Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metres

The men's 400 metres event at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia took place between 26 and 29 July. There were 62 competitors from 42 countries.[1][2] The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress.

Men's 400 metres
at the Games of the XXVI Olympiad
VenueCentennial Olympic Stadium
Dates26 July 1996 (heats)
27 July 1996 (quarter-finals)
28 July 1996 (semi-finals)
29 July 1996 (final)
Competitors62 from 42 nations
Winning time43.49 OR
Medalists
Michael Johnson
 United States
Roger Black
 Great Britain
Davis Kamoga
 Uganda
Official Video Highlights
@ 1:50
Athletics at the
1996 Summer Olympics
Track events
100 mmenwomen
200 mmenwomen
400 mmenwomen
800 mmenwomen
1500 mmenwomen
5000 mmenwomen
10,000 mmenwomen
100 m hurdleswomen
110 m hurdlesmen
400 m hurdlesmenwomen
3000 m
steeplechase		men
4×100 m relaymenwomen
4×400 m relaymenwomen
Road events
Marathonmenwomen
10 km walkwomen
20 km walkmen
50 km walkmen
Field events
Long jumpmenwomen
Triple jumpmenwomen
High jumpmenwomen
Pole vaultmen
Shot putmenwomen
Discus throwmenwomen
Javelin throwmenwomen
Hammer throwmen
Combined events
Heptathlonwomen
Decathlonmen
Wheelchair races

The event was won by Michael Johnson of the United States. A few days later, Johnson would become the only man to win both the 400 metres and the 200 metres in the same Olympics. Johnson's 400 metres victory in Atlanta was the first of his two wins; he would become the only man to repeat as gold medalist in the event when he won again in 2000. More generally, his win was the fourth in what would ultimately be 7 consecutive American victories stretching from 1984 to 2008 and the 16th overall title in the event by the United States. Roger Black's silver medal was Great Britain's first in the event since 1936; Davis Kamoga's bronze was Uganda's first in the event ever.

Background

This was the 23rd appearance of the event, which is one of 12 athletics events to have been held at every Summer Olympics. The only two finalists from 1992 to return were bronze medalist Samson Kitur of Kenya and seventh-place finisher Ibrahim Ismail Muftah of Qatar. Michael Johnson of the United States was the clear favorite, having won the last two world championships. His countryman Butch Reynolds had come in second both times, as well as having won silver in the 1988 Olympics. Roger Black of Great Britain, 1991 world championship runner-up, 1986 and 1990 European champion, and 1994 European runner-up, was probably the strongest non-American challenger.[2]

Algeria, Comoros, Cyprus, Saint Lucia, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, and Yemen appeared in this event for the first time. The United States made its 22nd appearance, most of any nation, having missed only the boycotted 1980 Games.

Competition format

The competition retained the basic four-round format from 1920. The "fastest loser" system, introduced in 1964, was used for the first round. There were 8 first-round heats, each with 7 or 8 runners. The top three runners in each heat advanced, along with the next eight fastest overall (in contrast to previous instances where there were 8 heats, which used a top-four with no-fastest-loser rule). The 32 quarterfinalists were divided into 4 quarterfinals with 8 runners each; the top four athletes in each quarterfinal heat advanced to the semifinals, with no "fastest loser" spots. The semifinals featured 2 heats of 8 runners each. The top four runners in each semifinal heat advanced, making an eight-man final.[2][3]

Records

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in seconds) prior to the 1996 Summer Olympics.

World record Butch Reynolds (USA)43.29Zurich, Switzerland17 August 1988
Olympic record Quincy Watts (USA)43.50Barcelona, Spain5 August 1992

In the final Michael Johnson set a new Olympic record by 0.01 seconds with 43.49 seconds.

Schedule

Following the 1984 schedule, the event was held on four separate days, with each round being on a different day.

All times are Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-4)

Date Time Round
Friday, 26 July 199619:00Round 1
Saturday, 27 July 199619:55Quarterfinals
Sunday, 28 July 199620:26Semifinals
Monday, 29 July 199621:10Final

Results

Heat 1
RankLane AthleteNation TimeNotes
13 Roger Black Great Britain 45.28Q
22 Neil de Silva Trinidad and Tobago 45.34Q
31 Štefan Balošák Slovakia 45.86Q
46 Jude Monye Nigeria 46.10q
57 Michael Joubert Australia 46.30
65 Kossi Akoto Togo 46.94
—8 Moustafa Abdel Naser Libya DSQ
4 Amar Hecini Algeria DSQ

Heat 2
RankLane AthleteNation TimeNotes
15 Davian Clarke Jamaica 45.54Q
27 Sanderlei Parrela Brazil 45.60Q
31 Troy Douglas Bermuda 45.61Q
46 Charles Gitonga Kenya 45.62q
52 Piotr Rysiukiewicz Poland 46.07q
63 Mohamed Hamed Al-Bishi Saudi Arabia 46.82
78 Ivan Jean-Marie Saint Lucia 47.13
84 Hassan Abdou Comoros 50.17

