800 metres at the World Athletics Championships

Last updated
800 metres
at the World Athletics Championships
800 m final Daegu 2011.jpg
The men's 2011 final
Overview
GenderMen and women
Years heldMen: 19832023
Women: 19832023
Championship record
Men1:42.34 Donavan Brazier (2019)
Women1:54.68 Jarmila Kratochvílová (1983)
Reigning champion
MenFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Marco Arop  (CAN)
WomenFlag of Kenya.svg  Mary Moraa  (KEN)

The 800 metres at the World Championships in Athletics has been contested by both men and women since the inaugural edition in 1983. It is the second most prestigious title in the discipline after the 800 metres at the Olympics. The competition format typically has two qualifying rounds leading to a final between eight athletes.

Contents

The championship records for the event are 1:42.34 for men, set by Donavan Brazier in 2019, and 1:54.68 for women, set by Jarmila Kratochvílová in 1983. Set at the inaugural championships, Kratochvílová's record is the longest-standing record of the competition. [1] The 800 m world record has never been broken at the competition by either men or women. [2]

Maria Mutola is the most successful athlete of the event: from a period spanning 1993 to 2003, she won three gold medals, one silver and one bronze in the World Championships 800 m. The most successful man is Wilson Kipketer, who won three straight titles from 1995 to 1999. Only two other people, Billy Konchellah and Ana Fidelia Quirot, have won two world championship titles in the event. Yuriy Borzakovskiy, though never a champion, has won the most medals in the men's competition, with two silver and two bronze medals.

Kenya is the most successful nation in the discipline, with five gold medals in the men's, two in the women's race, and a total of 13 medals overall. The actions of Mutola and Kipketer alone rank Mozambique at the top of the women's rankings and Denmark second in the men's medal table. Cuba—the second most successful nation among women—has won three women's gold medals. South Africa is the only nation besides Kenya to have provided both a men's and women's winner. Russia has the second highest overall medal tally, with eleven medals across the men's and women's divisions, but it has also provided six of the eight athletes sanctioned for doping at this World Championship distance.

Age records

DistinctionMaleFemale
AthleteAgeDateAthleteAgeDate
Youngest championFlag of Ethiopia.svg  Mohammed Aman  (ETH)19 years, 215 days13 Aug 2013Flag of South Africa.svg  Caster Semenya  (RSA)18 years, 224 days19 Aug 2009
Youngest medalistFlag of Ethiopia.svg  Mohammed Aman  (ETH)19 years, 215 days13 Aug 2013Flag of South Africa.svg  Caster Semenya  (RSA)18 years, 224 days19 Aug 2009
Youngest finalistFlag of Bahrain.svg  Belal Mansour Ali  (BHR)16 years, 301 days14 Aug 2005Flag of South Africa.svg  Caster Semenya  (RSA)18 years, 224 days19 Aug 2009
Youngest participantFlag of Sudan.svg  Mohamed Abd el Rahman  (SUD)15 years, 237 days [nb1] 26 Aug 1999Flag of Sudan.svg  Hind Musa  (SUD)14 years, 334 days9 Aug 2001
Oldest championFlag of Kenya.svg  Paul Ruto  (KEN)32 years, 287 days17 Aug 1993Flag of Cuba.svg  Ana Quirot  (CUB)34 years, 139 days9 Aug 1997
Oldest medalistFlag of Kenya.svg  Paul Ruto  (KEN)32 years, 287 days17 Aug 1993Flag of Suriname.svg  Letitia Vriesde  (SUR)36 years, 311 days12 Aug 2001
Oldest finalistFlag of Brazil.svg  Osmar Barbosa dos Santos  (BRA)34 years, 315 days31 Aug 2003Flag of Russia.svg  Lyubov Gurina  (RUS)38 years, 7 days13 Aug 1995
Oldest participantFlag of Senegal.svg  Babacar Niang  (SEN)36 years, 330 days5 Aug 1995Flag of Suriname.svg  Letitia Vriesde  (SUR)40 years, 306 days7 Aug 2005

nb The exact date of birth of the youngest male participant, Mohamed Abd el Rahman, is unknown but he remains the youngest given his known year of birth and calculating from 1 January of that year. [4]

