Athletics at the 1984 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metres
The men's 400 metres was an event at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. It was held from August 4 to August 8. Eighty athletes from 56 nations competed.[1][2] The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The event was won by Alonzo Babers, returning the United States to the top of the podium for the first time since 1972 (and the 13th time overall). Gabriel Tiacoh won the Ivory Coast's first Olympic medal in any event, with a silver.
Men's 400 metres at the Games of the XXIII Olympiad | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alonzo Babers winning the gold medal | ||||||||||
Venue | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | |||||||||
Dates | 4 to 8 August | |||||||||
Competitors | 80 from 56 nations | |||||||||
Winning time | 44.27 | |||||||||
Medalists | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
Athletics at the 1984 Summer Olympics | ||
---|---|---|
![]() | ||
Track events | ||
100 m | men | women |
200 m | men | women |
400 m | men | women |
800 m | men | women |
1500 m | men | women |
3000 m | women | |
5000 m | men | |
10,000 m | men | |
100 m hurdles | women | |
110 m hurdles | men | |
400 m hurdles | men | women |
3000 m steeplechase | men | |
4×100 m relay | men | women |
4×400 m relay | men | women |
Road events | ||
Marathon | men | women |
20 km walk | men | |
50 km walk | men | |
Field events | ||
Long jump | men | women |
Triple jump | men | |
High jump | men | women |
Pole vault | men | |
Shot put | men | women |
Discus throw | men | women |
Javelin throw | men | women |
Hammer throw | men | |
Combined events | ||
Heptathlon | women | |
Decathlon | men | |
Wheelchair races | ||
Background
This was the twentieth appearance of the event, which is one of 12 athletics events to have been held at every Summer Olympics. None of the finalists from 1980 returned. The favorites were Bert Cameron of Jamaica (winner of the first world championship in 1983) and Americans Antonio McKay and Alonzo Babers.[2]
The British Virgin Islands, Cameroon, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, the Gambia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nepal, Oman, Rwanda, Somalia, Suriname, Togo, the United Arab Emirates, and Zimbabwe appeared in this event for the first time. The United States made its 19th 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 10 first-round heats, each with 8 runners. The top three runners in each heat advanced, along with the next two fastest overall. 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 1976 Summer Olympics.
World record | ![]() | 43.86 | Mexico City, Mexico | 18 October 1968 |
Olympic record | ![]() | 43.8 | Mexico City, Mexico | 18 October 1968 |
No world or Olympic records were set during this event. National records set were:
Nation | Athlete | Round | Time |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | Elvis Forde | Semifinal 2 | 45.32 |
![]() | Ibrahim Okash | Heat 1 | 47.91 |
Schedule
For the first time, the event was held on four separate days, with each round being on a different day.
All times are Pacific Daylight Time (UTC-7)
Date | Time | Round |
---|---|---|
Saturday, 4 August 1984 | 10:30 | Round 1 |
Sunday, 5 August 1984 | 17:00 | Quarterfinals |
Monday, 6 August 1984 | 16:55 | Semifinals |
Wednesday, 8 August 1984 | 16:45 | Final |
Results
Round 1
Heat 1
Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 5 | Davison Lishebo | ![]() |
46.20 | Q |
2 | 1 | David Peltier | ![]() |
46.57 | Q |
3 | 7 | Allan Ingraham | ![]() |
46.72 | Q |
4 | 6 | Boubacar Diallo | ![]() |
46.73 | |
5 | 2 | Dean Greenaway | ![]() |
47.33 | |
6 | 3 | Evaldo da Silva | ![]() |
47.55 | |
