1998 European Athletics Championships – Women's 400 metres

Qualification: First 3 in each heat (Q) and the next 4 fastest (q) advance to the Semifinals.

Rank	Heat	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
1	2	Grit Breuer	Germany	51.60	Q
2	4	Helena Fuchsová	Czech Republic	51.61	Q
3	3	Olga Kotlyarova	Russia	51.62	Q
4	2	Patrizia Spuri	Italy	51.82	Q
5	4	Allison Curbishley	Great Britain	52.05	Q
6	4	Karen Shinkins	Ireland	52.13	Q
7	3	Donna Fraser	Great Britain	52.20	Q
8	1	Uta Rohländer	Germany	52.37	Q
9	4	Olena Rurak	Ukraine	52.49	q
10	2	Jitka Burianová	Czech Republic	52.62	Q
11	2	Otilia Ruicu	Romania	52.66	q, PB
12	3	Annamaria Bori	Hungary	52.69	Q, PB
13	2	Yekaterina Kulikova	Russia	52.83	q
14	3	Lana Jekabsone	Latvia	52.84	q
15	4	Christina Panagou	Greece	52.89
16	1	Irina Rosikhina	Russia	52.97	Q
17	1	Fabienne Ficher	France	53.05	Q
18	1	Mariana Florea	Romania	53.22	SB
19	2	Anna Kozak	Belarus	53.30
20	1	Carmo Tavares	Portugal	53.32
21	3	Alina Ripanu	Romania	53.35
22	1	Virna De Angeli	Italy	53.42
23	4	Barbara Petráhn	Hungary	53.43
24	3	Francesca Carbone	Italy	53.72
25	2	Kristina Perica	Croatia	53.93
	1	Dijana Kojić	Bosnia and Herzegovina	DNF
	3	Dora Kyriakou	Cyprus	DNF

Qualification: First 4 in each heat (Q) advance to the Final.

Rank	Heat	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
1	1	Grit Breuer	Germany	50.79	Q
2	2	Helena Fuchsová	Czech Republic	50.87	Q
3	2	Uta Rohländer	Germany	51.04	Q
4	2	Olga Kotlyarova	Russia	51.08	Q
5	1	Allison Curbishley	Great Britain	51.43	Q
6	1	Patrizia Spuri	Italy	51.74	Q, SB
7	2	Donna Fraser	Great Britain	52.05	Q
8	1	Olena Rurak	Ukraine	52.36	Q
9	1	Karen Shinkins	Ireland	52.40
10	1	Jitka Burianová	Czech Republic	52.41
11	1	Lana Jekabsone	Latvia	52.76
12	2	Fabienne Ficher	France	52.95
13	2	Annamaria Bori	Hungary	53.11
14	2	Otilia Ruicu	Romania	53.17
15	2	Yekaterina Kulikova	Russia	53.25
16	1	Irina Rosikhina	Russia	53.62