| POS | Rank | Heat | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | RESULTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 7 | K. Mathews Beenamol |
IND |
51.51 Q |
| 2 | 1 | 6 | Jitka Burianová |
CZE |
51.59 Q |
| 3 | 2 | 6 | Olabisi Afolabi |
NGR |
51.61 Q |
| 3 | 1 | 5 | Katharine Merry |
GBR |
51.61 Q |
| 5 | 1 | 4 | Cathy Freeman |
AUS |
51.63 Q |
| 6 | 3 | 6 | Lorraine Fenton |
JAM |
51.65 Q |
| 7 | 2 | 4 | Monique Hennagan |
USA |
51.73 Q |
| 8 | 3 | 4 | Claudine Komgang |
CMR |
51.74 Q |
| 9 | 1 | 1 | LaTasha Colander |
USA |
51.75 Q |
| 10 | 1 | 2 | Charity Opara |
NGR |
51.77 Q |
| 11 | 1 | 8 | LaDonna Antoine-Watkins |
CAN |
51.78 Q |
| 12 | 1 | 3 | Amy Mbacke Thiam |
SEN |
51.79 Q |
| 13 | 2 | 5 | Sandie Richards |
JAM |
51.86 Q |
| 14 | 2 | 1 | Mireille Nguimgo |
CMR |
51.88 Q |
| 14 | 2 | 8 | Falilat Ogunkoya |
NGR |
51.88 Q |
| 16 | 3 | 1 | Heide Seyerling |
RSA |
51.92 Q |
| 17 | 2 | 7 | Olga Kotlyarova |
RUS |
51.99 Q |
| 18 | 2 | 2 | Natalya Nazarova |
RUS |
52.05 Q |
| 19 | 3 | 2 | K.V.Damayanthi Dharsha |
SRI |
52.13 Q |
| 20 | 4 | 6 | Allison Curbishley |
GBR |
52.20 q |
| 21 | 3 | 8 | Donna Fraser |
GBR |
52.33 Q |
| 22 | 2 | 3 | Ana Guevara |
MEX |
52.34 Q |
| 22 | 4 | 2 | Kaltouma Nadjina |
CHA |
52.34 |
| 24 | 4 | 4 | Norfalia Carabali |
ESP |
52.36 |
| 25 | 3 | 7 | Zana Minina |
LTU |
52.38 Q |
| 26 | 3 | 5 | Nova Peris |
AUS |
52.51 Q |
| 27 | 3 | 3 | Otilia Ruicu-Esanu |
ROU |
52.65 Q |
| 28 | 4 | 5 | Hana Benešová |
CZE |
52.85 |
| 29 | 5 | 6 | Barbara Petráhn |
HUN |
52.86 q |
| 30 | 4 | 1 | Foy Williams |
CAN |
52.94 q |
| 31 | 5 | 5 | Aliann Pompey |
GUY |
53.09 |
| 32 | 5 | 2 | Lee Naylor |
AUS |
53.10 |
| 33 | 5 | 1 | Christine Amertil |
BAH |
53.12 |
| 34 | 4 | 3 | Karen Shinkins |
IRL |
53.27 |
| 35 | 4 | 8 | Svetlana Pospelova |
RUS |
DQ |
| 36 | 6 | 6 | Tonique Williams-Darling |
BAH |
53.43 |
| 37 | 5 | 4 | Olena Rurak |
UKR |
53.45 |
| 38 | 4 | 7 | Michelle Collins |
USA |
53.66 |
| 39 | 6 | 4 | Kristina Perica |
CRO |
53.72 |
| 40 | 6 | 2 | Svetlana Bodritskaya |
KAZ |
53.91 |
| 41 | 5 | 7 | Tanya Oxley |
BAR |
54.22 |
| 42 | 6 | 7 | Daniela Georgieva |
BUL |
54.46 |
| 43 | 7 | 4 | Awatef Ben Hassine |
TUN |
54.50 |
| 44 | 6 | 5 | Vernetta Lesforis |
LCA |
54.67 |
| 45 | 7 | 2 | Lilian Bwalya |
ZAM |
54.77 |
| 46 | 6 | 1 | Oksana Luneva |
KGZ |
54.98 |
| 47 | 7 | 1 | Hazel Regis-Buckels |
GRN |
55.11 |
| 48 | 5 | 8 | Alyona Piskunova |
UZB |
55.40 |
| 49 | 6 | 8 | Ann Mooney |
PNG |
55.55 |
| 50 | 7 | 7 | Dijana Kojic |
BIH |
55.61 |
| 51 | 7 | 5 | Klodiana Shala |
ALB |
56.41 |
| 52 | 7 | 6 | Marcia Daniel |
DMA |
58.20 |
| 53 | 8 | 2 | Maritza Figueroa |
NCA |
58.82 |
| 54 | 8 | 6 | Haissa Ali Garba |
NIG |
1:07.49 |
| 55 | 6 | 3 | Safia Abukar Hussein |
SOM |
1:13.25 |
| 8 | Brigita Langerholc |
SLO |
DNS | ||
| 5 | Marie-José Pérec |
FRA |
DNS |