Heat 3
RankLane AthleteNation TimeNotes
16 Alvin Harrison United States 44.69Q
25 Ibrahim Ismail Muftah Qatar 45.61Q
32 Paul Greene Australia 46.12Q
48 Shigekazu Omori Japan 46.30
53 Laurent Clerc Switzerland 46.42
64 Shon Ju-Il South Korea 46.74
77 Subul Babo Papua New Guinea 48.15
—1 Justice Dipeba Botswana DNS

Heat 4
RankLane AthleteNation TimeNotes
16 Eswort Coombs Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 45.84Q
25 Jean-Louis Rapnouil France 45.93Q
33 Du'aine Ladejo Great Britain 46.27Q
42 Troy McIntosh Bahamas 46.42
57 Valdinei da Silva Brazil 46.61
61 Richard Jones Guyana 46.99
74 Mpho Morobe Lesotho 47.54
88 Mohamed Amir Maldives 49.67

Heat 5
RankLane AthleteNation TimeNotes
18 Sugath Thilakaratne Sri Lanka 45.79Q
23 Michael Johnson United States 45.80Q
36 Alejandro Cárdenas Mexico 45.85Q
41 Bobang Phiri South Africa 45.94q
55 Kennedy Ochieng Kenya 45.99q
62 Euripidis Dimosthenous Cyprus 46.76
74 Emmanuel Rubayiza Rwanda 49.20
—7 Francis Ogola Uganda DNF

Heat 6
RankLane AthleteNation TimeNotes
17 Butch Reynolds United States 45.42Q
23 Arnaud Malherbe South Africa 45.75Q
36 Tawanda Chiwira Zimbabwe 45.89Q
45 Mathias Rusterholz Switzerland 45.92q
51 Dawda Jallow The Gambia 46.73
64 Eugene Farrell Ireland 47.18
72 Casimiro Asumu Nze Equatorial Guinea 50.14
—8 Ibrahim Hassan Ghana DNF

Heat 7
RankLane AthleteNation TimeNotes
11 Clement Chukwu Nigeria 45.18Q
28 Samson Kitur Kenya 45.39Q
35 Michael McDonald Jamaica 45.50Q
46 Hendrick Mokganyetsi South Africa 45.89q
54 Osmar dos Santos Brazil 46.16
62 Robert Guy Trinidad and Tobago 46.80
77 Martial Biguet Central African Republic 48.92
83 Anwar Mohamed Ali Yemen 50.81

Heat 8
RankLane AthleteNation TimeNotes
12 Sunday Bada Nigeria 45.19Q
27 Iwan Thomas Great Britain 45.22Q
31 Davis Kamoga Uganda 45.56Q
45 Roxbert Martin Jamaica 46.01q
58 Mark Ladbrook Australia 46.28
66 Carl Oliver Bahamas 47.41
73 Kimitene Biyago Chad 48.88
—4 Ibrahim Ouédraogo Burkina Faso DNS

Eliminated in heats

Ranks are unofficial.

RankAthleteNationTime
33 Osmar dos Santos Brazil 46.16
34 Mark Ladbrook Australia 46.28
35 Michael Joubert Australia 46.30
Shigekazu Omori Japan 46.30
37 Troy McIntosh Bahamas 46.42
Laurent Clerc Switzerland 46.42
39 Valdinei da Silva Brazil 46.61
40 Richard Jones Guyana 46.69
41 Dawda Jallow The Gambia 46.73
42 Shon Ju-Il South Korea 46.74
43 Evripides Demosthenous Cyprus 46.76
44 Robert Guy Trinidad and Tobago 46.80
45 Mohamed Hamed Al-Bishi Saudi Arabia 46.82
46 Kossi Akoto Togo 46.94
47 Ivan Jean-Marie Saint Lucia 47.13
48 Eugene Farrell Ireland 47.18
49 Carl Oliver Bahamas 47.41
50 Mpho Morobe Lesotho 47.54
51 Subul Babo Papua New Guinea 48.15
52 Kimitene Biyago Chad 48.88
53 Martial Biguet Central African Republic 48.92
54 Emmanuel Rubayiza Rwanda 49.20
55 Mohamed Amir Maldives 49.67
56 Casimiro Asumu Nze Equatorial Guinea 50.14
57 Hassan Abdou Comoros 50.17
58 Anwar Mohamed Ali Yemen 50.81
— Ibrahim Hassan Ghana DNF
Francis Ogola Uganda DNF
Moustafa Abdel Naser Libya DSQ
Amar Hecini Algeria DSQ
— Ibrahim Ouédraogo Burkina Faso DNS
Justice Dipeba Botswana DNS

Quarterfinals

The quarterfinals were held on 27 July 1996. The top four in each heat advanced to the semifinals.

