These are the official results of the men's 400 metres event at the 1983 IAAF World Championships in Helsinki, Finland. There were a total number of 55 participating athletes, with seven qualifying heats and the final held on 10 August 1983.
Records
Existing records at the start of the event.
| World Record |  Lee Evans (USA)
|
43.86 | Mexico City, Mexico | October 18, 1968 |
| Championship Record | New event | |||
Results
Qualifying heats
The qualifying heats took place on 7 August, with the 55 athletes involved being split into 7 heats. The first 3 athletes in each heat ( Q ) and the next 11 fastest ( q ) qualified for the quarter-finals.
- Heat 1
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunder Nix |  United States (USA)
|
46.19 | Q, CR |
| 2 | Gerson A. Souza |  Brazil (BRA)
|
46.43 | Q |
| 3 | Philip Brown |  Great Britain & N.I. (GBR)
|
46.60 | Q |
| 4 | Isidro del Prado |  Philippines (PHI)
|
46.92 | q |
| 5 | Aldo Canti |  France (FRA)
|
47.50 | |
| 6 | Gordan Hinds |  Barbados (BAR)
|
47.55 | |
| 7 | Kenrick Camerud |  Saint Kitts and Nevis (SKN)
|
49.68 | |
| Paiwa Bogela |  Papua New Guinea (PNG)
|
DNS |
- Heat 2
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bert Cameron |  Jamaica (JAM)
|
46.11 | Q, CR |
| 2 | Ján Tomko |  Czechoslovakia (TCH)
|
46.17 | Q |
| 3 | Thomas Schönlebe |  East Germany (GDR)
|
46.23 | Q |
| 4 | Sándor Vasvári |  Hungary (HUN)
|
46.69 | q |
| 5 | Abu Alhassan |  Ghana (GHA)
|
48.14 | |
| 6 | Salem Khalil Ibrahim |  United Arab Emirates (UAE)
|
48.16 | |
| 7 | Ali Al Harazi |  Yemen (YEM)
|
59.67 | |
| Ángel Heras |  Spain (ESP)
|
DQ |
- Heat 3
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Erwin Skamrahl |  West Germany (FRG)
|
46.31 | Q |
| 2 | Todd Bennett | Great Britain & N.I. (GBR)
|
46.58 | Q |
| 3 | Douglas Hinds |  Canada (CAN)
|
46.64 | Q |
| 4 | Gary Minihan |  Australia (AUS)
|
46.90 | q |
| 5 | James Atuti |  Kenya (KEN)
|
46.95 | q |
| 6 | Dean Greenaway |  British Virgin Islands (IVB)
|
48.26 | |
| Emmanuel Bitanga |  Cameroon (CMR)
|
DNS |
- Heat 4
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Paul |  Trinidad and Tobago (TRI)
|
46.33 | Q |
| 2 | Moses Kyeswa |  Uganda (UGA)
|
46.35 | Q |
| 3 | Susumu Takano |  Japan (JPN)
|
46.66 | Q |
| 4 | Eliot Tabron | United States (USA)
|
46.68 | q |
| 5 | Marcel Arnold |  Switzerland (SUI)
|
47.44 | q |
| 6 | David Sawyerr |  Sierra Leone (SLE)
|
49.29 | |
| 7 | Lenford O'Garro |  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (VIN)
|
50.25 | |
| Nafi Ahmed Mersal |  Egypt (EGY)
|
DNF |
- Heat 5
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Martin Weppler | West Germany (FRG)
|
46.32 | Q |
| 2 | Hassan El Kachief |  Sudan (SUD)
|
46.61 | Q |
| 3 | Viktor Markin |  Soviet Union (URS)
|
46.74 | Q |
| 4 | Gabriel Tiacoh |  Ivory Coast (CIV)
|
47.11 | q |
| 5 | Hector Daley |  Panama (PAN)
|
47.19 | q |
| 6 | Eric Josjö |  Sweden (SWE)
|
47.25 | q |
| 7 | Jean-Marie Rudasinqwa |  Rwanda (RWA)
|
50.52 | |
| Allan Ingraham |  Bahamas (BAH)
|
DNS |
- Heat 6
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Franks | United States (USA)
|
46.16 | Q |
| 2 | Oddur Sigurdsson |  Iceland (ISL)
|
47.09 | Q |
| 3 | Christopher Madzokere |  Zimbabwe (ZIM)
|
47.17 | Q |
| 4 | Dušan Malovec | Czechoslovakia (TCH)
|
47.35 | q |
| 5 | Moussa Fall |  Senegal (SEN)
|
47.72 | |
| 6 | Joseph Ramotshabi |  Botswana (BOT)
|
48.35 | |
| 7 | Agripa Mwausegha |  Malawi (MAW)
|
49.02 | |
| Sunday Uti |  Nigeria (NGR)
|
DQ |
- Heat 7
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hartmut Weber | West Germany (FRG)
|
45.74 | Q, CR |
| 2 | Darren Clark | Australia (AUS)
|
46.26 | Q |
| 3 | Mike Okot | Uganda (UGA)
|
46.69 | Q |
| 4 | Matti Rusanen |  Finland (FIN)
|
47.37 | q |
| 5 | Adram M'Kumi |  Tanzania (TAN)
|
49.22 | |
| 6 | Clive Williams |  Belize (BIZ)
|
51.82 | |
| Mike Solomon | Trinidad and Tobago (TRI)
|
DNS | ||
| Roberto Ribaud |  Italy (ITA)
|
DQ |
Quarterfinals
The qualifying heats took place on 8 August, with the 32 athletes involved being split into 4 heats. The first 4 athletes in each heat ( Q ) qualified for the semifinals.
