A 440yds/400m sprint down memory lane as we take an event-by-event look back the Commonwealth Games

Canadian Alex Wilson was the inaugural champion winning by a yard in 48.8. England dominated the next Games with a clean sweep of the medals as Godfrey Rampling led home Bill Roberts and Crew Stoneley as he won by five yards in 48.0. The 47-second barrier was broken for the first time in the surprise package of Indian Milkha Singh in 1958. He won in 46.6/46.71, two yards up on South African Mal Spence, who also went inside 47. The English pair of John Wrighton and John Salisbury, who ran faster than the Indian in the following month’s Europeans, were out of the medals.

When metres replaced yards in 1970 it was Charles Asati who took gold. It’s easy to forget now but at the time Kenya was one of the main one-lap powers and Asati blitzed a 45.0/45.01 to win by six metres. Asati successfully defended his title in Christchurch, albeit in a modest 46.04, narrowly ahead of the appropriately named Silver Ayoo of Uganda.

The boycott of 1986 took out all the Caribbean athletes as Roger Black (pictured) surprisingly beat the favourite Darren Clark of Australia in windy conditions in 45.57. Black won Britain’s first medal at the event for 22 years and, as an added bonus, Phil Brown took bronze. In Black’s absence, Clark won the 1990 event in Auckland in a world-class 44.60 and Samson Kitur and Simeon Kipkemboi were also inside 45 seconds.

Four years later, Kenya regained the title with Charles Gitonga surprising with a 45.00 victory and denying Du’aine Ladejo a European and Commonwealth double as the Englishman ran a top-class 45.11 in second. Wales’ Iwan Thomas was only seventh in his semi-final in 45.98 but four years later he scorched to a record 44.52, narrowly edging out England’s Mark Richardson who ran 44.60 and shock Sri Lankan Sugath Thilakeratne, who timed 44.64. Jamie Baulch, who had showboated with Thomas in his semi in 44.83, was a slower fourth in the final.

The 2002 race in Edinburgh was slower but a much closer affair as just six hundredths of a second covered the top four. Michael Blackwood won for Jamaica in 45.07 as Daniel Caines was the unlucky one out of the medals in 45.12. In 2006, Australia were to the fore again as John Ste? ensen won impressively in 44.72 to easily beat Alleyne Francique’s 45.09. It was Australia’s fifth gold at the event. Eternal fourth placer Chris Brown of the Bahamas just edged a young Martyn Rooney who ran 45.51 in his first big senior event for fifth.

Another country with a strong record, Kenya won the most recent Games as Mark Muttai edged Australia’s Sean Wroe to give the East African country their fourth title.

Gold medal winners 440yds

1930: Alex Wilson (CAN) 48.8
1934: Godfrey Rampling (ENG) 48.0
1938: Bill Roberts (ENG) 47.9
1950: Edwin Carr (AUS) 47.9
1954: Kevan Gosper (AUS) 47.2
1958: Milkha Singh (IND) 46.6
1962: George Kerr (JAM) 46.7/ 46.74
1966: Wendell Mottley (TRI) 45.2/ 45.08

Gold medal winners 400m

1970: Charles Asati (KEN) 45.0/ 45.01
1974: Charles Asati (KEN) 46.04
1978: Rick Mitchell (AUS) 46.34
1982: Bert Cameron (JAM) 44.89
1986: Roger Black (ENG) 45.57
1990: Darren Clark (AUS) 44.60
1994: Charles Gitonga (KEN) 45.00
1998: Iwan Thomas (WAL) 44.52
2002: Michael Blackwood (JAM) 45.07
2006: John Steffensen (AUS) 44.72
2010: Mark Muttai (KEN) 45.44

British medallists

Gold: Rampling (Eng: 1934), Roberts (Eng: 1938), Black (Eng: 1986), Thomas (Wal: 1998)
Silver: Roberts (Eng: 1934), Les Lewis (Eng: 1950), Robbie Brightwell (Eng: 1962), Du’aine Ladejo (Eng: 1994), Mark Richardson (Eng: 1998)
Bronze: Crew Stoneley (Eng: 1934) Daniel Caines (Eng: 2002)
Most successful athlete: Charles Asati is the only dual champion
Most successful Briton: Bill Roberts with gold and silver

» Find other event-by-event histories here and an overall history of the Commonwealth Games here