Athletics at the 1952 Summer Olympics – Men's 800 metres

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Men's 800 metres
at the Games of the XV Olympiad
DatesJuly 20, 1952 (heats)
July 21, 1952 (semifinals)
July 22, 1952 (final)
Competitors50 from 32 nations
Winning time1:49.2 =OR
Medalists
Gold medal icon.svg Mal Whitfield
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
Silver medal icon.svg Arthur Wint
Flag of Jamaica (1906-1957).svg  Jamaica
Bronze medal icon.svg Heinz Ulzheimer
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany
  1948
1956  

The men's 800 metres event at the 1952 Olympics took place between July 20 and July 22. Fifty athletes from 32 nations competed. [1] The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The final was won by the American Mal Whitfield. [2]

Whitfield's win was his second (making him the second man to repeat in the 800 metres), as well as the third consecutive (in a streak that would reach four) and sixth overall victory for the United States. Only 0.2 seconds after Whitfield, Arthur Wint became the fifth man to earn a second medal of any color in the 800 metres, repeating his 1948 silver. Heinz Ulzheimer was the third German man to win an 800 metres medal, with the nation taking bronze in 1908 and 1928 as well as Ulzheimer's in 1952.

Summary

Starting from a waterfall start, most competitors were allowed to and chose to use a crouch start. Returning silver medalist Arthur Wint sprinted to the lead with Heinz Ulzheimer moving into a tight marking position with Gunnar Nielsen and Günther Steines sprinting to keep up. On the home stretch for the first time, defending champion Mal Whitfield moved forward, past the other chasers into a marking position on Ulzheimer. Wint continued to lead down the backstretch, then Whitfield accelerated past Ulzheimer, who turned to look, then at the beginning of the turn, Wint. It was a deja vu for Wint, seeing Whitfield ahead of him on the final turn of the Olympics. The first five were separated from the rest of the pack, Whitfield pulling away to defend his championship. Wint couldn't make any progress on Whitfield but held off the battle behind him. Steines lost ground, getting passed by a big rush by Albert Webster, but Nielsen pressed Ulzheimer to the line, Ulzheimer taking bronze with a lean then in the next step doing a face plant to the track.

Whitfield equalled the Olympic record he had set in London four years earlier, meaning he ran exactly the same time 1:49.2 in both races. Wint was a tenth of a second faster. Whitfield became the second man after Douglas Lowe to defend the 800 metres title. Peter Snell and David Rudisha have since equalled the feat.

Background

This was the 12th appearance of the event, which is one of 12 athletics events to have been held at every Summer Olympics. Only two of the finalists from the 1948 Games returned, but they were the top two: gold medalist Mal Whitfield of the United States and silver medalist Arthur Wint of Jamaica. [1]

Cuba, Ghana, Guatemala, Israel, Pakistan, Puerto Rico, the Soviet Union, Thailand, and Venezuela appeared in the event for the first time. Great Britain and the United States each made their 11th appearance, tied for the most among all nations.

Competition format

The event used the three-round format introduced in 1912. There were eight first-round heats, each with between 5 and 7 athletes; the top three runners in each heat advanced to the semifinals. There were three semifinals with 8 athletes each; the top three runners in each semifinal advanced to the nine-man final. [1] [3]

Records

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in minutes) prior to the 1948 Summer Olympics.

World recordFlag of Germany.svg  Rudolf Harbig  (GER)1:46.6 Milan, Italy 15 July 1939
Olympic recordUS flag 48 stars.svg  Mal Whitfield  (USA)1:49.2 London, United Kingdom 2 August 1948

Mal Whitfield repeated his own Olympic record with a time of 1:49.2 in the final.

Schedule

All times are Eastern European Summer Time (UTC+3)

DateTimeRound
Sunday, 20 July 195216:55Round 1
Monday, 21 July 195216:40Semifinals
Tuesday, 22 July 195216:50Final

Results

Round 1

The first round was held on July 20. The first three runners from each heat advanced to the semifinals.

Heat 1

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Lars Wolfbrandt Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 1:55.3Q
2 Albert Webster Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain 1:55.5Q
3 Gennady Modoy Flag of the Soviet Union (1936-1955).svg  Soviet Union 1:55.8Q
4 Maurice Marshall Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 1:56.2
5 Johannes Baumgartner Civil Ensign of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland 1:57.1
6 Mohamed Sanni-Thomas Flag of the Gold Coast.svg  Ghana 2:05.8

Heat 2

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Mal Whitfield US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 1:52.5Q
2 Edmund Potrzebowski Flag of Poland (1928-1980).svg  Poland 1:52.6Q
3 Tom White Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain 1:52.7Q
4 Olavi Talja Flag of Finland.svg  Finland 1:52.9
5 Turhan Göker Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey 1:55.9
6 Evelio Planas Flag of Cuba (3-2).svg  Cuba 1:57.6