Doping

A total of nine athletes, all of them women and seven of them Russian, have had their 800 m results annulled at the World Championships due to doping infractions. The first was Delisa Floyd of the United States (1991 semi-finalist) was among the first few women to be disqualified from the championships for doping. The 1993 finalist Liliya Nurutdinova was the only woman disqualified at the 1993 championships. Another Russian, Lyubov Tsyoma, had her semi-final run in 1997 annulled. Ten years passed without incident until a third Russian, Svetlana Cherkasova was struck from the heats for doping in 2007. [5]

Two women semi-finalists were disqualified for doping in 2009: a fourth Russian, Svetlana Klyuka, and Tetiana Petlyuk of Ukraine. Petlyuk was retrospectively banned through a biological passport anomaly and this also took in her run at the 2011 World Championships. That same year two more Russians were disqualified, both of them finalists: Yuliya Rusanova and Yekaterina Kostetskaya. [5] [6] In 2017, the third Russian finalist, gold medalist Mariya Savinova was banned for life, retroactive to 2010, making it a clean sweep of disqualified Russians in 2011, as well as taking Savinova's silver in 2013. Both times Alysia Johnson Montaño advanced to take the bronze medal.

Medalists

Men

ChampionshipsGoldSilverBronze
1983 Helsinki
details
Flag of Germany.svg  Willi Wülbeck  (FRG)Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Rob Druppers  (NED)Flag of Brazil (1968-1992).svg  Joaquim Cruz  (BRA)
1987 Rome
details
Flag of Kenya.svg  Billy Konchellah  (KEN)Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Peter Elliott  (GBR)Flag of Brazil (1968-1992).svg  José Luíz Barbosa  (BRA)
1991 Tokyo
details
Flag of Kenya.svg  Billy Konchellah  (KEN)Flag of Brazil (1968-1992).svg  José Luíz Barbosa  (BRA)Flag of the United States.svg  Mark Everett  (USA)
1993 Stuttgart
details
Flag of Kenya.svg  Paul Ruto  (KEN)Flag of Italy.svg  Giuseppe D'Urso  (ITA)Flag of Kenya.svg  Billy Konchellah  (KEN)
1995 Gothenburg
details
Flag of Denmark.svg  Wilson Kipketer  (DEN)Flag of Burundi.svg  Arthémon Hatungimana  (BDI)Flag of Norway.svg  Vebjørn Rodal  (NOR)
1997 Athens
details
Flag of Denmark.svg  Wilson Kipketer  (DEN)Flag of Cuba.svg  Norberto Téllez  (CUB)Flag of the United States.svg  Rich Kenah  (USA)
1999 Seville
details
Flag of Denmark.svg  Wilson Kipketer  (DEN)Flag of South Africa.svg  Hezekiél Sepeng  (RSA)Flag of Algeria.svg  Djabir Saïd-Guerni  (ALG)
2001 Edmonton
details
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  André Bucher  (SUI)Flag of Kenya.svg  Wilfred Bungei  (KEN)Flag of Poland.svg  Paweł Czapiewski  (POL)
2003 Saint-Denis
details
Flag of Algeria.svg  Djabir Saïd-Guerni  (ALG)Flag of Russia.svg  Yuriy Borzakovskiy  (RUS)Flag of South Africa.svg  Mbulaeni Mulaudzi  (RSA)
2005 Helsinki
details
Flag of Bahrain.svg  Rashid Ramzi  (BHR)Flag of Russia.svg  Yuriy Borzakovskiy  (RUS)Flag of Kenya.svg  William Yiampoy  (KEN)
2007 Osaka
details
Flag of Kenya.svg  Alfred Kirwa Yego  (KEN)Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Gary Reed  (CAN)Flag of Russia.svg  Yuriy Borzakovskiy  (RUS)
2009 Berlin
details
Flag of South Africa.svg  Mbulaeni Mulaudzi  (RSA)Flag of Kenya.svg  Alfred Kirwa Yego  (KEN)Flag of Bahrain.svg  Yusuf Saad Kamel  (BHR)
2011 Daegu
details
Flag of Kenya.svg  David Rudisha  (KEN)Flag of Sudan.svg  Abubaker Kaki  (SUD)Flag of Russia.svg  Yuriy Borzakovskiy  (RUS)
2013 Moscow
details
Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Mohammed Aman  (ETH)Flag of the United States.svg  Nick Symmonds  (USA)Flag of Djibouti.svg  Ayanleh Souleiman  (DJI)
2015 Beijing
details
Flag of Kenya.svg  David Rudisha  (KEN)Flag of Poland.svg  Adam Kszczot  (POL)Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg  Amel Tuka  (BIH)
2017 London
details
Flag of France.svg  Pierre-Ambroise Bosse  (FRA)Flag of Poland.svg  Adam Kszczot  (POL)Flag of Kenya.svg  Kipyegon Bett  (KEN)
2019 Doha
details
Flag of the United States.svg  Donavan Brazier  (USA)Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg  Amel Tuka  (BIH)Flag of Kenya.svg  Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich  (KEN)
2022 Eugene
details
Flag of Kenya.svg  Emmanuel Korir  (KEN)Flag of Algeria.svg  Djamel Sedjati  (ALG)Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Marco Arop  (CAN)
2023 Budapest
details
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Marco Arop  (CAN)Flag of Kenya.svg  Emmanuel Wanyonyi  (KEN)Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Ben Pattison  (GBR)

