| 2022 | ||||
| (Eugene, Oregon, July 22) | ||||
| 1. | Shaunae Miller-Uibo (Bahamas) | 49.11 | ||
| 2. | Marileidy Paulino (Dominican Republic) | 49.60 | ||
| 3. | Sada Williams (Barbados) | 49.75 | ||
| 4. | Lieke Klaver (Netherlands) | 50.33 | ||
| 5. | Stephenie Ann McPherson (Jamaica) | 50.36 | ||
| 6. | Fiordaliza Cofil (Dominican Republic) | 50.57 | ||
| 7. | Candice McLeod (Jamaica) | 50.78 | ||
| 8. | Anna Kielbasinska (Poland) | 50.81 | ||
| [Talitha Diggs (USA) 3rd in semi] | ||||
| [Lynna Irby (USA) 6th in semi] | ||||
| [Kendall Ellis (USA) 6th in heat] | ||||
| 2019 | ||||
| (Doha, Qatar, October 3) | ||||
| 1. | Salwa Eid Naser (Bahrain) | 48.14 | ||
| 2. | Shaunae Miller-Uibo (Bahamas) | 48.37 | ||
| 3. | Shericka Jackson (Jamaica) | 49.47 | ||
| 4. | Wadeline Jonathas (USA) | 49.60 | ||
| 5. | Phyllis Francis (USA) | 49.61 | ||
| 6. | Stephenie Ann McPherson (Jamaica) | 50.89 | ||
| 7. | Justyna Swiety-Ersetic (Poland) | 50.95 | ||
| 8. | Iga Baumgart-Witan (Poland) | 51.29 | ||
| [Kendall Ellis (USA) 3rd semi] | ||||
| [Shakima Wimbley (USA) 7th semi] | ||||
| 2017 | ||||
| (London, August 9) | ||||
| 1 | Phyllis Francis (US) | 49.92 | ||
| 2 | Salwa Eid Naser (Bahrain) | 50.06 | ||
| 3 | Allyson Felix (US) | 50.08 | ||
| 4 | Shaunae Miller-Uibo (Bahamas) | 50.49 | ||
| 5 | Shericka Jackson (Jamaica) | 50.76 | ||
| 6 | Stephenie Ann McPherson (Jamaica) | 50.86 | ||
| 7 | Kabange Mupopo (Zambia) | 51.15 | ||
| 8 | Novlene Williams-Mills (Jamaica) | 51.48 | ||
| [Quanera Hayes (US) 3rd in semi] | ||||
| 2015 | ||||
| (Beijing, China, August 27) | ||||
| 1 | Allyson Felix (US) | 49.26 | ||
| 2 | Shaunae Miller (Bahamas) | 49.67 | ||
| 3 | Shericka Jackson (Jamaica) | 49.99 | ||
| 4 | Christine Day (Jamaica) | 50.14 | ||
| 5 | Stephenie Ann McPherson (Jamaica) | 50.42 | ||
| 6 | Novlene Williams-Mills (Jamaica) | 50.47 | ||
| 7 | Phyllis Francis (US) | 50.51 | ||
| 8 | Christine Ohuruogu (Great Britain) | 50.63 | ||
| [Natasha Hastings (US) 5th in semi] | ||||
| 2013 | ||||
| (Moscow, Russia, August 12) | ||||
| 1 | Christine Ohuruogu (Great Britain) | 49.41 | ||
| 2 | Amantle Montsho (Botswana) | 49.41 | ||
| 3 | Antonina Krivoshapka (Russia) | 49.78 | ||
| 4 | Stephenie McPherson (Jamaica) | 49.99 | ||
| 5 | Natasha Hastings (US) | 50.30 | ||
| 6 | Francena McCorory (US) | 50.68 | ||
| 7 | Kseniya Ryzhova (Russia) | 50.98 | ||
| 8 | Novlene Williams-Mills (Jamaica) | 51.49 | ||
| [Ashley Spencer (US) 5th in semi] | ||||
| 2011 | ||||
| 1 | Amantle Montsho (Botswana) | 49.56 | ||
| 2 | Allyson Felix (US) | 49.59 | ||
| 3 | Anastasiya Kapachinskaya (Russia) | 50.24 | ||
| 4 | Francena McCorory (US) | 50.45 | ||
| 5 | Antonina Krivoshapka (Russia) | 50.66 | ||
| 6 | Shericka Williams (Jamaica) | 50.79 | ||
