Who holds the women's 400 metres world record of 47.60 seconds set in 1985?

Marita Koch holds the women's 400 metres world record of 47.60 seconds, set in 1985.

Koch recorded the mark on 6 October 1985 in Canberra, Australia. The time remains the ratified world record, making it one of the longest-standing records in modern athletics. She ran for East Germany during her competitive career.

Koch's record is notable because the 400 metres demands both speed and endurance: athletes must sustain near-sprint intensity for one full lap. Her mark was set during a period when East German athletics produced many exceptional performances, and that historical context is often discussed when the record is compared with later results.

The record is sometimes confused with Jarmila Kratochvílová's 800-metre record, which was set in 1983. Those are separate events and separate world records.