Medalists by country

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya  (KEN)73414
2Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark  (DEN)3003
3Flag of the United States.svg  United States  (USA)1124
4Flag of Algeria.svg  Algeria  (ALG)1113
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa  (RSA)1113
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada  (CAN)1113
7Flag of Bahrain.svg  Bahrain  (BHR)1012
8Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia  (ETH)1001
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland  (SUI)1001
Flag of Germany.svg  West Germany  (FRG)1001
Flag of France.svg  France  (FRA)1001
12Flag of Russia.svg  Russia  (RUS)0224
13Flag of Poland.svg  Poland  (POL)0213
14Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil  (BRA)0123
15Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg  Bosnia and Herzegovina  (BIH)0112
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain  (GBR)0112
17Flag of Italy.svg  Italy  (ITA)0101
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands  (NED)0101
Flag of Sudan.svg  Sudan  (SUD)0101
Flag of Burundi.svg  Burundi  (BDI)0101
Flag of Cuba.svg  Cuba  (CUB)0101
22Flag of Djibouti.svg  Djibouti  (DJI)0011
Flag of Norway.svg  Norway  (NOR)0011

Multiple medalists

RankAthleteNationPeriodGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 Wilson Kipketer Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark  (DEN)1995–19993003
2 Billy Konchellah Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya  (KEN)1987–19932013
3 David Rudisha Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya  (KEN)2011–20152002
4 Alfred Kirwa Yego Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya  (KEN)2007–20091102
5 Djabir Saïd-Guerni Flag of Algeria.svg  Algeria  (ALG)1999–20031012
Mbulaeni Mulaudzi Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa  (RSA)2003–20091012
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada  (CAN)2022-20231012
8 Yuriy Borzakovskiy Flag of Russia.svg  Russia  (RUS)2003–20110224
9 Adam Kszczot Flag of Poland.svg  Poland  (POL)2015-20170202
10 José Luiz Barbosa Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil  (BRA)1987–19910112
Amel Tuka Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg  Bosnia and Herzegovina  (BIH)2015-20190112