Heat 3

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Jack Hutchins Flag of Canada (1921-1957).svg  Canada 1:54.5Q
2 John Barnes US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 1:54.5Q
3 Jenő Bakos Flag of Hungary (1949-1956).svg  Hungary 1:54.5Q
4 Roman Korban Flag of Poland (1928-1980).svg  Poland 1:54.7
5 Alam Zeb Flag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan 1:56.3
6 Vasilios Mavrodis Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Greece 1:58.7

Heat 4

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Reggie Pearman US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 1:51.6Q
2 Petro Chevhun Flag of the Soviet Union (1936-1955).svg  Soviet Union 1:51.8Q
3 Günther Steines Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 1:52.7Q
4 Louis Desmet Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 1:52.9
5 René Djian Flag of France.svg  France 1:54.3

Heat 5

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Hans Ring Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 1:53.6Q
2 Arthur Wint Flag of Jamaica (1906-1957).svg  Jamaica 1:54.2Q
3 Don MacMillan Flag of Australia.svg  Australia 1:55.0Q
4 Oscar Soetewey Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 1:55.4
5 Georgy Ivakin Flag of the Soviet Union (1936-1955).svg  Soviet Union 1:56.4
6 Frank Rivera Puerto rico national sport flag.svg  Puerto Rico 1:57.6
7 Víctorio Solares Flag of Guatemala.svg  Guatemala 2:01.4

Heat 6

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Heinz Ulzheimer Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 1:51.4Q
2 Sohan Singh Flag of India.svg  India 1:52.0Q
3 Ludvík Liška Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg  Czechoslovakia 1:52.3Q
4 John Ross Flag of Canada (1921-1957).svg  Canada 1:52.5
5 Arqemiro Roque Flag of Brazil (1889-1960).svg  Brazil 1:54.1
6 Lucien Demuynck Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 1:57.4
7 Boonpak Kwancharoen Flag of Thailand.svg  Thailand 2:12.6

Heat 7

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Audun Boysen Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 1:53.2Q
2 Urban Cleve Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 1:53.4Q
3 Frank Evans Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain 1:53.8Q
4 Ekrem Koçak Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey 1:54.5
5 Filemón Camacho Flag of Venezuela (1930-1954).svg  Venezuela 2:00.0
6 Arie Gill-Glick Flag of Israel.svg  Israel 2:00.9

Heat 8

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Patrick El Mabrouk Flag of France.svg  France 1:52.0Q
2 Gunnar Nielsen Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 1:53.0Q
3 Bill Parnell Flag of Canada (1921-1957).svg  Canada 1:53.1Q
4 Yoshitaka Muroya Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan 1:54.0
5 Fred Lüthi Civil Ensign of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland 1:55.0
6 Erkki Rönnholm Flag of Finland.svg  Finland 1:55.7
7 Guðmundur Lárusson Flag of Iceland.svg  Iceland 1:56.5

Semifinals

The fastest three runners in each of the three heats advanced to the final round.

Semifinal 1

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Gunnar Nielsen Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 1:50.0Q
2 Mal Whitfield US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 1:50.1Q
3 Albert Webster Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain 1:50.1Q
4 Audun Boysen Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 1:50.4
5 Urban Cleve Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 1:51.6
6 Bill Parnell Flag of Canada (1921-1957).svg  Canada 1:52.7
7 Pyotr Chevgun Flag of the Soviet Union (1936-1955).svg  Soviet Union 1:52.8
8 Don MacMillan Flag of Australia.svg  Australia 1:58.4

Semifinal 2

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Arthur Wint Flag of Jamaica (1906-1957).svg  Jamaica 1:52.7Q
2 Günther Steines Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 1:52.9Q
3 Hans Ring Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 1:53.0Q
4 John Barnes US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 1:53.4
5 Tom White Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain 1:53.6
6 Ludvík Liška Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg  Czechoslovakia 1:54.8
7 Gennady Modoy Flag of the Soviet Union (1936-1955).svg  Soviet Union 1:55.7

Semifinal 3

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Heinz Ulzheimer Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 1:51.9Q
2 Lars Wolfbrandt Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 1:52.4Q
3 Reggie Pearman US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 1:52.5Q
4 Jack Hutchins Flag of Canada (1921-1957).svg  Canada 1:52.8
5 Edmund Potrzebowski Flag of Poland (1928-1980).svg  Poland 1:53.7
6 Sohan Singh Flag of India.svg  India 1:54.9
7 Jenő Bakos Flag of Hungary (1949-1956).svg  Hungary 1:55.5
8 Frank Evans Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain 1:56.8

Final

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
Gold medal icon.svg Mal Whitfield US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 1:49.2 =OR
Silver medal icon.svg Arthur Wint Flag of Jamaica (1906-1957).svg  Jamaica 1:49.4
Bronze medal icon.svg Heinz Ulzheimer Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 1:49.7
4 Gunnar Nielsen Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 1:49.7
5 Albert Webster Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain 1:50.2
6 Günther Steines Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 1:50.6
7 Reggie Pearman US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 1:52.1
8 Lars Wolfbrandt Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 1:52.1
9 Hans Ring Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 1:54.0

References

  1. 1 2 3 "800 metres, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  2. "Athletics at the 1952 Helsinki Summer Games: Men's 800 metres". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  3. Official Report, pp. 278–79.