Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Women's 800 metres explained

Event:	Women's 800 metres
Games:	2000 Summer
Venue:	Stadium Australia
Date:	22 September 2000 (heats) 23 September 2000 (semi-finals) 25 September 2000 (final)
Competitors:	38
Nations:	30
Win Value:	1:56.15
Longnames:	yes
Gold:	Maria Mutola
Goldnoc:	MOZ
Silver:	Stephanie Graf
Silvernoc:	AUT
Bronze:	Kelly Holmes
Bronzenoc:	GBR
Prev:	1996
Next:	2004

The Women's 800 metres at the 2000 Summer Olympics as part of the athletics programme was held at Stadium Australia on Friday 22 September, Saturday 23 September, and Monday 25 September 2000.^[1]

The top two runners in each of the initial five heats automatically qualified for the semi-final. The next six fastest runners from across the heats also qualified for the semi-final.

The top three runners in each semi-final automatically qualified for the final. The next two fastest runners from across the heats also qualified for the final.

There were a total number of 39 participating athletes.

In the final, Helena Fuchsová took her lane 1 position out to the lead, with Brigita Langerholc sweeping across the track from lane 8 to shut the door on Hazel Clark and the rest of the pack. Fuchsova held the lead through a 55.04 first lap and on to 600 metres in 1:25.5. Behind her the pack scrambled for position with Kelly Holmes on Fuchsova's shoulder. Holmes, then Maria Mutola, then Stephanie Graf all passed on the final turn. On the final straightaway, Mutola rans strong on the outside, advancing past Holmes, with Graf sprinting past for silver. Four years later, it would be reversed, with Holmes running past Mutoloa on the final straight.

Records

World Record	1:53.28	Jarmila Kratochvílová	Czechoslovakia	Munich, West Germany	26 July 1983
Olympic Record	1:53.43	Nadiya Olizarenko	Soviet Union	Moscow, Soviet Union	27 February 1980

Results

All times shown are in seconds.

• Q denotes qualification by place in heat.
• q denotes qualification by overall place.
• DNS denotes did not start.
• DNF denotes did not finish.
• DQ denotes disqualification.
• NR denotes national record.
• OR denotes Olympic record.
• WR denotes world record.
• PB denotes personal best.
• SB denotes season best.

Qualifying heats

Round 1

Heat 1 of 5 Date: Friday 22 September 2000
Place		Athlete	Nation	Lane	Time	Qual.	Record
Heat	Overall
1	7	Maria Mutola		5	1:59.88	Q
2	10	Tamsyn Lewis		3	2:00.33	Q
3	11	Hasna Benhassi		8	2:00.50	q
4	22	Natalya Dukhnova		1	2:03.20
5	25	Grace Birungi		6	2:03.32
6	26	Olena Buzhenko		7	2:03:48
7	27	Florencia Hunt		4	2:03.78		NR
8	32	Direma Banasso		2	2:13.67		PB

Heat 2 of 5 Date: Friday 22 September 2000
Place		Athlete	Nation	Lane	Time	Qual.	Record
Heat	Overall
1	14	Jearl Miles Clark		3	2:01.79	Q
2	15	Brigita Langerholc		7	2:01.89	Q
3	16	Olga Raspopova		1	2:01.95
4	18	Letitia Vriesde		2	2:02.09
5	23	Mina Ait Hammou		5	2:03.25
6	28			6	2:04:08		NR
7	30	Elena Iagăr		8	2:07.56
8	37	Roda Ali Wais		4	2:31.71

Heat 3 of 5 Date: Friday 22 September 2000
Place		Athlete	Nation	Lane	Time	Qual.	Record
Heat	Overall
1	5	Mayte Martínez		3	1:59.60	Q	PB
2	6	Irina Mistyukevich		6	1:59.73	Q
3	8	Zulia Calatayud		8	2:00.18	q
4	9	Joetta Clark Diggs		4	2:00.19	q
5	12	Charmaine Howell		7	2:01.14	q
6	33			5	2:14:15
7	36	Anhel Cape		1	2:17.05
		Ludmila Formanová		2	DNF

Heat 4 of 5 Date: Friday 22 September 2000
Place		Athlete	Nation	Lane	Time	Qual.	Record
Heat	Overall
1	13	Kelly Holmes		6	2:01.76	Q
2	17	Hazel Clark		5	2:01.99	Q
3	19	Natalya Tsyganova		8	2:02.26
4	20	Sandra Stals		4	2:02.33
5	24	Susan Andrews		1	2:03.31
6	29			2	2:06:05
7	35	Delfina Cassinda		3	2:15.02

Heat 5 of 5 Date: Friday 22 September 2000
Place		Athlete	Nation	Lane	Time	Qual.	Record
Heat	Overall
1	1	Stephanie Graf		1	1:58.39	Q
2	2	Claudia Gesell		2	1:58.56	Q
3	3	Helena Fuchsová		4	1:58.97	q	SB
4	4	Toni Hodgkinson		7	1:59.37	q
5	21	Diane Modahl		5	2:02.41
6	31			6	2:07:90		SB
7	34	Anna Nasilyan		8	2:14.86
		Tina Paulino		3	DNS