Quarterfinal 1
RankLane AthleteNation TimeNotes
13 Sunday Bada Nigeria 44.88Q
24 Davian Clarke Jamaica 44.98Q
36 Samson Kitur Kenya 45.03Q
42 Troy Douglas Bermuda 45.26Q
55 Arnaud Malherbe South Africa 45.26
67 Tawanda Chiwira Zimbabwe 45.38
78 Mathias Rusterholz Switzerland 45.72
81 Piotr Rysiukiewicz Poland 46.19

Quarterfinal 2
RankLane AthleteNation TimeNotes
13 Roger Black Great Britain 44.72Q
24 Ibrahim Ismail Muftah Qatar 44.96Q
35 Butch Reynolds United States 45.21Q
48 Štefan Balošák Slovakia 45.32Q
57 Alejandro Cárdenas Mexico 45.33
61 Bobang Phiri South Africa 45.51
76 Sanderlei Parrela Brazil 45.72
82 Kennedy Ochieng Kenya 45.72

Quarterfinal 3
RankLane AthleteNation TimeNotes
16 Michael Johnson United States 44.62Q
27 Roxbert Martin Jamaica 44.74Q
38 Davis Kamoga Uganda 44.82Q
44 Neil de Silva Trinidad and Tobago 45.02Q
53 Clement Chukwu Nigeria 45.24
62 Du'aine Ladejo Great Britain 45.62
75 Sugath Thilakaratne Sri Lanka 45.78
81 Paul Greene Australia 46.22

Quarterfinal 4
RankLane AthleteNation TimeNotes
14 Alvin Harrison United States 44.79Q
26 Iwan Thomas Great Britain 45.04Q
37 Michael McDonald Jamaica 45.26Q
45 Eswort Coombs Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 45.43Q
53 Jean-Louis Rapnouil France 45.74
61 Hendrick Mokganyetsi South Africa 46.48
—2 Jude Monye Nigeria DNF
—8 Charles Gitonga Kenya DNS

Eliminated in quarterfinals

Ranks are unofficial.

RankAthleteNationTime
17 Clement Chukwu Nigeria 45.24
18 Arnaud Malherbe South Africa 45.26
19 Alejandro Cardenas Mexico 45.33
20 Tawanda Chiwira Zimbabwe 45.38
21 Bobang Phiri South Africa 45.51
22 Du'aine Ladejo Great Britain 45.62
23 Sanderlei Parrela Brazil 45.72
24 Mathias Rusterholz Switzerland 45.72
25 Kennedy Ochieng Kenya 45.72
26 Jean-Louis Rapnouil France 45.74
27 Sugath Thilakaratne Sri Lanka 45.78
28 Piotr Rysiukiewicz Poland 46.19
29 Paul Greene Australia 46.22
30 Hendrik Mokganyetsi South Africa 46.48
31 Jude Monye Nigeria DNF
32 Charles Gitonga Kenya DNS

Semifinals

The semifinals were held on 28 July 1996. The top four in each heat advanced to the final.

Semifinal 1
RankLane AthleteNation TimeNotes
14 Roger Black Great Britain 44.69Q
23 Davian Clarke Jamaica 44.87Q
36 Ibrahim Ismail Muftah Qatar 45.02Q
45 Alvin Harrison United States 45.04Q
52 Samson Kitur Kenya 45.17
67 Štefan Balošák Slovakia 45.59
78 Troy Douglas Bermuda 46.33
—1 Butch Reynolds United States DNF

Semifinal 2
RankLane AthleteNation TimeNotes
15 Michael Johnson United States 44.59Q
26 Roxbert Martin Jamaica 44.81Q
31 Davis Kamoga Uganda 44.85Q
43 Iwan Thomas Great Britain 45.01Q
54 Sunday Bada Nigeria 45.30
68 Eswort Coombs Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 45.36
72 Michael McDonald Jamaica 45.48
87 Neil de Silva Trinidad and Tobago 45.56

Eliminated in semifinals

Ranks are unofficial.

RankAthleteNationTime
9 Samson Kitur Kenya 45.17
10 Sunday Bada Nigeria 45.30
11 Eswort Coombs Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 45.36
12 Michael McDonald Jamaica 45.48
13 Neil de Silva Trinidad and Tobago 45.56
14 Štefan Balošák Slovakia 45.59
15 Troy Douglas Bermuda 46.33
16 Butch Reynolds United States DNF

Final

The final was held on 29 July 1996.

RankLane AthleteNation TimeNotes
4 Michael Johnson United States 43.49OR
3 Roger Black Great Britain 44.41
2 Davis Kamoga Uganda 44.53
41 Alvin Harrison United States 44.62
58 Iwan Thomas Great Britain 44.70
65 Roxbert Martin Jamaica 44.83
76 Davian Clarke Jamaica 44.99
—7 Ibrahim Ismail Muftah Qatar DNF

See also

Women's 400 metres

References
  1. "Athletics at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games: Men's 400 metres". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  2. "400 metres, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  3. Official Report, vol. 3, pp. 72–73.
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