800 metres at the Olympics
800 metres at the Olympic Games | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Sport | Athletics |
Gender | Men and women |
Years held | Men: 1896 – 2020 Women: 1928 , 1960 – 2020 |
Olympic record | |
Men | 1:40.91 David Rudisha (2012) |
Women | 1:53.43 Nadiya Olizarenko (1980) |
Reigning champion | |
Men | Emmanuel Korir (KEN) |
Women | Athing Mu (USA) |
The 800 metres at the Summer Olympics has been contested since the first edition of the multi-sport event. The men's 800 m has been present on the Olympic athletics programme since 1896. The women's event was first held in 1928, making it the first distance running event for women. However it was not held again until 1960, since when it has been a permanent fixture. It is the most prestigious 800 m race at elite level. The competition format typically has three rounds: a qualifying round, semi-final stage, and a final between eight runners.
The Olympic records are held by David Rudisha, who ran a world record of 1:40.91 minutes in 2012, and Nadiya Olizarenko, who ran a former world record of 1:53.43 minutes in 1980. Olizarenko's mark is the joint longest-standing women's Olympic record (technically set three days after Ilona Slupianek's shot put record) and the joint second-longest after the men's long jump record by Bob Beamon. Her time remains the second fastest ever for the event.[1] The 800 metres world record has been broken or equalled ten times at the Olympics; the men's record was broken in 1912, 1932, 1968, 1976 and 2012; the women's record was improved in 1928, 1960, 1964, 1976 and 1980.[2]
Four men have won consecutive 800 m Olympic titles: Douglas Lowe (1924/1928), Mal Whitfield (1948/1952), Peter Snell (1960/1964), and Rudisha (2012/2016). Only Caster Semenya (2012/2016) has won the women's title twice, but Maria Mutola, Kelly Holmes and Pamela Jelimo have won gold and reached the podium twice. No athlete of either sex has won more than two medals. Historically, athletes in this event have also been successful at the 1500 metres at the Olympics. Holmes was the last athlete to win both events at the same Olympics in 2004. 2012 1500m gold medalist Taoufik Makhloufi made both podiums without winning gold in 2016. Alberto Juantorena in 1976 also won the 400 metres gold medal in the same Olympics, only three other men and one woman have been able to get a medal in both events.[3]
The United States is the most successful nation, having won nine gold medals & a total of 24 medals followed by Great Britain with eight gold & 12 medals overall and Kenya with six gold among its 15 medals.[4]
Medal summary[]
Men[]
Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
1896 Athens |
Edwin Flack Australia |
Nándor Dáni Hungary |
Dimitrios Golemis Greece |
1900 Paris |
Alfred Tysoe Great Britain |
John Cregan United States |
David Hall United States |
1904 St. Louis |
Jim Lightbody United States |
Howard Valentine United States |
Emil Breitkreutz United States |
1908 London |
Mel Sheppard United States |
Emilio Lunghi Italy |
Hanns Braun Germany |
1912 Stockholm |
Ted Meredith United States |
Mel Sheppard United States |
Ira Davenport United States |
1920 Antwerp |
Albert Hill Great Britain |
Earl Eby United States |
Bevil Rudd South Africa |
1924 Paris |
Douglas Lowe Great Britain |
Paul Martin Switzerland |
Schuyler Enck United States |
1928 Amsterdam |
Douglas Lowe Great Britain |
Erik Byléhn Sweden |
Hermann Engelhard Germany |
1932 Los Angeles |
Tommy Hampson Great Britain |
Alex Wilson Canada |
Phil Edwards Canada |
1936 Berlin |
John Woodruff United States |
Mario Lanzi Italy |
Phil Edwards Canada |
1948 London |
Mal Whitfield United States |
Arthur Wint Jamaica |
Marcel Hansenne France |
1952 Helsinki |
Mal Whitfield United States |
Arthur Wint Jamaica |
Heinz Ulzheimer Germany |
1956 Melbourne |
Tom Courtney United States |
Derek Johnson Great Britain |
Audun Boysen Norway |
1960 Rome |
Peter Snell New Zealand |
Roger Moens Belgium |
George Kerr British West Indies |
1964 Tokyo |
Peter Snell New Zealand |
Bill Crothers Canada |
Wilson Kiprugut Kenya |
1968 Mexico City |
Ralph Doubell Australia |
Wilson Kiprugut Kenya |
Tom Farrell United States |
1972 Munich |
Dave Wottle United States |
Yevhen Arzhanov Soviet Union |
Mike Boit Kenya |
1976 Montreal |
Alberto Juantorena Cuba |
Ivo Van Damme Belgium |
Rick Wohlhuter United States |
1980 Moscow |
