Olympic 400m Sprint Winning Time Comparison (Seconds)
Who won Olympic 400m gold the fastest ever recorded? Compare 12 finals winning times from World Athletics data, from 43.03 Niekerk lane to 49.62 Ohuruogu.
Visual comparison
All values
Click any row to load it as Entry A.
| Name | Value | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Van Niekerk Rio 2016 M Lane 8 blind run. | 43.03 seconds | Men gold world record | World Athletics Rio final: 43.03 WR |
| Johnson Atlanta 1996 M Stood 20 years. | 43.49 seconds | Men gold golden shoes | T&F News Olympic stats: Johnson 43.49 |
| Watts Barcelona 1992 M Beat Lewis. | 43.5 seconds | Men gold dentist upset | T&F News Olympic stats: Watts 43.50 |
| Merritt Beijing 2008 M Wariner streak snapped. | 43.75 seconds | Men gold rainy night | T&F News Olympic stats: Merritt 43.75 |
| James London 2012 M Island first gold. | 43.94 seconds | Men gold Grenada first | T&F News Olympic stats: James 43.94 |
| Gardiner Tokyo 2020 M 400 hurdles crossover. | 43.85 seconds | Men gold Bahamas | Tokyo 2020 results: Gardiner 43.85 |
| Miller-Uibo Tokyo 2020 W Dive finish repeat. | 48.36 seconds | Women gold repeat | Tokyo 2020 results: Miller-Uibo 48.36 |
| Paulino Paris 2024 W Fastest here women. | 48.17 seconds | Women gold Olympic record | Paris 2024 results: Paulino 48.17 OR |
| Richards-Ross London 2012 W 4x400 anchor too. | 49.55 seconds | Women gold USA | London 2012 results: Richards-Ross 49.55 |
| Ohuruogu Beijing 2008 W Late charge specialist. | 49.62 seconds | Women gold Britain | Beijing 2008 results: Ohuruogu 49.62 |
| Williams-Darling Athens 2004 W Upset over Guevara. | 49.41 seconds | Women gold Bahamas | Athens 2004 results: Williams-Darling 49.41 |
| Hall Paris 2024 M First US gold since 2008. | 43.4 seconds | Men gold USA return | Paris 2024 results: Hall 43.40 |
About this converter
Olympic 400m winning times run 43.03 to 49.62 across the last eight Games. Van Niekerk 43.03 world record from lane 8 in Rio is the fastest ever. Johnson 43.49, Watts 43.50 and Merritt 43.75 mark the nineties to Beijing. James 43.94 and Gardiner 43.85 cover London to Tokyo. Hall 43.40 in Paris brings the US back. Women open at Williams-Darling 49.41, Ohuruogu 49.62 and Richards-Ross 49.55 in the tactical era. Miller-Uibo 48.36 repeats in Tokyo. Paulino 48.17 Olympic record in Paris is the fastest women here. Times come from World Athletics finals with T&F News Olympic stat sheets.
How to use it
Pick two races and a unit in the top row. The three boxes below stay linked. Change any box and the other two update. One box holds a count of the first race, one holds the matching count of the second, one holds the time in the chosen unit. Try 1 Van Niekerk against Ohuruogus to compare record against tactical.
Times are finals winning times. Lower wins. Hand timed pre 1968 marks stay out. Photo finish ties split by thousandths.
FAQ
What is the fastest 400m ever?
Van Niekerk 43.03 in Rio 2016.
What is the fastest women time here?
Paulino 48.17 in Paris 2024.
Who won London 2012 men?
James in 43.94 for Grenada.
Are these finals times?
Yes. Winning finals times only.
Sources
- World Athletics Rio 2016 final report (Van Niekerk 43.03 WR)
- Track and Field News Olympic statistics PDF (1992 43.50 to 2016 43.03 bands)
- Olympics.com result books Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 (Gardiner, Paulino, Hall marks)
Last verified: 2026-10-05 · 12 entries
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