The 800 meters is one of the first five (5) women’s events added to the Olympic track and field program in 1928. After the 1928 final, Olympic officials removed the race from the program because they believed the physical exhaustion displayed by the competitors after the race demonstrated that the distance was too strenuous for women. Reinstated in 1960, the event has remained an essential component of the Olympic agenda.
Since 1928, athletes representing the Federal Republic of Germany, Great Britain, the German Democratic Republic, Germany, Kenya, Mozambique, the Netherlands, Romania, Russia, the Soviet Union, and the United States have won the race. Soviet runners won the race 3 times, the most by a single nation. Although no runner has won the more than once, Maria de Lurdes Mutola, of Mozambique, the 2000 champion, made five consecutive appearances in the Olympic final from 1992 to 2008.
Five (5) athletes have won more than 1 medal in the history of the 800 meters final. Kelly Holmes (Great Britain) and Maria de Lurdes Mutola (Mozambique) lead the individual medal count with 2 (1 gold, 1 bronze), followed by Ana Quirot (Cuba), Hasna Benhassi (Morocco), and Kim Gallagher (United States) with 2 (1 silver, 1 bronze).
Twenty-three (23) nations/teams have won medals in the history of the 800 meters final. The Soviet Union leads the individual medal count with 6 (3 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze), followed by the German Democratic Republic with 4 (1 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze), Great Britain with 3 (2 gold, 1 bronze), Russia with 3 (2 gold, 1 bronze), Romania with 3 (1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze), United States with 3 (1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze), Kenya with 2 (1 gold, 1 silver), Germany (1 gold, 1 bronze), Mozambique with 2 (1 gold, 1 bronze), the Netherlands with 2 (1 gold, 1 bronze), Cuba with 2 (1 silver, 1 bronze), Morocco with 2 (1 silver, 1 bronze), the Federal Republic of Germany with 1 gold, Australia with 1 silver, Austria with 1 silver, Bulgaria with 1 silver, the Commonwealth of Independent States with 1 silver, France with 1 silver, Japan, with 1 silver, South Africa with 1 silver, New Zealand with 1 bronze, Slovenia wth1 bronze, and Sweden with 1 bronze.
Thirty-five (35) nations/teams have scored points for finishing in the top eight positions of the Olympic 800 meters final. The Soviet Union leads scoring with 62 points, followed by the German Democratic Republic (52), Great Britain (50), the United States (49), Russia (43), Romania (33), Mozambique (29), Kenya (24), the Federal Republic of Germany (21), the Netherlands (18), Cuba (18), Bulgaria (18), Germany (16), Morocco (15), the Commonwealth of Independent States (14), France (12), Canada (12), Slovenia (11), Yugoslavia (9), Austria (8), Japan (8), South Africa (8), New Zealand (7), Hungary (7), Sweden (6), Italy (5), Poland (5), Czech Republic (4), Jamaica (3), Belarus (2), Burundi (2), Spain (2), Ukraine (2), Ireland (1).
From 1956 to 1964, both the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) competed as a single team. From 1968 to 1988, they competed separately, reuniting as a single German team in 1992, after German reunification in 1991.
Following the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, the former Soviet Socialist Republics, expect for Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, competed as the Commonwealth of Independent States, or the “Unified Team” in 1992.
Olympic records noted are the records immediately before the final, including marks established in the qualifying rounds.
1928 Amsterdam (August 2)
World Record: 2:19.6 Linda Radke (Germany) July 1, 1928
Olympic Record: 2:22.4 Marie Dollinger (Germany) August 1, 1928
International Association of Athletic Federations, IAAF Statistics Handbook Daegu 2011, Part IV (IAA Media & Public Relations Department, 2011);
International Association of Athletic Federations, IAAF Statistics Handbook, Games of the XXX Olympiad, London 2012, Part I (IAAF Media & Public Relations Department, 2012);
International Association of Athletic Federations, IAAF Statistics Handbook, Games of the XXX Olympiad, London 2012, Part II (IAAF Media & Public Relations Department, 2012);
Wallechinsky, David, and Jaime Loucky, The Complete Book of the Olympics: 2012 Edition (London: Aurum Press, 2012).