Steve Ovett Great Britain |
Sebastian Coe Great Britain |
Nikolay Kirov Soviet Union |
1984 Los Angeles |
Joaquim Cruz Brazil |
Sebastian Coe Great Britain |
Earl Jones United States |
1988 Seoul |
Paul Ereng Kenya |
Joaquim Cruz Brazil |
Saïd Aouita Morocco |
1992 Barcelona |
William Tanui Kenya |
Nixon Kiprotich Kenya |
Johnny Gray United States |
1996 Atlanta |
Vebjørn Rodal Norway |
Hezekiél Sepeng South Africa |
Frederick Onyancha Kenya |
2000 Sydney |
Nils Schumann Germany |
Wilson Kipketer Denmark |
Djabir Saïd-Guerni Algeria |
2004 Athens |
Yuriy Borzakovskiy Russia |
Mbulaeni Mulaudzi South Africa |
Wilson Kipketer Denmark |
2008 Beijing |
Wilfred Bungei Kenya |
Ismail Ahmed Ismail Sudan |
Alfred Kirwa Yego Kenya |
2012 London |
David Rudisha Kenya |
Nijel Amos Botswana |
Timothy Kitum Kenya |
2016 Rio de Janeiro |
David Rudisha Kenya |
Taoufik Makhloufi Algeria |
Clayton Murphy United States |
2020 Tokyo |
Emmanuel Korir Kenya |
Ferguson Rotich Kenya |
Patryk Dobek Poland |
Multiple medalists[]
Rank | Athlete | Nation | Olympics | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1= | Douglas Lowe | Great Britain (GBR) | 1924–1928 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
1= | Mal Whitfield | United States (USA) | 1948–1952 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
1= | Peter Snell | New Zealand (NZL) | 1960–1964 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
1= | David Rudisha | Kenya (KEN) | 2012-2016 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
5= | Mel Sheppard | United States (USA) | 1908–1912 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
5= | Joaquim Cruz | Brazil (BRA) | 1984–1988 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
7= | Arthur Wint | Jamaica (JAM) | 1948–1952 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
7= | Sebastian Coe | Great Britain (GBR) | 1980–1984 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
9= | Wilson Kiprugut | Kenya (KEN) | 1964–1968 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
9= | Wilson Kipketer | Denmark (DEN) | 2000–2004 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
11 | Phil Edwards | Canada (CAN) | 1932–1936 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Medals by country[]
Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | United States (USA) | 8 | 4 | 9 | 21 |
2 | Kenya (KEN) | 6 | 3 | 5 | 14 |
3 | Great Britain (GBR) | 6 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
4= | Australia (AUS) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
4= | New Zealand (NZL) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
6 | Brazil (BRA) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
7 | Germany (GER) | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
8 | Norway (NOR) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
9= | Cuba (CUB) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
9= | Russia (RUS) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
11 | Canada (CAN) | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
12 | South Africa (RSA) | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
13= | Italy (ITA) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
13= | Belgium (BEL) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
13= | Jamaica (JAM) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
16= | Algeria (ALG) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
16= | Denmark (DEN) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
16= | Soviet Union (URS) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
19= | Botswana (BOT) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
19= | Hungary (HUN) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
19= | Sudan (SUD) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
19= | Sweden (SWE) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
19= | Switzerland (SUI) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
24= | British West Indies (BWI) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
24= | France (FRA) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
24= | Greece (GRE) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
24= | Morocco (MAR) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
24= | Poland (POL) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Women[]
Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
1928 Amsterdam |
Lina Radke Germany |
Kinuye Hitomi Japan |
