Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Women's 800 metres

The women's 800 metres event at the 2016 Summer Olympics took place between 17–20 August at the Olympic Stadium.[1]

Women's 800 metres
at the Games of the XXXI Olympiad
Interior view of the Estádio Olímpico João Havelange, where the Women's 800m took place.
VenueOlympic Stadium
Dates17 August 2016 (heats)
18 August 2016 (semifinals)
20 August 2016 (final)
Winning time1:55.28 NR
Medalists
Caster Semenya  South Africa
Francine Niyonsaba  Burundi
Margaret Wambui  Kenya
Video on YouTube Official Video Highlights

Summary

As the final started, Caster Semenya running in lane 3 gained a slight edge on the turn, deceptive as Margaret Wambui in lane 4 was the slowest around the turn. Francine Niyonsaba converged from lane 5 and the two assumed the lead down the backstretch. Semenya taking the curb as they began the turn, Niyonsaba on her outside shoulder with Maryna Arzamasava behind Niyonsaba, Melissa Bishop and Lynsey Sharp stacking up behind Semenya. In the second 200, Margaret Wambui moved to the outside of lane 2 and ran up to Arzamasava's shoulder. The first lap was an honest 57.59. Midway through the penultimate turn, Niyonsaba edged in front of Semenya, the other runners collapsing into lane 1 rather than following her around the now open outside. Down the backstretch, Niyonsaba opened a 2-metre lead, with Bishop cuing up tight behind Semenya, with Arzamasava boxing her to the outside, while Arzamasava was being boxed by a faster moving Wambui. Kicker Joanna Jóźwik was trailing the field eight metres back of Niyonsaba. After the final turn had started, Semenya drifted to the outside and put it in gear, moving from 2 metres behind Niyonsaba to 2 metres in front. During the home stretch she just extended her lead to an 8-metre victory. Still in second, Niyonsaba had a 2-metre gap on Bishop with Wambui on her outside. Down the homestretch Niyonsaba also extended her gap to about four metres. Wambui down a metre on the outside of Bishop, couldn't make any progress until the last 40 metres, when she finally pulled aside and then past for the bronze medal by a metre.

For Semenya, her 1:55.28 was a new South African National Record, a .05 improvement over the mark she set a month earlier at Herculis. For Bishop it was also a Canadian National Record, improving upon the mark she set the same day as Semenya in Edmonton. Semenya becomes the fifth woman to win two medals in the Women's Olympic 800. Since the disqualification of Mariya Savinova from 2012, she has become the first two time gold medalist.

The medals were presented by Barbara Kendall, IOC member, New Zealand and Hamad Kalkaba Malboum, Vice President of the IAAF.

Testosterone

Following the race, Lynsey Sharp complained that female athletes are effectively competing in "two separate races."[2] Sharp, Melissa Bishop and Joanna Jozwik embraced after the race. "We see each other week in, week out, so we know how each other feel."[3]

IAAF General Secretary Pierre Weisse said of Semenya, "She is a woman, but maybe not 100 per cent."

All three medalists have been found to have the 46,XY karyotype and produce levels of testosterone in the male range, which enables building of greater muscle mass and better processing of energy. The IAAF has subsequently ruled that this gives them an unfair advantage. On May 8, 2019, the IAAF testosterone rule went into effect. Such athletes will be required to take testosterone suppressing drugs in order to compete with female athletes.[4]

Competition format

The women's 800m competition consisted of heats (Round 1), semifinals and a final. Twenty-four athletes advanced from the heats to the semifinal round. The top two competitors from each of the eight heats qualified for the semifinals along with the six fastest losers. A total of eight competitors qualified for the final from the semifinals. In the three semifinal races, the first two from each semifinal advanced to the final along with the two fastest losers.

Records

Prior to the competition, the existing World and Olympic records were as follows.

World record  Jarmila Kratochvílová (TCH) 1:53.28 Munich, West Germany 26 July 1983
Olympic record  Nadiya Olizarenko (URS) 1:53.43 Moscow, Soviet Union 27 July 1980
2016 World leading  Caster Semenya (RSA) 1:55.33 Fontvieille, Monaco 15 July 2016

The following national records were established during the competition:

CountryAthleteRoundTimeNotes
Central African Republic Elisabeth Mandaba (CAF)Heats2:11.70
South Africa Caster Semenya (RSA)Final1:55.28
Canada Melissa Bishop (CAN)Final1:57.02
Iceland Aníta Hinriksdóttir (ISL)Heats2:00.14

Schedule

All times are Brasilia Time (UTC-3)

Date Time Round
Wednesday, 17 August 201610:55Heats
Thursday, 18 August 201621:15Semifinals
Saturday, 20 August 201621:15Finals

Results

Heats

Progression rules: First 2 in each heat (Q) and the next 8 fastest (q) advance to the Semifinals

Heat 1

RankLaneAthleteNationTimeNotes
14Lynsey Sharp Great Britain2:00.83Q
21Amela Terzić Serbia2:00.99Q, SB
36Sahily Diago Cuba2:01.38
48Angela Petty New Zealand2:02.40
57Justine Fedronic France2:02.73
62Olha Lyakhova Ukraine2:03.02
73Florina Pierdevară Romania2:03.32
85Ciara Everard Ireland2:07.91

