Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's high jump explained

Event:Women's high jump
Games:2012 Summer
Venue:Olympic Stadium
Date:9–11 August
Competitors:35
Nations:28
Gold:Anna Chicherova
Goldnoc:RUS
Silver:Brigetta Barrett
Silvernoc:USA
Bronze:Ruth Beitia
Bronzenoc:ESP
Win Label:Winning height
Win Value:2.05
Prev:2008
Next:2016

The Women's high jump competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom. The event was held at the Olympic Stadium on 9–11 August.[1]

In the qualifying round, only four athletes attempted the automatic qualifying height of 1.96, the clearance necessary for Svetlana Radzivil to advance beyond two misses at 1.93 and while failing, Irina Gordeeva needed to cover her chances in case Ariane Friedrich or Antonia Stergiou had cleared it.

In the final, it was down to four athletes at 2 metres, in the process losing defending champion Tia Hellebaut and reigning indoor champion Chaunte Lowe. Ruth Beitia was clean at 2.00 with one earlier miss, but she could go no further. Brigetta Barrett was getting into a habit of clearing heights on her second attempt. But she also cleared 2.03 on her second attempt, while Svetlana Shkolina cleared on her third, putting Barrett in silver medal position and Shkolina in the bronze position. The leader was reigning world champion Anna Chicherova, clean through 2.03, which would have been enough for the gold medal. But the competition went on, all three attempting 2.05. Chicherova cleared on her second attempt while Barrett and Shkolina missed three times to settle the medals for sure.[2]

Seven years after the competition, on 1 February 2019, Svetlana Shkolina was among twelve Russian track and field athletes found guilty of doping during the 2012 Summer Olympics, and was stripped of her bronze medal.[3] In 2021, IOC reallocated her bronze medal to Ruth Beitia of Spain, the athlete who originally got fourth in the event.[4]

In 2016, victorious Chicherova's 2008 drug re-test returned positive for dehydrochlormethyltestosterone (turinabol). Her 2008 bronze was rescinded, but 2012 gold was not affected.[5]

Competition format

The competition consisted of two rounds, qualification and final. Athletes start with a qualifying round. Jumping in turn, each athlete attempts to achieve the qualifying height. If they fail at three jumps in a row, they are eliminated. After a successful jump, they receive three more attempts to achieve the next height. Once all jumps have been completed, all athletes who have achieved the qualifying height go through to the final. If fewer than 12 athletes achieve the qualifying standard, the best 12 athletes go through. Cleared heights reset for the final, which followed the same format until all athletes fail three consecutive jumps.[6]

Schedule

All times are British Summer Time (UTC+1)

DateTimeRound
Thursday, 9 August 2012 09:30Qualifications
style=background:lemonchiffonSaturday, 11 August 2012 style=background:lemonchiffon19:00style=background:lemonchiffonFinals

Records

, the existing world record, Olympic record, and world leading jump were as follows:

World record2.09 mRome, Italy30 August 1987
Olympic record2.06 mAthens, Greece28 August 2004
World leading2.06 mArnstadt, Germany4 February 2012

Results

Qualification

Qual. rule: qualification standard 1.96m (Q) or at least best 12 qualified (q).

Rank Group Name Nationality1.751.801.851.901.931.96 Result Note[7]
1 B o o o o xxo o1.96 Q, SB
2 A - - o o o - 1.93 q
A - - o o o - 1.93 q
A - - o o o - 1.93 q, SB
B - - o o o - 1.93 q
B - o o o o - 1.93 q
A o o ooo - 1.93 q, =SB
B - - o o o - 1.93 q
9 A o o - xo o - 1.93 q, SB
10 A o o o o xo - 1.93 q
B - o o o xo xx- 1.93 q
A o oo o xo - 1.93 q
13 B o xo o xxo xo xxx 1.93 SB
14 A - - o o xxo xxx 1.93 SB
15 A - o o o xxx 1.90
B - o o o xxx 1.90
17 B - o x- o xxx 1.90 SB
18 A - o oxxo xxx 1.90
19 B - o xoxxo xxx 1.90
20 B o o o xxx 1.85
A - o o xxx 1.85
B - o o xxx 1.85
B o o o xxx 1.85
B o o o xxx 1.85
A o o o xxx 1.85
B - o o xxx 1.85
27 A - o xo xxx 1.85
28 A - o xxo xxx 1.85
29 A o oxxx 1.80
A -oxxx1.80
B - o xxx 1.80
A o oxxx 1.80
B - o xxx 1.80
34 B xo xo xxx 1.80
B xxx

r = retired from competition

Final

Rank Name Nationality 1.89 1.93 1.97 2.00 2.03 2.05 Result Note
o o o o o xo 2.05 WL
o o xo xo xo xxx 2.03 PB
o o xo o xxx 2.00 =SB
4 o xxo o xxx 1.97 =SB
5 o o xo xxx 1.97
6 o xxo xxo xxx 1.97 SB
7 xo o xxx 1.93 =SB
8 o xo xxx 1.93 =SB
9 o xxo xxx 1.93
10 o xxx 1.89
11 xxo xxx 1.89
DSQ ooooxxoxxx2.03 PB

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Athletics - Summer Olympic Sport. 26 May 2016. london2012.com. 17 June 2016. 5 September 2012. https://archive.today/20120905092430/http://www.london2012.com/athletics/about/. dead.
  2. Web site: IAAF: The XXX Olympic Games Olympic Games. iaaf.org. 17 June 2016.
  3. Web site: THE COURT OF ARBITRATION FOR SPORT (CAS) ISSUES DECISIONS IN 12 FIRST-INSTANCE DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES CONCERNING RUSSIAN TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETES. PDF. 1 February 2019. 1 February 2019.
  4. Web site: London 2012: Athletics high jump women Results. IOC. 1 December 2021.
  5. https://www.iaaf.org/results/olympic-games/2008/the-xxix-olympic-games-3659/women/high-jump/final/series IAAF.org. The XXIX Olympic Games. High Jump women.
  6. Web site: Women's High Jump competition format. London 2012 Organising Committee. 13 June 2012. 7 June 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120607035529/http://www.london2012.com/athletics/event/women-high-jump/competition-format/index.html. dead.
  7. Web site: Women's High Jump – Qualification. London 2012 Organising Committee. 8 August 2012. 2 April 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130402154743/http://www.london2012.com/athletics/event/women-high-jump/phase=atw071900/index.html. dead.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's high jump".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2025, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.