Inga Gentzel Sweden |
1932–1956 | not included in the Olympic program | ||
1960 Rome |
Lyudmila Shevtsova Soviet Union |
Brenda Jones Australia |
Ursula Donath United Team of Germany |
1964 Tokyo |
Ann Packer Great Britain |
Maryvonne Dupureur France |
Marise Chamberlain New Zealand |
1968 Mexico City |
Madeline Manning United States |
Ilona Silai Romania |
Mia Gommers Netherlands |
1972 Munich |
Hildegard Falck West Germany |
Nijolė Sabaitė Soviet Union |
Gunhild Hoffmeister East Germany |
1976 Montreal |
Tatyana Kazankina Soviet Union |
Nikolina Shtereva Bulgaria |
Elfi Zinn East Germany |
1980 Moscow |
Nadiya Olizarenko Soviet Union |
Olga Mineyeva Soviet Union |
Tatyana Providokhina Soviet Union |
1984 Los Angeles |
Doina Melinte Romania |
Kim Gallagher United States |
Fiţa Lovin Romania |
1988 Seoul |
Sigrun Wodars East Germany |
Christine Wachtel East Germany |
Kim Gallagher United States |
1992 Barcelona |
Ellen van Langen Netherlands |
Liliya Nurutdinova Unified Team |
Ana Fidelia Quirot Cuba |
1996 Atlanta |
Svetlana Masterkova Russia |
Ana Fidelia Quirot Cuba |
Maria Mutola Mozambique |
2000 Sydney |
Maria Mutola Mozambique |
Stephanie Graf Austria |
Kelly Holmes Great Britain |
2004 Athens |
Kelly Holmes Great Britain |
Hasna Benhassi Morocco |
Jolanda Čeplak Slovenia |
2008 Beijing |
Pamela Jelimo Kenya |
Janeth Jepkosgei Kenya |
Hasna Benhassi Morocco |
2012 London |
Caster Semenya South Africa[5] |
Ekaterina Poistogova Russia |
Pamela Jelimo Kenya |
2016 Rio de Janeiro |
Caster Semenya South Africa |
Francine Niyonsaba Burundi |
Margaret Wambui Kenya |
2020 Tokyo |
Athing Mu United States |
Keely Hodgkinson Great Britain |
Raevyn Rogers United States |
Multiple medalists[]
Rank | Athlete | Nation | Olympics | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Caster Semenya | South Africa (RSA) | 2012–2016 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
2= | Maria Mutola | Mozambique (MOZ) | 1996–2000 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
2= | Kelly Holmes | Great Britain (GBR) | 2000–2004 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
2= | Pamela Jelimo | Kenya (KEN) | 2008–2012 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
5= | Kim Gallagher | United States (USA) | 1984–1988 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
5= | Ana Fidelia Quirot | Cuba (CUB) | 1992–1996 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
5= | Hasna Benhassi | Morocco (MAR) | 2004–2008 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Medalists by country[]
Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Soviet Union (URS) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
2 | United States (USA) | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
3 | Great Britain (GBR) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
4 | South Africa (RSA) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
5 | East Germany (GDR) | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
6= | Romania (ROU) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
6= | Kenya (KEN) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
8 | Russia (RUS) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
9= | Germany (GER)[nb] | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
9= | Mozambique (MOZ) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
9= | Netherlands (NED) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
12= | Morocco (MAR) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
12= | Cuba (CUB) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
14= | Australia (AUS) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
14= | Austria (AUT) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
14= | Bulgaria (BUL) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
14= | France (FRA) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
14= | Japan (JPN) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
14= | Unified Team (EUN) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
14= | Burundi (BDI) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
21= | New Zealand (NZL) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
21= | Slovenia (SLO) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
21= | Sweden (SWE) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
- nb The German total includes teams both competing as Germany and the United Team of Germany, but not East or West Germany.
