Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metres
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The men's 400 metres at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place on 18–21 August at the Beijing National Stadium.[1] Fifty-five athletes from 40 nations competed.[2]
Men's 400 metres at the Games of the XXIX Olympiad | |||||||||||||
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Venue | Beijing National Stadium | ||||||||||||
Dates | 18 August 21 August (final) | ||||||||||||
Competitors | 55 from 40 nations | ||||||||||||
Winning time | 43.75 | ||||||||||||
Medalists | |||||||||||||
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The winning margin was an impressive 0.99 seconds which as of 2023 remains the greatest winning margin for the men's Olympic 400 metres since the introduction of fully automatic timing.
The event was won by LaShawn Merritt of the United States, in what would ultimately be the final of seven consecutive American victories stretching from 1984 to 2008; it was the 19th overall title in the event by the United States. Jeremy Wariner took silver to become the fourth man to win two medals in the event, though Merritt kept him from matching Michael Johnson's pair of golds. David Neville's bronze completed the American podium sweep, the second consecutive sweep in the event and the fifth overall (1904, 1968, 1988, 2004).