2012 European Athletics Championships – Men's 400 metres explained

Event:	Men's 400 metres
Competition:	European Athletics Championships

The men's 400 metres at the 2012 European Athletics Championships was held at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium on 27, 28 and 29 June.

Medalists

Standing records prior to the 2012 European Athletics Championships
World record	43.18	Seville, Spain	26 August 1999
European record	44.33	Rome, Italy	3 September 1987
Championship record	44.52	Budapest, Hungary	21 August 1998
World Leading	44.12	Eugene, United States	24 June 2012
European Leading	44.56		16 June 2012

First 4 in each heat (Q) and 4 best performers (q) advance to the Semifinals.

Rank	Heat	Lane	Time	Note
1	1	7	45.63	Q, PB
2	2	5	45.83	Q
3	1	5	45.87	Q
4	3	5	45.90	Q
5	2	6	45.92	Q, PB
5	4	7	45.92	Q
7	4	6	45.98	Q
8	3	7	46.19	Q
9	3	8	46.20	Q, SB
10	5	8	46.21	Q, SB
11	1	4	46.30	Q
12	4	8	46.33	Q
13	4	5	46.37	Q
14	2	8	46.43	Q
15	5	3	46.47	Q
16	3	6	46.61	Q
17	2	3	46.62	Q
18	2	4	46.64	q
19	4	4	46.75	q
20	5	7	46.78	Q
21	2	1	46.83	q
22	1	3	47.07	Q
23	2	2	47.20	q
24	5	1	47.39	Q
25	5	4	47.47
26	4	2	47.50
27	3	3	47.91
28	4	3	48.17
29	2	7	48.80
30	5	6	50.23
31	5	2	50.77
	1	2
	1	6
	1	8
	3	2
	3	4
	5	5

First 2 in each heat (Q) and 2 best performers (q) advance to the Final.

Rank	Heat	Lane	Time	Note
1	3	4	45.66	Q
2	1	5	45.68	Q, SB
3	3	6	45.76	Q
4	1	3	45.77	Q
5	1	6	45.78	q
6	1	4	45.88	q
6	3	5	45.88	=NR
8	2	5	46.01	Q
9	2	3	46.13	Q
10	2	7	46.35
11	2	1	46.45
12	2	6	46.46
13	3	3	46.54
14	1	7	46.57
15	2	4	46.62
16	3	8	46.68
17	3	2	46.77
18	1	2	46.96
19	3	7	47.15
20	1	1	47.27
21	3	1	47.27
22	2	2	47.56
	1	8
	2	8