| Olympic Games/World Champs | Gold | Silver | Bronze | ||||||
| 2022 Women 400m | Shaunae Miller-Uibo |  BAH | 49.11s | Marileidy Paulino |  DOM | 49.60s | Sada Williams |  BAR | 49.75s |
| Olympic 2020 Women 400m | |||||||||
| 2019 Women 400m | Salwa Eid Naser |  BRN | 48.14s | Shaunae Miller-Uibo | BAH | 48.37s | Shericka Jackson |  JAM | 49.47s |
| 2017 Women 400m | Phyllis Francis |  USA | 49.92s | Salwa Eid Naser | BRN | 50.06s | Allyson Felix | USA | 50.08s |
| Olympic 2016 Women 400m | Shaunae Miller | BAH | 49.44s | Allyson Felix | USA | 49.51s | Sherica Jackson | JAM | 49.85s |
| 2015 Women 400m | Allyson Felix | USA | Shaunae Miller | BAH | Shericka Jackson | JAM | |||
| 2013 Women 400m | Christine Ohuruogu |  GBR | Amantle Montsho |  BOT | Antonina Krivoshapka |  RUS | |||
| Olympic 2012 Women 400m | Sanya Richards-Ross | USA | Christine Ohuruogu | GBR | Deedee Trotter | USA | |||
| 2011 Women 400m | Amantle Montsho | BOT | Allyson Felix | USA | Anastasiya Kapachinskaya | RUS | |||
| 2009 Women 400m | Sanya Richards | USA | Shericka Williams | JAM | Antonina Krivoshapka | RUS | |||
| Olympic 2008 Women 400m | Christine Ohuruogu | GBR | Shericka Williams | JAM | Sanya Richards | USA | |||
| 2007 Women 400m | Christine Ohuruogu | GBR | Nicola Sanders | GBR | Novlene Williams | JAM | |||
| 2005 Women 400m | Tonique Williams-Darling | BAH | Sanya Richards | USA | Ana Guevara |  MEX | |||
| Olympic 2004 Women 400m | Tonique Williams-Darling | BAH | Ana Guevara | MEX | Natalya Antyukh | RUS | |||
| 2003 Women 400m | Ana Guevara | MEX | Lorraine Fenton | JAM | Amy Mbacke Thiam |  SEN | |||
| 2001 Women 400m | Amy Mbacke Thiam | SEN | Lorraine Fenton | JAM | Ana Guevara | MEX | |||
| Olympic 2000 Women 400m | Cathy Freeman |  AUS | Lorraine Graham | JAM | Katharine Merry | GBR | |||
| 1999 Women 400m | Cathy Freeman | AUS | Anja Rucker |  GER | Lorraine Graham | JAM | |||
| 1997 Women 400m | Cathy Freeman | AUS | Sandie Richards | JAM | Jearl Miles-Clark | USA | |||
| Olympic 1996 Women 400m | Marie-Jose Perec |  FRA | Catherine Freeman | AUS | Falilat Ogunkoya |  NGR | |||
| 1995 Women 400m | Marie-Jose Perec | FRA | Pauline Davis-Thompson | BAH | Jearl Miles-Clark | USA | |||
| 1993 Women 400m | Jearl Miles-Clark | USA | Natasha Kaiser-Brown | USA | Sandie Richards | JAM | |||
| Olympic 1992 Women 400m | Marie-Jose Perec | FRA | Olga Bryzgina |  EUN | Ximena Restrepo |  COL | |||
| 1991 Women 400m | Marie-Jose Perec | FRA | Grit Breuer | GER | Sandra Myers |  ESP | |||
| Olympic 1988 Women 400m | Olga Bryzguina |  URS | Petra Mueller |  GDR | Olga Nazarova | URS | |||
| 1987 Women 400m | Olga Vladykina-Bryzgina | URS | Petra Muller-Schersing | GDR | Kirsten Siemon-Emmelmann | GDR | |||
| Olympic 1984 Women 400m | Valerie Brisco-Hooks | USA | Chandra Cheeseborough | USA | Kathy Cook | GBR | |||
| 1983 Women 400m | Jarmila Kratochvilova |  TCH | Tatana Kocembova | TCH | Mariya Kulchunova-Pinigina | URS | |||
| Olympic 1980 Women 400m | Marita Koch | GDR | Jarmila Kratochvilova | TCH | Christina Lathan | GDR | |||
| Olympic 1976 Women 400m | Irena Szewinska |  POL | Christina Brehmer | GDR | Ellen Streidt | GDR | |||
| Olympic 1972 Women 400m | Monika Zehrt | GDR | Rita Wilden |  FRG | Kathy Hammond | USA | |||
| Olympic 1968 Women 400m | Colette Besson | FRA | Lillian Board | GBR | Natalya Pechenkina | URS | |||
| Olympic 1964 Women 400m | Betty Cuthbert | AUS | Ann Packer | GBR | Judith Amoore | AUS | |||
