1987 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Women's 400 metres
The women's 400 metres event at the 1987 IAAF World Indoor Championships was held at the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis on 6 and 8 March.
Medalists
| Gold | Silver | Bronze |
Sabine Busch East Germany
|
Lillie Leatherwood United States
|
Judit Forgács Hungary
|
Results
Heats
The first 2 of each heat (Q) and next 4 fastest (q) qualified for the semifinals.[1]
| Rank | Heat | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Rositsa Stamenova |  Bulgaria |
53.47 | Q |
| 2 | 4 | Sabine Busch | East Germany |
53.50 | Q |
| 3 | 4 | Olga Nazarova |  Soviet Union |
53.68 | Q |
| 4 | 2 | Esmie Lawrence |  Canada |
53.74 | Q |
| 5 | 3 | Judit Forgács | Hungary |
53.80 | Q |
| 6 | 2 | Airat Bakare |  Nigeria |
53.83 | q, NR |
| 7 | 4 | Cristina Pérez |  Spain |
53.84 | q |
| 8 | 3 | Marzena Wojdecka |  Poland |
54.13 | Q |
| 9 | 1 | Petra Müller | East Germany |
54.40 | Q |
| 10 | 1 | Lillie Leatherwood | United States |
54.69 | Q |
| 11 | 3 | Marina Stepanova | Soviet Union |
54.78 | q |
| 12 | 1 | Charmaine Crooks | Canada |
55.00 | q |
| 13 | 3 | Janice Kelly |  Saint Kitts and Nevis |
55.20 | NR |
| 14 | 4 | Norfalia Carabalí |  Colombia |
55.36 | AR |
| 15 | 2 | Josephine Mary Singarayar |  Malaysia |
56.05 | AR |
| 16 | 1 | Kehinde Vaughan | Nigeria |
56.72 | |
| 17 | 1 | Esther Kavaya |  Kenya |
58.23 | |
| 18 | 4 | Adriana Martínez |  Ecuador |
59.02 | NR |
| 19 | 4 | Rowan Maynard |  Antigua and Barbuda |
59.75 | |
| 2 | Ana María Luzio |  Bolivia |
DNS | ||
| 3 | Nawal El Moutawakel |  Morocco |
DNS |
Semifinals
First 3 of each semifinal (Q) qualified directly for the final.[2]
| Rank | Heat | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Sabine Busch | East Germany |
52.27 | Q |
| 2 | 1 | Rositsa Stamenova | Bulgaria |
52.69 | Q |
| 3 | 2 | Lillie Leatherwood | United States |
52.74 | Q |
| 4 | 1 | Judit Forgács | Hungary |
52.83 | Q |
| 5 | 1 | Esmie Lawrence | Canada |
52.85 | Q |
| 6 | 2 | Olga Nazarova | Soviet Union |
52.88 | Q |
| 7 | 2 | Petra Müller | East Germany |
52.92 | |
| 8 | 1 | Marzena Wojdecka | Poland |
53.27 | |
| 9 | 2 | Cristina Pérez | Spain |
53.36 | |
| 10 | 1 | Charmaine Crooks | Canada |
53.53 | |
| 11 | 2 | Airat Bakare | Nigeria |
54.12 | |
| 1 | Marina Stepanova | Soviet Union |
DNS |
Final
| Rank | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
4 | Sabine Busch | East Germany |
51.66 | CR |
 |
5 | Lillie Leatherwood | United States |
52.54 | PB |
 |
2 | Judit Forgács | Hungary |
52.68 | |
| 4 | 6 | Olga Nazarova | Soviet Union |
52.76 | |
| 5 | 3 | Rositsa Stamenova | Bulgaria |
53.56 | |
| 6 | 1 | Esmie Lawrence | Canada |
54.38 |