Women

ChampionshipsGoldSilverBronze
1983 Helsinki
details
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Jarmila Kratochvílová  (TCH)Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Lyubov Gurina  (URS)Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Yekaterina Podkopayeva  (URS)
1987 Rome
details
Flag of East Germany.svg  Sigrun Wodars  (GDR)Flag of East Germany.svg  Christine Wachtel  (GDR)Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Lyubov Gurina  (URS)
1991 Tokyo
details
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Liliya Nurutdinova  (URS)Flag of Cuba.svg  Ana Fidelia Quirot  (CUB)Flag of Romania.svg  Ella Kovacs  (ROU)
1993 Stuttgart
details
Flag of Mozambique.svg  Maria Mutola  (MOZ)Flag of Russia (1991-1993).svg  Lyubov Gurina  (RUS)Flag of Romania.svg  Ella Kovacs  (ROU)
1995 Gothenburg
details
Flag of Cuba.svg  Ana Fidelia Quirot  (CUB)Flag of Suriname.svg  Letitia Vriesde  (SUR)Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Kelly Holmes  (GBR)
1997 Athens
details
Flag of Cuba.svg  Ana Fidelia Quirot  (CUB)Flag of Russia.svg  Yelena Afanasyeva  (RUS)Flag of Mozambique.svg  Maria Mutola  (MOZ)
1999 Seville
details
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Ludmila Formanová  (CZE)Flag of Mozambique.svg  Maria Mutola  (MOZ)Flag of Russia.svg  Svetlana Masterkova  (RUS)
2001 Edmonton
details
Flag of Mozambique.svg  Maria Mutola  (MOZ)Flag of Austria.svg  Stephanie Graf  (AUT)Flag of Suriname.svg  Letitia Vriesde  (SUR)
2003 Saint-Denis
details
Flag of Mozambique.svg  Maria Mutola  (MOZ)Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Kelly Holmes  (GBR)Flag of Russia.svg  Natalya Khrushcheleva  (RUS)
2005 Helsinki
details
Flag of Cuba.svg  Zulia Calatayud  (CUB)Flag of Morocco.svg  Hasna Benhassi  (MAR)Flag of Russia.svg  Tatyana Andrianova  (RUS)
2007 Osaka
details
Flag of Kenya.svg  Janeth Jepkosgei  (KEN)Flag of Morocco.svg  Hasna Benhassi  (MAR)Flag of Spain.svg  Mayte Martínez  (ESP)
2009 Berlin
details
Flag of South Africa.svg  Caster Semenya  (RSA)Flag of Kenya.svg  Janeth Jepkosgei  (KEN)Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Jenny Meadows  (GBR)
2011 Daegu
details
Flag of South Africa.svg  Caster Semenya  (RSA)Flag of Kenya.svg  Janeth Jepkosgei  (KEN)Flag of the United States.svg  Alysia Johnson Montaño  (USA)
2013 Moscow
details
Flag of Kenya.svg  Eunice Sum  (KEN)Flag of the United States.svg  Brenda Martinez  (USA)Flag of the United States.svg  Alysia Johnson Montaño  (USA)
2015 Beijing
details
Flag of Belarus.svg  Maryna Arzamasava  (BLR)Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Melissa Bishop  (CAN)Flag of Kenya.svg  Eunice Sum  (KEN)
2017 London
details
Flag of South Africa.svg  Caster Semenya  (RSA)Flag of Burundi.svg  Francine Niyonsaba  (BDI)Flag of the United States.svg  Ajeé Wilson  (USA)
2019 Doha
details
Flag of Uganda.svg  Halimah Nakaayi  (UGA)Flag of the United States.svg  Raevyn Rogers  (USA)Flag of the United States.svg  Ajeé Wilson  (USA)
2022 Eugene
details
Flag of the United States.svg  Athing Mu  (USA)Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Keely Hodgkinson  (GBR)Flag of Kenya.svg  Mary Moraa  (KEN)
2023 Budapest
details
Flag of Kenya.svg  Mary Moraa  (KEN)Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Keely Hodgkinson  (GBR)Flag of the United States.svg  Athing Mu  (USA)

Medalists by country

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya  (KEN)3227
2Flag of Mozambique.svg  Mozambique  (MOZ)3115
3Flag of Cuba.svg  Cuba  (CUB)3104
4Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa  (RSA)3002
5Flag of the United States.svg  United States  (USA)1258
6Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union  (URS)1124
7Flag of East Germany.svg  East Germany  (GDR)1102
8Flag of Belarus.svg  Belarus  (BLR)1001
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic  (CZE)1001
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czechoslovakia  (TCH)1001
Flag of Uganda.svg  Uganda  (UGA)1001
12Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain  (GBR)0325
13Flag of Russia.svg  Russia  (RUS)0235
14Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco  (MAR)0202
15Flag of Suriname.svg  Suriname  (SUR)0112
16Flag of Austria.svg  Austria  (AUT)0101
17Flag of Romania.svg  Romania  (ROM)0022
18Flag of Spain.svg  Spain  (ESP)0011
19Flag of Burundi.svg  Burundi  (BDI)0101
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada  (CAN)0101

