800 metres
| Athletics 800 metres | |
|---|---|
|
800 metres final in Daegu 2011. | |
| Men's records | |
| World |
 David Rudisha 1:40.91 (2012) |
| Olympic |
David Rudisha 1:40.91 (2012) |
| Women's records | |
| World |
 Jarmila Kratochvílová 1:53.28 (1983) |
| Olympic |
 Nadezhda Olizarenko 1:53.43 (1980) |
The 800 metres, or 800-meter run, is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle-distance track event. The 800 metres is run over two laps of the track (400 metre track) and has been an Olympic event since the first games in 1896. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 metre track, therefore requiring four laps.
The event was derived from the imperial measurement of a half a mile, a traditional English racing distance. Imperial racing distances were common in the United States. American high schools (in the name of the NFHS) were the last to convert to metric distances in 1980, following the NCAA's conversion in 1976. Countries associated to the English system converted to metric distances after the 1966 Commonwealth Games. 800 m is 4.67 m less than half a mile.
The event combines aerobic endurance with anaerobic conditioning and sprint speed. Both the aerobic and anaerobic systems are being taxed to a high extent, thus the 800 metre athlete is required to combine training between both systems.
Runners in this event are often fast enough to compete in the 400 metres and/or the 4 × 400 metres relay but only Alberto Juantorena and Jarmila Kratochvílová have won major international titles at 400 m and 800 m. If they are so inclined, 400 m runners are usually encouraged to run the 200 metres while 800 m runners are encouraged to run the 1500 metres.
Race tactics
The 800 m event is also known for its tactical racing techniques. Because the 800 m event is the shortest event that has all the runners converge on lane one, positioning on the cut-in is critical to the outcome of the race. It is commonly believed that getting the first or second position early in the race is advantageous as these positions are not usually caught up in the pack. Olympic champions Dave Wottle, Yuriy Borzakovskiy and others have defied that logic by running a more evenly paced race, lagging behind the pack and kicking past the slowing early leaders. Often the winner of 800 m races at high levels are not determined by the strongest runner but instead by the athlete with the best positioning near the end of the race. This can lead to the most exciting aspect of the 800 m which is its high probability of an upset.
All-time top 25 fastest
Men
As of November 2014
| Rank | Time | Athlete | Nation | Date | Location | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1:40.91 | David Rudisha | Kenya | 9 August 2012 | London | [1] |
| 2 | 1:41.11 | Wilson Kipketer |  Denmark | 24 August 1997 | Cologne | |
| 3 | 1:41.73 | Sebastian Coe |  United Kingdom | 10 June 1981 | Florence | |
| Nijel Amos |  Botswana | 9 August 2012 | London | [1] | ||
| 5 | 1:41.77 | Joaquim Cruz | .svg.png){kind=small} Brazil | 26 August 1984 | Cologne | |
| 6 | 1:42.23 | Abubaker Kaki Khamis |  Sudan | 4 June 2010 | Oslo | [2] |
| 7 | 1:42.28 | Sammy Koskei | Kenya | 26 August 1984 | Cologne | |
| 8 | 1:42.34 | Wilfred Bungei | Kenya | 8 September 2002 | Rieti | |
| 9 | 1:42.37 | Mohammed Aman |  Ethiopia | 6 September 2013 | Brussels | [3] |
| 10 | 1:42.47 | Yuriy Borzakovskiy |  Russia | 24 August 2001 | Brussels | |
| 11 | 1:42.53 | Timothy Kitum | Kenya | 9 August 2012 | London | |
| 11 | 1:42.53 | Pierre-Ambroise Bosse |  France | 18 July 2014 | Monaco | |
| 13 | 1:42.55 | André Bucher |  Switzerland | 17 August 2001 | Zurich | |
| 14 | 1:42.58 | Vebjørn Rodal |  Norway | 31 July 1996 | Atlanta | |
| 15 | 1:42.60 | Johnny Gray |  United States | 28 August 1985 | Koblenz | |
| 16 | 1:42.62 | Patrick Ndururi | Kenya | 17 August 2001 | Zurich | |
| 17 | 1:42.67 | Alfred Kirwa Yego | Kenya | 6 September 2009 | Rieti | |
| 18 | 1:42.69 | Hezekiél Sepeng |  South Africa | 3 September 2009 | Brussels | |
| 18 | 1:42.69 | Japheth Kimutai | Kenya | 3 September 2009 | Brussels | |
| 20 | 1:42.79 | Frederick Onyancha | Kenya | 31 July 1996 | Atlanta | |
| 20 | 1:42.79 | Yusuf Saad Kamel |  Bahrain | 29 July 2008 | Monaco | |
| 22 | 1:42.81 | Jean-Patrick Nduwimana |  Burundi | 17 August 2001 | Zurich | |
| 23 | 1:42.82 | Duane Solomon | United States | 9 August 2012 | London | |
| 24 | 1:42.84 | Ferguson Rotich | South Africa | 18 July 2014 | Monaco | |
| 25 | 1:42.85 | Norberto Tellez |  Cuba | 31 July 1996 | Atlanta | |
Women
As of November 2014.