| 7 | Sanya Richards-Ross (US) | 51.32 | ||
| 8 | Novlene Williams-Mills (Jamaica) | 52.89 | ||
| [Jessica Beard (US) 4th in semi] | ||||
| 2009 | ||||
| 1 | Sanya Richards-Ross (US) | 49.00 | ||
| 2 | Shericka Williams (Jamaica) | 49.32 | ||
| 3 | Antonina Krivoshapka (Russia) | 49.71 | ||
| 4 | Novlene Williams-Mills (Jamaica) | 49.77 | ||
| 5 | Christine Ohuruogu (Great Britain) | 50.21 | ||
| 6 | Debbie Dunn (US) | 50.35 | ||
| 7 | Anastasiya Kapachinskaya (Russia) | 50.53 | ||
| 8 | Amantle Montsho (Botswana) | 50.65 | ||
| [Jessica Beard (US) 5th in semi] | ||||
| 2007 | ||||
| 1 | Christine Ohuruogu (Great Britain) | 49.61 | ||
| 2 | Nicola Sanders (Great Britain) | 49.65 | ||
| 3 | Novlene Williams-Mills (Jamaica) | 49.66 | ||
| 4 | Ana Guevara (Mexico) | 50.16 | ||
| 5 | DeeDee Trotter (US) | 50.17 | ||
| 6 | Natalya Antyukh (Russia) | 50.33 | ||
| 7 | Ilona Usovich (Belarus) | 50.54 | ||
| 8 | Mary Wineberg (US) | 50.96 | ||
| [Natasha Hastings (US) 7th in semi] | ||||
| 2005 | ||||
| 1 | Tonique Williams-Darling (Bahamas) | 49.55 | ||
| 2 | Sanya Richards-Ross (US) | 49.74 | ||
| 3 | Ana Guevara (Mexico) | 49.81 | ||
| 4 | Svetlana Pospelova (Russia) | 50.11 | ||
| 5 | DeeDee Trotter (US) | 51.14 | ||
| 6 | Olesya Zykina (Russia) | 51.24 | ||
| 7 | Monique Henderson (US) | 51.77 | ||
| 8 | Amy Mbacké Thiam (Senegal) | 52.22 | ||
| 2003 | ||||
| 1 | Ana Guevara (Mexico) | 48.89 | ||
| 2 | Lorraine Fenton (Jamaica) | 49.43 | ||
| 3 | Amy Mbacké Thiam (Senegal) | 49.95 | ||
| 4 | Natalya Nazarova (Russia) | 49.98 | ||
| 5 | Tonique Williams-Darling (Bahamas) | 50.38 | ||
| 6 | Olesya Zykina (Russia) | 50.59 | ||
| 7 | Lee McConnell (Great Britain) | 51.07 | ||
| 8 | Svetlana Pospelova (Russia) | 51.30 | ||
| [Sanya Richards-Ross (US) 4th in semi] | ||||
| [Demetria Washington (US) 4th in semi] | ||||
| [DeeDee Trotter (US) 5th in semi] | ||||
| 2001 | ||||
| 1 | Amy Mbacké Thiam (Senegal) | 49.86 | ||
| 2 | Lorraine Fenton (Jamaica) | 49.88 | ||
| 3 | Ana Guevara (Mexico) | 49.97 | ||
| 4 | Grit Breuer (Germany) | 50.49 | ||
| 5 | Kaltouma Nadjina (Chad) | 50.80 | ||
| 6 | Olesya Zykina (Russia) | 50.93 | ||
| 7 | Mireille Nguimgo (Cameroon) | 51.97 | ||
| dnf—Fali Ogunkoya (Nigeria) | ||||
| [Michelle Collins (US) 3rd in semi] | ||||
| [Demetria Washington (US) 4th in semi] | ||||
| [Monique Hennagan (US) 5th in semi] | ||||
| 1999 | ||||
| 1 | Cathy Freeman (Australia) | 49.67 | ||
| 2 | Anja Rücker (Germany) | 49.74 | ||
| 3 | Lorraine Graham (Jamaica) | 49.92 | ||
| 4 | Fali Ogunkoya (Nigeria) | 50.03 | ||
| 5 | Katharine Merry (Great Britain) | 50.52 | ||
| 6 | Natalya Nazarova (Russia) | 50.61 | ||
| 7 | Grit Breuer (Germany) | 50.67 | ||
| 8 | Olga Kotlyarova (Russia) | 50.72 | ||
