title: 1972 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 400 metres
text: # 1972 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 400 metres
  
  The women's 400 metres event at the 1972 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 11 and 12 March in Grenoble.
  
  ## Medalists
  
  | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
  | - | - | - |
  | Christel Frese West Germany | Inge Bödding West Germany | Erika Weinstein West Germany |
  
  ## Results
  
  ### Heats
  
  First 2 from each heat (Q) and the next 2 fastest (q) qualified for the semifinals.
  
  Held on 11 March
  
  | Rank | Heat | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | 1 | Colette Besson | France | 54.74 | Q |
  | 2 | 2 | Christel Frese | West Germany | 54.83 | Q |
  | 3 | 1 | Erika Weinstein | West Germany | 54.90 | Q |
  | 4 | 2 | Verona Bernard | Great Britain | 55.11 | Q |
  | 5 | 1 | Margaretha Larsson | Sweden | 55.43 | q |
  | 6 | 2 | Bernadette Martin | France | 55.88 | q |
  | 7 | 3 | Lyubov Zavyalova | Soviet Union | 55.96 | Q |
  | 8 | 3 | Inge Bödding | West Germany | 55.96 | Q |
  | 9 | 3 | Birgitte Jennes | Denmark | 57.37 | |
  
  ### Semifinals
  
  First 2 from each heat (Q) qualified directly for the final.
  
  Held on 11 March
  
  | Rank | Heat | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | 2 | Christel Frese | West Germany | 54.57 | Q |
  | 2 | 1 | Colette Besson | France | 54.61 | Q |
  | 3 | 2 | Inge Bödding | West Germany | 54.85 | Q |
  | 4 | 1 | Erika Weinstein | West Germany | 55.06 | Q |
  | 5 | 1 | Lyubov Zavyalova | Soviet Union | 55.12 | |
  | 6 | 1 | Verona Bernard | Great Britain | 55.25 | |
  | 7 | 2 | Margaretha Larsson | Sweden | 55.75 | |
  | 8 | 2 | Bernadette Martin | France | 56.75 | |
  
  ### Final
  
  Held on 12 March
  
  | Rank | Name | Nationality | Time |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | | Christel Frese | West Germany | 53.36 |
  | | Inge Bödding | West Germany | 54.60 |
  | | Erika Weinstein | West Germany | 54.73 |
  | 4 | Colette Besson | France | 55.64 |
  