| Rank | Time | Athlete | Country | Date | Location | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1:53.28 | Jarmila Kratochvílová | Czechoslovakia | 26 July 1983 | Munich | |
| 2 | 1:53.43 | Nadezhda Olizarenko | Soviet Union | 27 July 1980 | Moscow | |
| 3 | 1:54.01 | Pamela Jelimo | Kenya | 29 August 2008 | Zürich | |
| 4 | 1:54.44 | Ana Fidelia Quirot | Cuba | 9 September 1989 | Barcelona | |
| 5 | 1:54.81 | Olga Mineyeva | Soviet Union | 27 July 1980 | Moscow | |
| 6 | 1:54.94 | Tatyana Kazankina | Soviet Union | 26 July 1976 | Montreal | |
| 7 | 1:55.05 | Doina Melinte |  Romania | 1 August 1982 | Bucharest | |
| 8 | 1:55.19 | Maria de Lurdes Mutola |  Mozambique | 17 August 1994 | Zürich | |
| Jolanda Čeplak |  Slovenia | 20 July 2002 | Heusden-Zolder | |||
| 10 | 1:55.26 | Sigrun Wodars |  East Germany | 31 August 1987 | Rome | |
| 11 | 1:55.32 | Christine Wachtel | East Germany | 31 August 1987 | Rome | |
| 12 | 1:55.42 | Nikolina Shtereva |  Bulgaria | 26 July 1976 | Rome | |
| 13 | 1:55.45 | Caster Semenya | South Africa | 19 August 2009 | Berlin | |
| 14 | 1:55.46 | Tatyana Providokhina | Soviet Union | 27 July 1980 | Moscow | |
| 15 | 1:55.54 | Ellen Van Langen |  Netherlands | 3 August 1992 | Barcelona | |
| Dong Liu |  China | 9 August 1993 | Beijing | |||
| 17 | 1:55.56 | Lyubov Gurina | Soviet Union | 31 August 1987 | Rome | |
| 18 | 1:55.60 | Elfi Zinn | East Germany | 26 July 1976 | Montreal | |
| 19 | 1:55.68 | Ella Kovacs | Romania | 2 June 1985 | Bucharest | |
| 20 | 1:55.69 | Irina Podyalovskaya | Soviet Union | 22 June 1984 | Kyiv | |
| 21 | 1:55.74 | Anita Weiss | East Germany | 26 July 1976 | Montreal | |
| 22 | 1:55.87 | Svetlana Masterkova | Russia | 18 June 1999 | Moscow | |
| Mariya Savinova | Russia | 4 September 2011 | Daegu | |||
| 24 | 1:55.96 | Lyudmila Veselkova | Soviet Union | 8 September 1982 | Athens | |
| Yekaterina Podkopayeva | Soviet Union | 27 July 1983 | Leningrad |
Juniors
World junior records (19 and under) are held by Nijel Amos (1:41.73, London, 9 August 2012) and Pamela Jelimo (1:54.01, Zürich, 29 August 2008). Both marks coincidentally rank them as the third fastest ever.
