title: Athletics at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games – Women's 400 metres
text: # Athletics at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games – Women's 400 metres
  
  The women's 400 metres event at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games was held on 25 and 26 January at the Queen Elizabeth II Park in Christchurch, New Zealand.
  
  ## Medalists
  
  | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
  | - | - | - |
  | Yvonne Saunders Canada | Verona Bernard England | Charlene Rendina Australia |
  
  ## Results
  
  ### Heats
  
  Held on 25 January
  
  Qualification: First 4 in each heat (Q) qualify directly for the semifinals.
  
  | Rank | Heat | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | 1 | Verona Bernard | England | 53.2 | Q |
  | 2 | 1 | Lorna Forde | Barbados | 54.7 | Q |
  | 3 | 1 | Bethanie Nail | Australia | 55.16 | Q |
  | 4 | 1 | Florence Mbakwe | Nigeria | 55.4 | Q |
  | 5 | 1 | Brenda Walsh | Canada | 56.12 | |
  | 6 | 1 | Maleshoane Molomo | Lesotho | 1:02.96 | |
  | 1 | 2 | Jannette Roscoe | England | 54.0 | Q |
  | 2 | 2 | Judy Canty | Australia | 54.10 | Q |
  | 3 | 2 | Evelyn McMeekin | Scotland | 55.0 | Q |
  | 4 | 2 | Chee Swee Lee | Singapore | 56.2 | Q |
  | 5 | 2 | Colleen Mills | New Zealand | 57.54 | |
  | 6 | 2 | Padmadevi Valamootoo | Mauritius | 1:05.37 | |
  | 1 | 3 | Charlene Rendina | Australia | 54.28 | Q |
  | 2 | 3 | Marilyn Neufville | Jamaica | 54.3 | Q |
  | 3 | 3 | Sue Gukilau | New Zealand | 55.3 | Q |
  | 4 | 3 | Roseline Joshua | Nigeria | 55.9 | Q |
  | 5 | 3 | Joan Eddy | Canada | 57.58 | |
  | 6 | 3 | Janet Manda | Malawi | 59.51 | |
  | 1 | 4 | Yvonne Saunders | Canada | 53.0 | Q |
  | 2 | 4 | Penny Hunt | New Zealand | 55.2 | Q |
  | 3 | 4 | Dawn Webster | England | 55.44 | Q |
  | 4 | 4 | Gloria Dourass | Wales | 55.8 | Q |
  | 5 | 4 | Helen Opoku | Ghana | 57.01 | |
  | 6 | 4 | Ngozi Nwosu | Nigeria | 58.03 | |
  
  ### Semifinals
  
  Held on 25 January
  
  Qualification: First 4 in each semifinal (Q) qualify directly for the final.
  
  | Rank | Heat | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | 1 | Charlene Rendina | Australia | 52.82 | Q |
  | 2 | 1 | Marilyn Neufville | Jamaica | 53.4 | Q |
  | 3 | 1 | Jannette Roscoe | England | 53.5 | Q |
  | 4 | 1 | Judy Canty | Australia | 54.03 | Q |
  | 5 | 1 | Lorna Forde | Barbados | 54.36 | |
  | 6 | 1 | Roseline Joshua | Nigeria | 54.67 | |
  | 7 | 1 | Sue Gukilau | New Zealand | 55.76 | |
  | | 1 | Dawn Webster | England | DNF | |
  | 1 | 2 | Yvonne Saunders | Canada | 52.2 | Q |
  | 2 | 2 | Verona Bernard | England | 53.8 | Q |
  | 3 | 2 | Penny Hunt | New Zealand | 55.0 | Q |
  | 4 | 2 | Bethanie Nail | Australia | 55.15 | Q |
  | 5 | 2 | Florence Mbakwe | Nigeria | 55.65 | |
  | 6 | 2 | Evelyn McMeekin | Scotland | 55.66 | |
  | 7 | 2 | Gloria Dourass | Wales | 56.07 | |
  | 8 | 2 | Chee Swee Lee | Singapore | 56.71 | |
  
  ### Final
  
  Held on 26 January
  
  | Rank | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | 7 | Yvonne Saunders | Canada | 51.67 |
  | | 3 | Verona Bernard | England | 51.94 |
  | | 4 | Charlene Rendina | Australia | 52.08 |
  | 4 | 8 | Jannette Roscoe | England | 53.18 |
  | 5 | ? | Judy Canty | Australia | 53.47 |
  | 6 | 2 | Marilyn Neufville | Jamaica | 54.04 |
  | 7 | 1 | Penny Hunt | New Zealand | 54.30 |
  | 8 | ? | Bethanie Nail | Australia | 54.54 |
  