Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 400 metres
The women's 400 metres event at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea had an entry list of 48 competitors. The final was run on Monday September 26, 1988, in the Seoul Olympic Stadium.
Records
These were the standing world and Olympic records prior to the 1988 Summer Olympics.| World Record | 47.60 |  Marita Koch | Canberra | October 6, 1985 |
| Olympic Record | 48.83 |  Valerie Brisco-Hooks | Los Angeles | August 6, 1984 |
The following Olympic record was set during this competition.
| Date | Event | Athlete | Time | OR | WR |
| September 26, 1988 | Final | 48.65s | OR |
Final
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| Olga Bryzgina | 48.65 | - | ||
| Petra Müller | 49.45 | - | ||
| Olga Nazarova | 49.90 | - | ||
| 4 | Valerie Brisco-Hooks | 50.16 | - | |
| 5 | Diane Dixon | 50.72 | - | |
| 6 | Denean Howard | 51.12 | - | |
| 7 | Helga Arendt | 51.17 | - | |
| 8 | Maree Holland | 51.25 | - |
Semifinals
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Olga Nazarova | 49.11 | - | |
| 2 | Petra Müller | 49.50 | - | |
| 3 | Diane Dixon | 49.84 | - | |
| 4 | Denean Howard | 49.87 | - | |
| 5 | Jillian Richardson | 49.91 | - | |
| 6 | Ute Thimm | 50.28 | - | |
| 7 | Marita Payne Wiggins | 50.29 | - | |
| 8 | Dagmar Neubauer | 50.92 | - |
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Olga Bryzgina | 49.33 | - | |
| 2 | Valerie Brisco-Hooks | 49.90 | - | |
| 3 | Maree Holland | 50.24 | - | |
| 4 | Helga Arendt | 50.36 | - | |
| 5 | Kirsten Emmelmann | 50.39 | - | |
| 6 | Cathy Rattray-Williams | 50.82 | - | |
| 7 | Charmaine Crooks | 51.63 | - | |
| 8 | Norfalia Carabali | 52.65 | - |
Quarter-finals
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Maree Holland | 50.90 | - | |
| 2 | Kirsten Emmelmann | 51.02 | - | |
| 3 | Denean Howard | 51.02 | - | |
| 4 | Ute Thimm | 51.18 | - | |
| 5 | Maria Magnólia Figueiredo | 51.32 | - | |
| 6 | Airat Bakare | 52.86 | - | |
| 7 | Loreen Hall | 53.42 | - | |
| — | Nathalie Simon | DNS | - |
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Olga Bryzgina | 51.90 | - | |
| 2 | Diane Dixon | 51.98 | - | |
| 3 | Helga Arendt | 52.08 | - | |
| 4 | Jillian Richardson | 52.33 | - | |
| 5 | Sandie Richards | 52.90 | - | |
| 6 | Évelyne Élien | 53.36 | - | |
| 7 | Sun Sumei | 53.58 | - | |
| 8 | Yolande Straughn | 54.22 | - |
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Petra Müller | 51.45 | - | |
| 2 | Marita Payne Wiggins | 51.73 | - | |
| 3 | Norfalia Carabali | 51.76 | - | |
| 4 | Cathy Rattray-Williams | 51.81 | - | |
| 5 | Linda Keough | 51.91 | - | |
| 6 | Yvonne van Dorp | 53.50 | - | |
| 7 | Liliana Chalá | 53.83 | - | |
| 8 | Mercy Kuttan-Mathews | 53.93 | - |
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Olga Nazarova | 50.26 | - | |
| 2 | Valerie Brisco-Hooks | 51.24 | - | |
| 3 | Dagmar Neubauer | 51.48 | - | |
| 4 | Charmaine Crooks | 51.64 | - | |
| 5 | Céléstine N'Drin | 52.04 | - | |
| 6 | Aïssatou Tandian | 52.33 | - | |
| 7 | Fabienne Ficher | 52.95 | - | |
| 8 | Blanca Lacambra | 53.76 | - |
Qualifying heats
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Olga Nazarova | 52.18 | - | |
| 2 | Blanca Lacambra | 53.04 | - | |
| 3 | Charmaine Crooks | 53.58 | - | |
| 4 | Liliana Chalá | 53.74 | - | |
| 5 | Pat Beckford | 54.39 | - | |
| 6 | Yang Gyeong-hui | 58.18 | - | |
| 7 | Juliana Obiong | 1:07.58 | - |
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Dagmar Neubauer | 52.51 | - | |
| 2 | Marita Payne Wiggins | 52.70 | - | |
| 3 | Airat Bakare | 52.83 | - | |
| 4 | Fabienne Ficher | 53.42 | - | |
| 5 | Farida Kyakutewa | 56.00 | - | |
| 6 | Christine Bakombo | 57.85 | - |
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Maria Magnólia Figueiredo | 51.74 | - | |
| 2 | Petra Müller | 51.93 | - | |
| 3 | Sandie Richards | 52.19 | - | |
| 4 | Loreen Hall | 53.13 | - | |
| 5 | Sun Sumei | 53.46 | - | |
| 6 | Yolande Straughn | 53.62 | - |
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Diane Dixon | 52.45 | - | |
| 2 | Ute Thimm | 52.79 | - | |
| 3 | Yvonne van Dorp | 52.84 | - | |
| 4 | Évelyne Élien | 52.90 | - | |
| 5 | Marilyn Dewarder | 54.76 | - | |
| 6 | May Sardouk | 1:00.01 | - |
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Valerie Brisco-Hooks | 51.96 | - | |
| 2 | Maree Holland | 52.29 | - | |
| 3 | Norfalia Carabali | 53.27 | - | |
| 4 | Kirsten Emmelmann | 54.02 | - | |
| 5 | Assumpta Achuo-Bei | 55.22 | - | |
| 6 | Josephine Mary Singarayar | 56.06 | - | |
| 7 | Lasnet Nkouka | 57.19 | - |
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Olga Bryzgina | 51.94 | - | |
| 2 | Linda Keough | 52.26 | - | |
| 3 | Cathy Rattray-Williams | 52.39 | - | |
| 4 | Céléstine N'Drin | 52.48 | - | |
| 5 | Mercy Kuttan-Mathews | 53.41 | - | |
| 6 | Ruth Morris | 55.60 | - | |
| 7 | Barbara Selkridge | 55.96 | - |
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Denean Howard | 52.26 | - | |
| 2 | Helga Arendt | 52.69 | - | |
| 3 | Aïssatou Tandian | 52.95 | - | |
| 4 | Jillian Richardson | 53.06 | - | |
| 5 | Nathalie Simon | 53.30 | - | |
| 6 | Chang Feng-hua | 56.10 | - | |
| 7 | Agnes Griffith | 57.09 | - |