Olympic medalists
Men
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Women
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World Championships medalists
Men
Women
Season's bests
Men (outdoor)
Women
| Year | Time | Athlete | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 1:54.94 | Tatyana Kazankina (URS) |
Montreal |
| 1977 | 1:57.39 | .svg.png){kind=small} Ileana Silai (ROU) |
Bucharest |
| 1978 | 1:55.80 | Tatyana Providokhina (URS) |
Prague |
| 1979 | 1:56.2 | .svg.png){kind=small} Totka Petrova (BUL) |
Paris |
| 1980 | 1:53.43 | Nadezhda Olizarenko (URS) |
Moscow |
| 1981 | 1:56.98 | Lyudmila Veselkova (URS) |
Leningrad |
| 1982 | 1:55.05 | Doina Melinte (ROU) |
Bucharest |
| 1983 | 1:53.28 | Jarmila Kratochvílová (TCH) |
Munich |
| 1984 | 1:55.69 | Irina Podyalovskaya (URS) |
Kiev |
| 1985 | 1:55.68 | Ella Kovacs (ROU) |
Bucharest |
| 1986 | 1:56.2 | Doina Melinte (ROU) |
Bucharest |
| 1987 | 1:55.26 | Sigrun Wodars (GDR) |
Rome |
| 1988 | 1:56.00 | Inna Yevseyeva (URS) Nadezhda Olizarenko (URS) |
Kiev Kharkov |
| 1989 | 1:54.44 | Ana Fidelia Quirot (CUB) |
Barcelona |
| 1990 | 1:55.87 | Sigrun Wodars (GDR) |
Split |
| 1991 | 1:57.23 | Svetlana Masterkova (RUS) |
Kiev |
| 1992 | 1:55.54 | Ellen van Langen (NED) |
Barcelona |
| 1993 | 1:55.43 | Maria de Lurdes Mutola (MOZ) |
Stuttgart |
| 1994 | 1:55.19 | Maria de Lurdes Mutola (MOZ) |
Zürich |
| 1995 | 1:55.72 | Maria de Lurdes Mutola (MOZ) |
Monaco |
| 1996 | 1:56.04 | Svetlana Masterkova (RUS) |
Monaco |
| 1997 | 1:54.82 | Ana Fidelia Quirot (CUB) |
Cologne |
| 1998 | 1:56.11 | Maria de Lurdes Mutola (MOZ) |
Zürich |
| 1999 | 1:55.87 | Svetlana Masterkova (RUS) |
Moscow |
| 2000 | 1:56.15 | Maria de Lurdes Mutola (MOZ) |
Sydney |
| 2001 | 1:56.85 | Maria de Lurdes Mutola (MOZ) |
Zürich |
| 2002 | 1:55.19 | Jolanda Čeplak (SLO) |
Heusden-Zolder |
| 2003 | 1:55.55 | Maria de Lurdes Mutola (MOZ) |
Madrid |
| 2004 | 1:56.23 | Tatyana Andrianova (RUS) |
Tula |
| 2005 | 1:56.07 | Tatyana Andrianova (RUS) |
Tula |
| 2006 | 1:56.66 | Janeth Jepkosgei (KEN) |
Lausanne |
| 2007 | 1:56.04 | Janeth Jepkosgei (KEN) |
Osaka |
| 2008 | 1:54.01 | Pamela Jelimo (KEN) |
Zurich |
| 2009 | 1:55.45 | Caster Semenya (RSA) |
Berlin |
| 2010 | 1:57.34 | Alysia Johnson (USA) |
Monaco |
| 2011 | 1:55.87 | Mariya Savinova (RUS) |
Daegu |
| 2012 | 1:56.19 | Mariya Savinova (RUS) |
London[4] |
| 2013 | 1:56.72 | Francine Niyonsaba (BDI) |
Eugene |
| 2014 | 1:57.67 | Ajee' Wilson (USA) |
Monaco |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "800 Metres Results". IAAF. 9 August 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
- ↑ "800 Metres Results". www.diamondleague-oslo.com. 2010-06-04. Archived from the original on 7 June 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-07.
- ↑ "800m Result" (PDF). Samsung Diamond League. Omega Timing. 6 September 2013. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
- ↑ http://www.iaaf.org/records/toplists/middlelong/800-metres/outdoor/women/senior/2012
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