7 | 4 | Ibrahim Okash | ![]() |
47.91 | NR |
8 | 8 | Issaka Hassane | ![]() |
49.64 |
Heat 2
Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 3 | Gabriel Tiacoh | ![]() |
45.96 | Q |
2 | 6 | David Kitur | ![]() |
46.25 | Q |
3 | 5 | Marcel Arnold | ![]() |
46.46 | Q |
4 | 2 | Gary Minihan | ![]() |
46.93 | |
5 | 1 | Nordin Jadi | ![]() |
47.12 | |
6 | 7 | Tommy Johansson | ![]() |
47.77 | |
7 | 8 | Daniel Andre | ![]() |
49.09 | |
8 | 4 | Faustin Butéra | ![]() |
51.41 |
Heat 3
Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | Innocent Egbunike | ![]() |
46.63 | Q |
2 | 5 | Mark Senior | ![]() |
46.73 | Q |
3 | 8 | Gérson de Souza | ![]() |
47.02 | Q |
4 | 6 | Manuel Ramirez-Caicedo | ![]() |
47.17 | |
5 | 7 | Brian Saunders | ![]() |
47.40 | |
6 | 4 | Mohamed Amer Al-Malky | ![]() |
47.61 | |
7 | 3 | Meesaq Rizvi | ![]() |
49.58 | |
— | 2 | Secundino Borabota | ![]() |
DSQ |
Heat 4
Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 4 | Bertland Cameron | ![]() |
46.14 | Q |
2 | 7 | Oddur Sigurdsson | ![]() |
46.30 | Q |
3 | 2 | Doug Hinds | ![]() |
46.42 | Q |
4 | 1 | Richard Louis | ![]() |
46.70 | |
5 | 5 | Jean-Didiace Bémou | ![]() |
47.26 | |
6 | 3 | Hector Llatser | ![]() |
47.30 | |
7 | 8 | Phillip Pipersburg | ![]() |
48.04 | |
8 | 6 | Alberto López | ![]() |
52.21 |
Heat 5
Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 7 | Alonzo Babers | ![]() |
45.81 | Q |
2 | 3 | Michael Paul | ![]() |
46.18 | Q |
3 | 2 | Philip Brown | ![]() |
46.26 | Q |
4 | 1 | Moses Kyeswa | ![]() |
46.78 | |
5 | 8 | Tim Bethune | ![]() |
46.98 | |
6 | 6 | Joseph Ramotshabi | ![]() |
48.11 | |
7 | 5 | Dawda Jallow | ![]() |
48.36 | |
8 | 4 | René López | ![]() |
48.71 |
Heat 6
Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | Bruce Frayne | ![]() |
46.08 | Q |
2 | 2 | Aldo Canti | ![]() |
46.14 | Q |
3 | 8 | Susumu Takano | ![]() |
46.26 | Q |
4 | 6 | Nafi Mersal | ![]() |
46.46 | |
5 | 3 | Alfred Browne | ![]() |
47.29 | |
6 | 7 | Rashid Al-Jirbi | ![]() |
48.71 | |
7 | 4 | Siegfried Cruden | ![]() |
50.07 | |
— | 5 | Hassan El-Kashief | ![]() |
DNF |
Heat 7
Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | Sunder Nix | ![]() |
45.42 | Q |
2 | 6 | Elvis Forde | ![]() |
45.47 | Q |
3 | 7 | Antonio Sánchez | ![]() |
46.03 | Q |
4 | 4 | Anton Skerritt | ![]() |
46.30 | q |
5 | 5 | James Atuti | ![]() |
47.04 | |
6 | 8 | Adjé Adjeoda Vignon | ![]() |
47.43 | |
7 | 3 | Lapule Tamean | ![]() |
47.60 | |
8 | 1 | Pushpa Raj Ojha | ![]() |
52.12 |
Heat 8
Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 5 | Antonio McKay | ![]() |
45.55 | Q |
2 | 1 | John Anzarah | ![]() |
46.12 | Q |
3 | 7 | Isidro del Prado | ![]() |
46.82 | Q |
4 | 6 | Leonardo Loforte | ![]() |
47.07 | |
5 | 3 | Joseph Rodan | ![]() |
49.00 | |
6 | 8 | Agripa Mwausegha | ![]() |
49.12 | |
7 | 4 | Charles Moses | ![]() |
50.39 | |
— | 2 | Ali St. Louis | ![]() |
DNF |
Heat 9
Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | Erwin Skamrahl | ![]() |
45.94 | Q |
2 | 5 | Angel Heras | ![]() |
46.06 | Q |
3 | 3 | Todd Bennett | ![]() |
46.09 | Q |
4 | 4 | Yann Quentrec | ![]() |
46.94 | |
5 | 7 | Wilson dos Santos | ![]() |
47.55 | |
6 | 8 | Mark Handelsman | ![]() |
48.17 | |
7 | 1 | Chris Madzokere | ![]() |
48.49 | |
8 | 6 | Arsène Randriamahazomana | ![]() |
48.86 |
Heat 10
Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 6 | Kriss Akabusi | ![]() |
45.64 | Q |
2 | 3 | Darren Clark | ![]() |
45.68 | Q |
3 | 5 | Sunday Uti | ![]() |
45.74 | Q |
4 | 2 | Devon Morris | ![]() |
45.80 | q |
5 | 1 | Mike Okot | ![]() |
46.68 | |
6 | 8 | Samuel Sarkpa | ![]() |
47.65 | |
7 | 7 | Mama Moluh | ![]() |
48.90 | |
— | 4 | Vincent Confait | ![]() |
DSQ |
Quarterfinals
Quarterfinal 1
Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 8 | Antonio McKay | ![]() |
