56 seconds
55
54
53
52
51
USA
2021
McLaughlin kicks on to lower her own mark to 51.46 at Tokyo 2020
2021
2019
Sydney McLaughlin set her first world record of 51.9 in June, the first woman to break 52 seconds
2019
2003
Russia
1995
Sally Gunnell became the world record holder by running 52.74 at the World Championships in Stuttgart
Team GB
1993
1986
USSR
1986
East Germany
1985
1984
1983
1980
1979
1978
Tatyana Zelentsova
broke 55 seconds with
54.89 to set her second
world record of 1978
1978
Poland
1978
1977
1977
1974
Sydney McLaughlin of the USA won the women’s 400m hurdles gold in world record time
56 seconds
55
54
53
52
51
McLaughlin kicks on to lower her own mark to 51.46 at Tokyo 2020
USA
2021
2021
Sydney McLaughlin set her first world record of 51.9 in June, the first woman to break 52 seconds
2019
2019
Dalilah Muhammad set a new leading mark twice in 2019
Sally Gunnell became the world record holder by running 52.74 at the World Championships in Stuttgart
Russia
2003
1995
Team GB
1993
USSR
1986
Marina Stepanova dipped under 53 seconds to set her second world record in two months
1986
The first sub-54 second time was recorded in 1984 by Margarita Ponomaryova
East Germany
1985
1984
1983
1980
1979
Tatyana Zelentsova
broke 55 seconds with
54.89 to set her second
world record of 1978
1978
1978
Poland
1978
1977
Krystyna Kacperczyk
held the world record
twice, in 1974 and 1978
1977
1974