Multiple medalists

RankAthleteNationPeriodGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 Maria Mutola Flag of Mozambique.svg  Mozambique  (MOZ)1993–20033115
2 Caster Semenya Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa  (RSA)2009–20173003
3 Ana Fidelia Quirot Flag of Cuba.svg  Cuba  (CUB)1991–19972103
4 Janeth Jepkosgei Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya  (KEN)2007–20111113
5 Mariya Savinova Flag of Russia.svg  Russia  (RUS)2011–20131102
6 Athing Mu Flag of the United States.svg  United States  (USA)2022-20231012
Mary Moraa Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya  (KEN)2022-20231012
8 Lyubov Gurina Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union  (URS)
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia  (RUS)
1983–19930213
9 Keely Hodgkinson Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain  (GBR)2022-20230202
Hasna Benhassi Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco  (MAR)2005–20070202
11 Letitia Vriesde Flag of Suriname.svg  Suriname  (SUR)1995–20010112
Kelly Holmes Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain  (GBR)1995–20030112
13 Ella Kovacs Flag of Romania.svg  Romania  (ROM)1991–19930022
Ajeé Wilson Flag of the United States.svg  United States  (USA)2017-20190022
Alysia Johnson Montaño Flag of the United States.svg  United States  (USA)2011-20130022

Championship record progression

Men

Men's 800 metres World Championships record progression [7]
TimeAthleteNationYearRoundDate
1:46.32 James Robinson Flag of the United States.svg  United States  (USA) 1983 Heats1983-08-07
1:45.84 David Mack Flag of the United States.svg  United States  (USA) 1983 Heats1983-08-07
1:45.62 Joaquim Cruz Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil  (BRA) 1983 Semi-final1983-08-08
1:45.24 Hans-Peter Ferner Flag of Germany.svg  West Germany  (FRG) 1983 Semi-final1983-08-08
1:43.65 Willi Wülbeck Flag of Germany.svg  West Germany  (FRG) 1983 Final1983-08-09
1:43.06 Billy Konchellah Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya  (KEN) 1987 Final1987-09-01
1:42.34 Donovan Brazier Flag of the United States.svg  United States  (USA) 2019 Final2019-10-01

Women

Women's 800 metres World Championships record progression [8]
TimeAthleteNationYearRoundDate
2:02.08 Margrit Klinger Flag of Germany.svg  West Germany  (FRG) 1983 Heats1983-08-07
1:59.55 Yekaterina Podkopayeva Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union  (URS) 1983 Semi-finals1983-08-08
1:59.33 Lyubov Gurina Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union  (URS) 1983 Semi-finals1983-08-08
1:54.68 Jarmila Kratochvílová Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czechoslovakia  (TCH) 1983 Final1983-08-09

Finishing times

Top ten fastest World Championship times

References

  1. . IAAF. Retrieved on 2025-08-03.
  2. IAAF World Championships: IAAF Statistics Handbook Daegu 2011, pp. 595–6 (archived). IAAF. Retrieved on 2015-07-06.
  3. "World Athletics Championships - Budapest 23 Statistical Booklet" (PDF). www.worldathletics.org : 42–45.
  4. Butler 2013, p. 34–7.
  5. 1 2 Butler 2013, p. 67–9.
  6. "List of athletes currently serving a period of ineligibility as a result of an Anti-Doping Rule Violation under IAAF Rules as at: 28.07.14". IAAF. 28 July 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  7. Main > Men, 800 m > World Championships Records Progression. Track and Field Brinkster. Retrieved on 2015-07-07.
  8. Main > Women, 800 m > World Championships Records Progression. Track and Field Brinkster. Retrieved on 2015-07-07.
  9. "Men's 800m".
  10. "Women's 800m".

Bibliography