SB |
| 4 | 9 | Printassia Johnson | Bahamas
|
50.53 | q, PB |
| 5 | 8 | Yemi Mary John |  Great Britain & N.I.
|
50.71 | q |
| 6 | 2 | Lada Vondrová | Czech Republic
|
51.90 | |
| 7 | 3 | Dianna Proctor | Canada
|
51.98 | |
| 8 | 4 | Gabby Scott |  Puerto Rico
|
52.55 | |
| [6] | |||||
Heat 5
| Place | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Salwa Eid Naser | Bahrain
|
49.13 | Q |
| 2 | 7 | Stacey-Ann Williams | Jamaica
|
49.59 | Q, PB |
| 3 | 4 | Andrea Miklós |  Romania
|
50.96 | Q, SB |
| 4 | 9 | Victoria Ohuruogu | Great Britain & N.I.
|
51.37 | q |
| 5 | 6 | Anna Polinari | Italy
|
51.55 | |
| 6 | 3 | Shirley Nekhubui | South Africa
|
51.82 | |
| 7 | 1 | Nanako Matsumoto |  Japan
|
52.41 | |
| 8 | 2 | Nadeesha Ramanayake |  Sri Lanka
|
53.63 | |
| 9 | 8 | Evelis Aguilar | Colombia
|
53.82 | |
| [6] | |||||
Heat 6
| Place | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Marileidy Paulino | Dominican Republic
|
49.85 | Q |
| 2 | 5 | Amber Anning | Great Britain & N.I.
|
49.96 | Q |
| 3 | 8 | Bassant Hemida |  Egypt
|
50.36 | Q, NR |
| 4 | 7 | Paula Sevilla |  Spain
|
50.69 | q, PB |
| 5 | 3 | Justyna Święty-Ersetic | Poland
|
51.80 | |
| 6 | 2 | Sophie Becker | Ireland
|
52.19 | |
| 7 | 9 | Veronika Drljačić |  Croatia
|
52.67 | |
| 8 | 4 | Susanne Gogl-Walli |  Austria
|
52.92 | |
| 9 | 1 | Samira Awali Boubacar |  Niger
|
52.99 | SB |
| [6] | |||||
Semi-finals
The heats took place on 16 September. The first two athletes in each heat ( Q ) and the two fastest ( q ) qualified for the final.
Heat 1
| Place | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Natalia Bukowiecka | Poland
|
49.67 | Q, SB |
| 2 | 6 | Marileidy Paulino | Dominican Republic
|
49.82 | Q |
| 3 | 7 | Henriette Jæger | Norway
|
49.87 | q |
| 4 | 3 | Sada Williams | Barbados
|
50.39 | SB |
| 5 | 4 | Aaliyah Butler | United States
|
50.63 | |
| 6 | 8 | Wadeline Venlogh | Haiti
|
50.67 | |
| 7 | 9 | Dejanea Oakley | Jamaica
|
51.42 | |
| 8 | 2 | Yemi Mary John | Great Britain & N.I.
|
51.51 | |
| [7] | |||||
Heat 2
| Place | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Salwa Eid Naser | Bahrain
|
49.47 | Q |
| 2 | 9 | Roxana Gómez | Cuba
|
49.78 | Q, SB |
| 3 | 6 | Isabella Whittaker | United States
|
50.20 | |
| 4 | 8 | Lieke Klaver | Netherlands
|
50.25 | |
| 5 | 7 | Stacey-Ann Williams | Jamaica
|
50.39 | |
| 6 | 3 | Printassia Johnson | Bahamas
|
50.81 | |
| 7 | 4 | Mercy Oketch | Kenya
|
51.36 | |
| 8 | 2 | Victoria Ohuruogu | Great Britain & N.I.
|
51.65 | |
| [7] | |||||
Heat 3
| Place | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone | United States
|
48.29 | Q, NR, WL |
| 2 | 6 | Amber Anning | Great Britain & N.I.
|
49.38 | Q, SB |
| 3 | 7 | Nickisha Pryce | Jamaica
|
49.46 | q, SB |
| 4 | 5 | Martina Weil | Chile
|
49.88 | |
| 5 | 9 | Bassant Hemida | Egypt
|
50.69 | |
| 6 | 4 | Andrea Miklós | Romania
|
50.90 | SB |
| 7 | 2 | Paula Sevilla | Spain
|
50.97 | |
| 8 | 3 | Sharlene Mawdsley | Ireland
|
51.22 | |
| [7] | |||||
Final
| Place | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
5 | Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone | United States
|
47.78 | CR, AR, WL |
|
9 | Marileidy Paulino | Dominican Republic
|
47.98 | NR |
|
7 | Salwa Eid Naser | Bahrain
|
48.19 | SB |
| 4 | 8 | Natalia Bukowiecka | Poland
|
49.27 | SB |
| 5 | 6 | Amber Anning | Great Britain & N.I.
|
49.36 | SB |
| 6 | 4 | Roxana Gómez | Cuba
|
49.48 | NR |
| 7 | 3 | Henriette Jæger | Norway
|
49.74 | |
| 8 | 2 | Nickisha Pryce | Jamaica
|
49.97 | |
| [8] | |||||
References
- ^ a b "Women's 400 metres - Schedule". World Athletics. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
- ^ https://www.flotrack.org/articles/14541592-sydney-mclaughlin-levrone-breaks-us-400m-record-in-semi-final-win
- ^ https://www.hindustantimes.com/sports/us-sports/sydney-mclaughlin-levrone-wins-400m-world-title-breaks-40-year-record-101758213714548.html
- ^ "Women's 400 metres - Records". World Athletics. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
- ^ "World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 – Qualification System and Entry Standards" (PDF). World Athletics. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 September 2025. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f "Women's 400 metres - Heat results" (PDF). World Athletics. 14 September 2025. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ^ a b c "Women's 400 metres - Semi-finals results" (PDF). World Athletics. 16 September 2025. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ^ "400m Women - Final results" (PDF). World Athletics. 18 September 2025. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
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