Heat 2

RankLaneAthleteNationTimeNotes
14Caster Semenya South Africa1:59.31Q
28Ajee' Wilson United States1:59.44Q, SB
35Shelayna Oskan-Clarke Great Britain1:59.67q
43Wang Chunyu China1:59.93q PB
51Margarita Mukasheva Kazakhstan2:00.97
62Claudia Bobocea Romania2:03.75
77aRose Nathike Lokonyen Refugee Olympic Team2:16.64
87bHouleye Ba Mauritania2:43.52
6Rababe Arafi MoroccoN/ADNF

Heat 3

RankLaneAthleteNationTimeNotes
12Selina Büchel Switzerland1:59.00Q, SB
26Margaret Wambui Kenya1:59.66Q
34Nataliya Pryshchepa Ukraine1:59.80q
47Gudaf Tsegay Ethiopia2:00.13
55Sifan Hassan Netherlands2:00.27SB
63Tintu Lukka India2:00.58SB
78Selma Kajan Australia2:05.20
81Tsepang Sello Lesotho2:10.22

Heat 4

RankLaneAthleteNationTimeNotes
13Melissa Bishop Canada1:58.38Q
24Maryna Arzamasava Belarus1:58.44Q, SB
35Habitam Alemu Ethiopia1:58.99q, PB
47Noélie Yarigo Benin1:59.12q
52Halimah Nakaayi Uganda1:59.78q, PB
68Aníta Hinriksdóttir Iceland2:00.14NR
71Christina Hering Germany2:01.04
86Fatma El Sharnouby Egypt2:21.24

Heat 5

RankLaneAthleteNationTimeNotes
13Eunice Jepkoech Sum Kenya1:59.83Q
22Nataliia Lupu Ukraine1:59.91Q
37Kate Grace United States1:59.96q
48Renée Eykens Belgium2:00.00q, PB
51Tigist Assefa Ethiopia2:00.21SB
66Winnie Nanyondo Uganda2:02.77
74Amna Bakhit Sudan2:07.65
85Swe Li Myint Myint Myanmar2:16.98

Heat 6

RankLaneAthleteNationTimeNotes
13Angelika Cichocka Poland2:00.42Q
21Yusneysi Santiusti Italy2:00.45Q
34Rose Mary Almanza Cuba2:00.50
48Malika Akkaoui Morocco2:00.52
57Hedda Hynne Norway2:01.64
62Déborah Rodríguez Uruguay2:01.86SB
75Simoya Campbell Jamaica2:02.07
86Charline Mathias Luxembourg2:09.30

Heat 7

RankLaneAthleteNationTimeNotes
11Joanna Jóźwik Poland2:01.58Q
26Winny Chebet Kenya2:01.65Q
38Esther Guerrero Spain2:01.85
44Lisneidy Veitia Cuba2:02.10
52Rénelle Lamote France2:02.19
65Eglė Balčiūnaitė Lithuania2:02.98SB
77Kenia Sinclair Jamaica2:03.76
83Flávia de Lima Brazil2:03.78SB

Heat 8

RankLaneAthleteNationTimeNotes
14Francine Niyonsaba Burundi1:59.84Q
25Lovisa Lindh Sweden2:00.04Q, PB
38Natoya Goule Jamaica2:00.49
43Lucia Hrivnák Klocová Slovakia2:00.57SB
57Yuliya Karol Belarus2:01.09PB
62Chrishuna Williams United States2:01.19
71Fabienne Kohlmann Germany2:05.36
86Elisabeth Mandaba Central African Republic2:11.70NR[5]

Semifinals

Progression rules: First 2 in each heat (Q) and the next 2 fastest (q) advance to the Final

Semifinal 1

RankLaneAthleteNationTimeNotes
13Margaret Wambui Kenya1:59.21Q
26Francine Niyonsaba Burundi1:59.59Q
37Ajee' Wilson United States1:59.75
44Nataliya Pryshchepa Ukraine1:59.95
51Renée Eykens Belgium2:00.45
68Halimah Nakaayi Uganda2:00.63
72Yusneysi Santiusti Italy2:00.80
85Angelika Cichocka Poland2:01.29

Semifinal 2

RankLaneAthleteNationTimeNotes
11Joanna Jóźwik Poland1:58.93Q, SB
24Melissa Bishop Canada1:59.05Q
35Selina Büchel Switzerland1:59.35
42Lovisa Lindh Sweden1:59.41PB
57Shelayna Oskan-Clarke Great Britain1:59.45SB
66Habitam Alemu Ethiopia2:00.07
73Eunice Jepkoech Sum Kenya2:00.88
88Nataliia Lupu Ukraine2:02.10

Semifinal 3

RankLaneAthleteNationTimeNotes
15Caster Semenya South Africa1:58.15Q
24Lynsey Sharp Great Britain1:58.65Q
36Kate Grace United States1:58.79q, PB
43Maryna Arzamasava Belarus1:58.87q
58Noélie Yarigo Benin1:59.78
67Winny Chebet Kenya2:01.90
72Amela Terzić Serbia2:03.81
81Wang Chunyu China2:04.05

Final

RankLaneAthleteNationTimeNotes
3Caster Semenya South Africa1:55.28NR
5Francine Niyonsaba Burundi1:56.49
4Margaret Wambui Kenya1:56.89PB
46Melissa Bishop Canada1:57.02NR
52Joanna Jóźwik Poland1:57.37PB
67Lynsey Sharp Great Britain1:57.69PB
78Maryna Arzamasava Belarus1:59.10
81Kate Grace United States1:59.57

References

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