| 400 metre
hurdles Women Landmarks |
First official
world record: 56.51 Krystyna Kacperczyk POL 1974
First under 55 sec: 54.89 Tatyana Zelentsova URS 1978
First under 54 sec: 53.58 Margarita Ponomaryova URS 1984
First under 53 sec: 52.94 Marina Stepanova URS 1986Subsequent
record progression:
52.74 Sally Gunnell GBR 1993
52.61 Kim Batten USA 1995
Most durable world record: 52.94 Marina Stepanova 1986 (6
years)
Most times under 53.20: Kim Batten 9 (as at 24 August 2000)
|
| Superlatives |
Most Olympic titles:
1 by 4 women
Most World titles: 1 by 7 women; gold/silver by Sally Gunnell 1993/1991
Youngest Olympic/World champion:Nawal El Moutawakel MAR 1984 (22)
Oldest: Debbie Flintoff-King AUS 1988 (28) |
| Three all
time greats |
Marina Stepanova (URS): Won the 1986 European title in a world record 53.32,
followed three weeks later by a barrier-breaking time of 52.94 ... at the age of 36! |
Sally Gunnell (GBR): Stepanova's record survived until Gunnell, winner of the
1992 Olympic crown, captured the 1993 world title in 52.74 after an epic race with Sandra
Farmer-Patrick (USA). |
Kim Batten (USA): With Gunnell out injured, Batten and team-mate Tonja Buford
fought out the 1995 world championship. Batten (52.61) won narrowly as both broke the
Briton's world record. |