44.72 | Q |
2 | 6 | Darren Clark | ![]() |
44.77 | Q |
3 | 3 | Kriss Akabusi | ![]() |
45.43 | Q |
4 | 4 | Dave Lishebo | ![]() |
45.57 | Q |
5 | 2 | John Anzarah | ![]() |
45.67 | |
6 | 1 | Devon Morris | ![]() |
46.14 | |
7 | 7 | Allan Ingraham | ![]() |
46.14 | |
8 | 5 | David Peltier | ![]() |
46.48 |
Quarterfinal 2
Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 4 | Innocent Egbunike | ![]() |
45.26 | Q |
2 | 5 | Sunder Nix | ![]() |
45.31 | Q |
3 | 2 | Elvis Forde | ![]() |
45.60 | Q |
4 | 7 | Aldo Canti | ![]() |
45.64 | Q |
5 | 3 | Angel Heras | ![]() |
45.88 | |
6 | 6 | Marcel Arnold | ![]() |
46.10 | |
7 | 8 | Philip Brown | ![]() |
46.63 | |
8 | 1 | Anton Skerritt | ![]() |
46.93 |
Quarterfinal 3
Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 5 | Alonzo Babers | ![]() |
44.75 | Q, PB |
2 | 1 | Sunday Uti | ![]() |
45.01 | Q |
3 | 8 | Bertland Cameron | ![]() |
45.16 | Q |
4 | 7 | Bruce Frayne | ![]() |
45.35 | Q |
5 | 6 | Todd Bennett | ![]() |
45.51 | |
6 | 2 | Antonio Sánchez | ![]() |
45.79 | |
7 | 4 | Oddur Sigurdsson | ![]() |
46.07 | |
8 | 3 | Doug Hinds | ![]() |
46.19 |
Quarterfinal 4
Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | Gabriel Tiacoh | ![]() |
45.15 | Q |
2 | 6 | David Kitur | ![]() |
45.78 | Q |
3 | 8 | Michael Paul | ![]() |
45.84 | Q |
4 | 4 | Susumu Takano | ![]() |
45.91 | Q |
5 | 1 | Erwin Skamrahl | ![]() |
46.39 | |
6 | 7 | Mark Senior | ![]() |
46.50 | |
7 | 3 | Gerson Souza | ![]() |
46.65 | |
8 | 5 | Isidro del Prado | ![]() |
46.71 |
Semifinals
Semifinal 1
Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 3 | Innocent Egbunike | ![]() |
45.16 | Q |
2 | 7 | Alonzo Babers | ![]() |
45.17 | Q |
3 | 1 | Darren Clark | ![]() |
45.26 | Q |
4 | 6 | Sunder Nix | ![]() |
45.41 | Q |
5 | 8 | Aldo Canti | ![]() |
45.59 | |
6 | 5 | Michael Paul | ![]() |
45.60 | |
7 | 2 | Kriss Akabusi | ![]() |
45.69 | |
8 | 4 | Susumu Takano | ![]() |
45.88 |
Semifinal 2
Cameron pulled up with an injury at 150 metres, hopping for about 20 metres before returning to a run. Despite the injury, he finished fourth to qualify for the final (in which he ultimately would not be able to run).[2]
Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 4 | Gabriel Tiacoh | ![]() |
44.64 | Q |
2 | 8 | Sunday Uti | ![]() |
44.83 | Q |
3 | 3 | Antonio McKay | ![]() |
44.92 | Q |
4 | 2 | Bertland Cameron | ![]() |
45.10 | Q |
5 | 5 | Bruce Frayne | ![]() |
45.21 | |
6 | 1 | Elvis Forde | ![]() |
45.32 | NR |
7 | 6 | David Kitur | ![]() |
45.62 | |
8 | 7 | Dave Lishebo | ![]() |
45.97 |
Final
Cameron was still injured from the semifinal race and could not start the final. Clark led early and held the lead until the final straight. Babers began his successful push from about the 250 metre mark, with Tiacoh behind him. McKay edged Clark and Nix at the finish.[2][4]
Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | 4 | Alonzo Babers | ![]() |
44.27 | PB |
![]() | 7 | Gabriel Tiacoh | ![]() |
44.54 | |
![]() | 1 | Antonio McKay | ![]() |
44.71 | |
4 | 5 | Darren Clark | ![]() |
44.75 | |
5 | 6 | Sunder Nix | ![]() |
44.75 | |
6 | 2 | Sunday Uti | ![]() |
44.93 | |
7 | 3 | Innocent Egbunike | ![]() |
45.35 | |
— | 8 | Bertland Cameron | ![]() |
DNS |
In popular culture
In the UK TV show Little Britain, character Denver Mills is credited as having won the silver medal in the 400 metres at the 1984 Olympics.
See also
References
- "Athletics at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Games: Men's 400 metres". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
- "400 metres, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
- Official Report, vol. 2, pp. 273–74.
- Official Report, p. 274.
External links
- (in English) Results