Overall Results Round 1

Round 1 Overall Results
Place	Athlete	Nation	Heat	Lane	Place	Time	Qual.	Record
1	Stephanie Graf		5	1	1	1:58.39	Q
2	Claudia Gesell		5	2	2	1:58.56	Q
3	Helena Fuchsová		5	4	3	1:58.97	q	SB
4	Toni Hodgkinson		5	7	4	1:59.37	q
5	Mayte Martínez		3	3	1	1:59.60	Q	PB
6	Irina Mistyukevich		3	6	3	1:59.73	Q
7	Maria Mutola		1	5	1	1:59.88	Q
8	Zulia Calatayud		2	8	3	2:00.18	q
9	Joetta Clark Diggs		3	4	4	2:00.19	q
10	Tamsyn Lewis		1	3	2	2:00.23	Q
11	Hasna Benhassi		1	8	3	2:00.50	q
12	Charmaine Howell		3	7	5	2:01.14	q
13	Kelly Holmes		4	6	1	2:01.76	Q
14	Jearl Miles Clark		2	3	1	2:01.79	Q
15	Brigita Langerholc		2	7	2	2:01.89	Q
16	Olga Raspopova		2	1	3	2:01.95
17	Hazel Clark		4	5	2	2:01.99	Q
18	Letitia Vriesde		2	2	4	2:02.09
19	Natalya Tsyganova		4	8	3	2:02.25
20	Sandra Stals		4	4	4	2:02.33
21	Diane Modahl		5	5	5	2:02.41
22	Natalya Dukhnova		1	1	4	2:03.20
23	Mina Ait Hammou		2	5	5	2:03.25
24	Susan Andrews		4	1	5	2:03.31
25	Grace Birungi		1	6	5	2:03.32
26	Olena Buzhenko		1	7	6	2:03.48
27	Florencia Hunt		1	4	7	2:03.78		NR
28	Leontine Tsiba		2	6	6	2:04.08
29			4	2	6	2:06.05
30	Elena Iagăr		2	8	7	2:07.56
31	Adama Njie		5	6	6	2:07.90		SB
32	Direma Banasso		1	2	8	2:13.67		PB
33			3	5	6	2:14.15
34	Anna Nasilyan		5	8	7	2:14:86
35	Delfina Cassinda		4	3	7	2:15.02
36	Anhel Cape		3	1	7	2:17.05
37	Roda Ali Wais		2	4	8	2:31.71
	Ludmila Formanová		3	2		DNF
	Tina Paulino		5	3		DNS

Semi-finals

Heat 1 of 2 Date: Saturday 23 September 2000
Place		Athlete	Nation	Lane	Time	Qual.	Record
Heat	Overall
1	4	Maria Mutola		5	1:58.56	Q
2	7	Hasna Benhassi		4	1:59.19	Q
3	8	Zulia Calatayud		2	1:59.30	Q	PB
4	9	Tamsyn Lewis		7	1:59.33
5	10	Jearl Miles Clark		3	1:59.44
6	11	Claudia Gesell		6	1:59:69
7	13	Charmaine Howell		8	2:00.63		PB
8	15	Mayte Martínez		1	2:03.27

Heat 2 of 2 Date: Saturday 23 September 2000
Place		Athlete	Nation	Lane	Time	Qual.	Record
Heat	Overall
1	1	Stephanie Graf		3	1:57.56	Q
2	2	Kelly Holmes		1	1:58.45	Q	SB
3	3	Helena Fuchsová		4	1:58.82	Q	SB
4	5	Brigita Langerholc		1	1:59.09	q	NR
5	6	Hazel Clark		6	1:59.12	q
6	12	Toni Hodgkinson		7	1:59:84
7	14	Irina Mistyukevich		5	2:02.95
8	16	Joetta Clark Diggs		8	2:04.12

Overall Results Semi-finals

Semi-final Overall Results
Place	Athlete	Nation	Heat	Lane	Place	Time	Qual.	Record
1	Stephanie Graf		2	3	1	1:57.56	Q
2	Kelly Holmes		1	2	2	1:58.45	Q	SB
3	Helena Fuchsová		2	4	3	1:58.82	Q	SB
4	Maria Mutola		1	5	1	1:58.86	Q
5	Brigita Langerholc		2	1	4	1:59.96	q	NR
6	Hazel Clark		2	6	5	1:59.12	q
7	Hasna Benhassi		1	4	2	1:59.19	Q
8	Zulia Calatayud		1	2	3	1:59.30	Q	PB
9	Tamsyn Lewis		1	7	4	1:59.33
10	Jearl Miles Clark		1	3	5	1:59.44
11	Claudia Gesell		1	6	6	1:59.69
12	Toni Hodgkinson		2	7	6	1:59.84
13	Charmaine Howell		1	8	7	2:00.63		PB
14	Irina Mistyukevich		2	5	7	2:02.95
15	Mayte Martínez		1	1	8	2:03.27
16	Joetta Clark Diggs		2	8	8	2:04.12

Final

Date: Monday 25 September 2000
Place	Athlete	Nation	Lane	Time	Record
	Maria Mutola		6	1:56.15	SB
	Stephanie Graf		5	1:56.64	NR
	Kelly Holmes		3	1:56.80	SB
4	Brigita Langerholc		8	1:58.51	NR
5	Helena Fuchsová		1	1:58.56	PB
6	Zulia Calatayud		7	1:58.66	PB
7	Hazel Clark		2	1:58.75
8	Hasna Benhassi		4	1:59.17

External links

• Official Report
• Official Report of the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics

Notes and References

1. Web site: Athletics at the 2000 Sydney Games: Women's 800 metres . https://web.archive.org/web/20200417174154/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/2000/ATH/womens-800-metres.html . dead . 17 April 2020 . 22 October 2017 . Sports Reference.