- Heat 1
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Franks | United States (USA)
|
45.57 | Q, CR |
| 2 | Philip Brown | Great Britain & N.I. (GBR)
|
45.80 | Q |
| 3 | Thomas Schönlebe | East Germany (GDR)
|
45.86 | Q |
| 4 | Martin Weppler | West Germany (FRG)
|
46.12 | Q |
| 5 | Gary Minihan | Australia (AUS)
|
46.32 | |
| 6 | Mike Okot | Uganda (UGA)
|
46.38 | |
| 7 | Christopher Madzokere | Zimbabwe (ZIM)
|
46.74 | |
| Dušan Malovec | Czechoslovakia (TCH)
|
DNF |
- Heat 2
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bert Cameron | Jamaica (JAM)
|
45.76 | Q |
| 2 | Darren Clark | Australia (AUS)
|
45.84 | Q |
| 3 | Erwin Skamrahl | West Germany (FRG)
|
45.90 | Q |
| 4 | Gerson A. Souza | Brazil (BRA)
|
45.94 | Q |
| 5 | Gabriel Tiacoh | Ivory Coast (CIV)
|
46.22 | |
| 6 | Eliot Tabron | United States (USA)
|
46.54 | |
| 7 | Isidro del Prado | Philippines (PHI)
|
46.71 | |
| 8 | Matti Rusanen | Finland (FIN)
|
47.69 |
- Heat 3
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hartmut Weber | West Germany (FRG)
|
46.01 | Q |
| 2 | Moses Kyeswa | Uganda (UGA)
|
46.31 | Q |
| 3 | Michael Paul | Trinidad and Tobago (TRI)
|
46.44 | Q |
| 4 | Douglas Hinds | Canada (CAN)
|
46.62 | Q |
| 5 | Susumu Takano | Japan (JPN)
|
47.06 | |
| 6 | James Atuti | Kenya (KEN)
|
47.59 | |
| 7 | Oddur Sigurdsson | Iceland (ISL)
|
48.09 | |
| Marcel Arnold | Switzerland (SUI)
|
DNS |
- Heat 4
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Viktor Markin | Soviet Union (URS)
|
46.16 | Q |
| 2 | Sunder Nix | United States (USA)
|
46.19 | Q |
| 3 | Ján Tomko | Czechoslovakia (TCH)
|
46.24 | Q |
| 4 | Todd Bennett | Great Britain & N.I. (GBR)
|
46.39 | Q |
| 5 | Hector Daley | Panama (PAN)
|
46.42 | |
| 6 | Eric Josjö | Sweden (SWE)
|
46.97 | |
| 7 | Sándor Vasvári | Hungary (HUN)
|
47.34 | |
| Hassan El Kachief | Sudan (SUD)
|
DNF |
Semifinals
The semifinals took place on 9 August, with the 16 athletes involved being split into 2 heats. The first 4 athletes in each heat ( Q ) qualified for the final.
- Heat 1
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Franks | United States (USA)
|
45.44 | Q, CR |
| 2 | Hartmut Weber | West Germany (FRG)
|
45.61 | Q |
| 3 | Thomas Schönlebe | East Germany (GDR)
|
45.67 | Q |
| 4 | Michael Paul | Trinidad and Tobago (TRI)
|
45.83 | Q |
| 5 | Ján Tomko | Czechoslovakia (TCH)
|
46.03 | |
| 6 | Todd Bennett | Great Britain & N.I. (GBR)
|
46.11 | |
| 7 | Darren Clark | Australia (AUS)
|
46.36 | |
| 8 | Martin Weppler | West Germany (FRG)
|
46.55 |
- Heat 2
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bert Cameron | Jamaica (JAM)
|
45.48 | Q |
| 2 | Erwin Skamrahl | West Germany (FRG)
|
45.61 | Q |
| 3 | Gerson A. Souza | Brazil (BRA)
|
45.63 | Q |
| 4 | Sunder Nix | United States (USA)
|
45.73 | Q |
| 5 | Viktor Markin | Soviet Union (URS)
|
45.73 | |
| 6. | Douglas Hinds | Canada (CAN)
|
46.52 | |
| 7. | Moses Kyeswa | Uganda (UGA)
|
46.79 | |
| 8. | Philip Brown | Great Britain & N.I. (GBR)
|
46.81 |
Final
The final took place on August 10.
| Rank | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
4 | Bert Cameron | Jamaica (JAM)
|
45.05 | CR |
|
5 | Michael Franks | United States (USA)
|
45.22 | |
|
1 | Sunder Nix | United States (USA)
|
45.24 | |
| 4 | 7 | Erwin Skamrahl | West Germany (FRG)
|
45.37 | |
| 5 | 3 | Hartmut Weber | West Germany (FRG)
|
45.49 | |
| 6 | 6 | Thomas Schönlebe | East Germany (GDR)
|
45.50 | |
| 7 | 8 | Michael Paul | Trinidad and Tobago (TRI)
|
45.80 | |
| 8 | 2 | Gerson A. Souza | Brazil (BRA)
|
45.91 |