The women's 400 metres hurdles at the 2023 World Athletics Championships was held at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, Hungary from 21 to 24 August 2023. The final was won by the Dutchwoman Femke Bol in a time of 51.70 s, ahead the American Shamier Little in second place and the Jamaican Rushell Clayton in third place.
Background
In the absence of the 2022 world champion and world record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the overwhelming favorite for the world title was the 2022 European Champion and #2 of all time Femke Bol. In 2023, the 23-year-old Dutch woman broke the world indoor record over 400 metres flat, as well as her own European record over the 400 metres hurdles. Bol remained unbeaten in all her hurdles races since the 2022 final and her world-leading time of 51.45 s was almost 2 seconds faster than anyone else had run this year. After 2019 champion and #3 all time Dalilah Muhammad failed to qualify for the final, Bol's biggest opponent seemed to be the 2015 silver medalist and #5 all time Shamier Little, who posted the fastest qualifying time in the semi-finals. Other medal hopefuls were Bahraini Kemi Adekoya, who set Asian records in both the preliminary heats and semi-finals, and 2019 bronze medalist Rushell Clayton from Jamaica, who set a personal best in the semi-finals.
Records
Before the competition, records were as follows:
Qualification standard
The standard to qualify automatically for entry was 54.90.
Schedule
The event schedule, in local time (UTC+2), was as follows:
Results
Heats
The first four athletes in each heat (Q) and the next four fastest (q) qualify to the semi-finals.
Semi-finals
The first 2 athletes in each heat (Q) and the next 2 fastest (q) qualify to the final.