| POS | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | MARK | Reaction Time | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LaTasha Colander |  USA | 51.75 Q | |
| 2 | Mireille Nguimgo |  CMR | 51.88 Q | |
| 3 | Heide Seyerling |  RSA | 51.92 Q | |
| 4 | Foy Williams |  CAN | 52.94 q | |
| 5 | Christine Amertil |  BAH | 53.12 | |
| 6 | Oksana Luneva |  KGZ | 54.98 | |
| 7 | Hazel Regis-Buckels |  GRN | 55.11 | 
| POS | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | MARK | Reaction Time | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charity Opara |  NGR | 51.77 Q | |
| 2 | Natalya Nazarova |  RUS | 52.05 Q | |
| 3 | K.V.Damayanthi Dharsha |  SRI | 52.13 Q | |
| 4 | Kaltouma Nadjina |  CHA | 52.34 | |
| 5 | Lee Naylor |  AUS | 53.10 | |
| 6 | Svetlana Bodritskaya |  KAZ | 53.91 | |
| 7 | Lilian Bwalya |  ZAM | 54.77 | |
| 8 | Maritza Figueroa |  NCA | 58.82 | 
| POS | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | MARK | Reaction Time | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amy Mbacke Thiam |  SEN | 51.79 Q | |
| 2 | Ana Guevara |  MEX | 52.34 Q | |
| 3 | Otilia Ruicu-Esanu |  ROU | 52.65 Q | |
| 4 | Karen Shinkins |  IRL | 53.27 | |
| 6 | Safia Abukar Hussein |  SOM | 1:13.25 | 
| POS | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | MARK | Reaction Time | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cathy Freeman |  AUS | 51.63 Q | |
| 2 | Monique Hennagan |  USA | 51.73 Q | |
| 3 | Claudine Komgang |  CMR | 51.74 Q | |
| 4 | Norfalia Carabali |  ESP | 52.36 | |
| 5 | Olena Rurak |  UKR | 53.45 | |
| 6 | Kristina Perica |  CRO | 53.72 | |
| 7 | Awatef Ben Hassine |  TUN | 54.50 | 
| POS | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | MARK | Reaction Time | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Katharine Merry |  GBR | 51.61 Q | |
| 2 | Sandie Richards |  JAM | 51.86 Q | |
| 3 | Nova Peris |  AUS | 52.51 Q | |
| 4 | Hana Benešová |  CZE | 52.85 | |
| 5 | Aliann Pompey |  GUY | 53.09 | |
| 6 | Vernetta Lesforis |  LCA | 54.67 | |
| 7 | Klodiana Shala |  ALB | 56.41 | |
| Marie-José Pérec |  FRA | DNS | 
| POS | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | MARK | Reaction Time | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jitka Burianová |  CZE | 51.59 Q | |
| 2 | Olabisi Afolabi |  NGR | 51.61 Q | |
| 3 | Lorraine Fenton |  JAM | 51.65 Q | |
| 4 | Allison Curbishley |  GBR | 52.20 q | |
| 5 | Barbara Petráhn |  HUN | 52.86 q | |
| 6 | Tonique Williams-Darling |  BAH | 53.43 | |
| 7 | Marcia Daniel |  DMA | 58.20 | |
| 8 | Haissa Ali Garba |  NIG | 1:07.49 | 
| POS | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | MARK | Reaction Time | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | K. Mathews Beenamol |  IND | 51.51 Q | |
| 2 | Olga Kotlyarova |  RUS | 51.99 Q | |
| 3 | Zana Minina |  LTU | 52.38 Q | |
| 4 | Michelle Collins |  USA | 53.66 | |
| 5 | Tanya Oxley |  BAR | 54.22 | |
| 6 | Daniela Georgieva |  BUL | 54.46 | |
| 7 | Dijana Kojic |  BIH | 55.61 | 
| POS | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | MARK | Reaction Time | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LaDonna Antoine-Watkins |  CAN | 51.78 Q | |
| 2 | Falilat Ogunkoya |  NGR | 51.88 Q | |
| 3 | Donna Fraser |  GBR | 52.33 Q | |
| 4 | Svetlana Pospelova |  RUS | DQ | |
| 5 | Alyona Piskunova |  UZB | 55.40 | |
| 6 | Ann Mooney |  PNG | 55.55 | |
| Brigita Langerholc |  SLO | DNS |