Intercalated Games[]
The 1906 Intercalated Games were held in Athens and at the time were officially recognised as part of the Olympic Games series, with the intention being to hold a games in Greece in two-year intervals between the internationally held Olympics. However, this plan never came to fruition and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) later decided not to recognise these games as part of the official Olympic series. Some sports historians continue to treat the results of these games as part of the Olympic canon.[6]
At this event a men's 800 m was held and Paul Pilgrim, a 1904 Olympic gold medalist in the 4-mile team race, won the competition. The reigning 800 m and 1500 metres champion from the 1904 Olympics, James Lightbody, was the runner-up and Britain's Wyndham Halswelle, later the 1908 Olympic champion, was the bronze medalist.[7]
Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
1906 Athens |
Paul Pilgrim (USA) | James Lightbody (USA) | Wyndham Halswelle (GBR) |
Non-canonical Olympic events[]
In addition to the main 1900 Olympic men's 800 metres, a handicap competition with thirteen entrants was contested three days after the final. Christian Christensen of Denmark was the winner in a time of 1:52.0 minutes with a 70 m handicap. Howard Hayes and Harvey Lord, both of the United States, filled out the top three, with Hayes recording 1:53.5 mins (45 m handicap) and Lord finishing in 1:54.2 minutes (35 m handicap).[8][9]
A handicap 880-yard run (804.7 m) competition was held at 1904 Summer Olympics after the 1904 Olympic men's 800 m race. Johannes Runge of Germany won in 1:58.4 minutes with a 10-yard handicap. James Peck of Canada came second in 1:59.0 minutes with zero handicap and F. C. Roth, an American schoolboy, was third with a 15-yard headstart.[9][10]
These events are no longer considered part of the official Olympic history of the 800 metres or the athletics programme in general. Consequently, medals from these competitions have not been assigned to nations on the all-time medal tables.[9]
References[]
- Participation and athlete data
- Athletics Men's 800 metres Medalists. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-07.
- Athletics Women's 800 metres Medalists. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-07.
- Olympic record progressions
- Mallon, Bill (2012). TRACK & FIELD ATHLETICS - OLYMPIC RECORD PROGRESSIONS. Track and Field News. Retrieved on 2014-02-07.
- Specific
- ^ 800 Metres - women - senior - outdoor. IAAF. Retrieved on 2014-05-24.
- ^ English, Colleen (2019). ""Beyond Women's Powers of Endurance": The 1928 800-Meter and Women's Olympic Track and Field in the Context of the United States". Sport History Review. 50 (2): 187–204. doi:10.1123/shr.2018-0040. S2CID 213870529.
- ^ "Every Men's 800-Meter World Record, from 1912 Until Today".
- ^ Longman, Jeré (15 June 2017). "Track's Most Resilient (And Suspect) Record is in Danger". The New York Times.
- ^ On 10 February 2017, the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld a four-year ban that effectively stripped of the gold medal of Mariya Savinova of Russia, based upon her biological passport. Caster Semenya of South Africa was advanced to gold, Ekaterina Poistogova of Russia to silver, and Pamela Jelimo of Kenya to bronze. Poistogova herself was later found guilty of doping, but her Olympic results were unaffected, and the IOC decided to upgrade her medal. 1
- ^ 1906 Athina Summer Games. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-01-26.
- ^ Athletics at the 1906 Athina Summer Games: Men's 800 metres. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-01-26.
- ^ Athletics at the 1900 Paris Summer Games: Men's 800 metres, Handicap. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-06-28.
- ^ a b c Handicap Olympic Athletics Events. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2014-04-18.
- ^ Lucas, Charles. The Olympic Games 1904. bandbhac. Retrieved on 2014-07-01.
External links[]
- IAAF 800 metres homepage
- Official Olympics website
- Olympic athletics records from Track & Field News
- 800 metres at the Olympics
- 800 metres
- Athletics events at the Olympics