| [Michelle Collins (US) 5th in semi] | ||||
| [Maicel Malone (US) 8th in semi] | ||||
| [Suziann Reid (US) 8th in semi] | ||||
| 1997 | ||||
| 1 | Cathy Freeman (Australia) | 49.77 | ||
| 2 | Sandie Richards (Jamaica) | 49.79 | ||
| 3 | Jearl Miles Clark (US) | 49.90 | ||
| 4 | Grit Breuer (Germany) | 50.06 | ||
| 5 | Fali Ogunkoya (Nigeria) | 50.27 | ||
| 6 | Helena Fuchsová (Czechoslovakia) | 50.66 | ||
| 7 | Pauline Davis (Bahamas) | 50.68 | ||
| 8 | Tatyana Alekseyeva (Russia) | 51.37 | ||
| [Maicel Malone (US) 5th in semi] | ||||
| [Kim Graham (US) 8th in semi] | ||||
| 1995 | ||||
| 1 | Marie-José Pérec (France) | 49.28 | ||
| 2 | Pauline Davis (Bahamas) | 49.96 | ||
| 3 | Jearl Miles Clark (US) | 50.00 | ||
| 4 | Cathy Freeman (Australia) | 50.60 | ||
| 5 | Fatima Yusuf (Nigeria) | 50.70 | ||
| 6 | Fali Ogunkoya (Nigeria) | 50.77 | ||
| 7 | Maicel Malone (US) | 50.99 | ||
| 8 | Sandie Richards (Jamaica) | 51.13 | ||
| [Kim Graham (US) 6th in semi] | ||||
| 1993 | ||||
| 1 | Jearl Miles Clark (US) | 49.82 | ||
| 2 | Natasha Kaiser-Brown (US) | 50.17 | ||
| 3 | Sandie Richards (Jamaica) | 50.44 | ||
| 4 | Tatyana Alekseyeva (Russia) | 50.52 | ||
| 5 | Ximena Restrepo (Colombia) | 50.91 | ||
| 6 | Sandra Myers (Spain) | 51.22 | ||
| 7 | Juliet Campbell (Jamaica) | 51.40 | ||
| dq[lane]—[8] Norfalia Carabali (Colombia) [51.92] | ||||
| [Michelle Collins (US) 7th in semi] | ||||
| 1991 | ||||
| 1 | Marie-José Pérec (France) | 49.13 | ||
| 2 | Grit Breuer (Germany) | 49.42 | ||
| 3 | Sandra Myers (Spain) | 49.78 | ||
| 4 | Olga Bryzgina (Soviet Union) | 49.82 | ||
| 5 | Jearl Miles Clark (US) | 50.50 | ||
| 6 | Ximena Restrepo (Colombia) | 50.79 | ||
| 7 | Lillie Leatherwood (US) | 51.53 | ||
| 8 | Diane Dixon (US) | 51.73 | ||
| 1987 | ||||
| 1 | Olga Bryzgina (Soviet Union) | 49.38 | ||
| 2 | Petra Müller (East Germany) | 49.94 | ||
| 3 | Kirsten Emmelmann (East Germany) | 50.20 | ||
| 4 | Maria Pinigina (Soviet Union) | 50.53 | ||
| 5 | Lillie Leatherwood (US) | 50.82 | ||
| 6 | Jillian Richardson (Canada) | 51.03 | ||
| 7 | Diane Dixon (US) | 51.13 | ||
| 8 | Olga Nazarova (Soviet Union) | 51.20 | ||
| [Denean Hill (US) 3rd in semi] | ||||
| 1983 | ||||
| 1 | Jarmila Kratochvílová (Czechoslovakia) | 47.99 | WR, WCR | |
| 2 | Tatána Slaninová (Czechoslovakia) | 48.59 | ||
| 3 | Maria Pinigina (Soviet Union) | 49.19 | ||
| 4 | Gaby Bussmann (West Germany) | 49.75 | ||
| 5 | Marita Payne (Canada) | 50.06 | ||
| 6 | Irina Baskakova (Soviet Union) | 50.48 | ||
| 7 | Dagmar Rübsam (East Germany) | 50.48 | ||
| 8 | Rosalyn Bryant (US) | 50.66 | ||
| [Denean Howard (US) 6th in semi) | ||||
| [Roberta Belle (US) 5th in quarter] | ||||
| [Kratochvílová 52.42 WCR {heat}; Pinigina 51.05 WCR {quarter}, 50.07 WCR {semi}] | ||||