# 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 800 metres

The women's 800 metres event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 27, 28 and 29 July.

## Medalists

| Gold | Birthe Bruhns East Germany |
| Silver | Catalina Gheorghiu Romania |
| Bronze | Dorota Buczkowska Poland |

## Results
### Final

29 July
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time |
| | Birthe Bruhns | East Germany | 2:00.67 |
| | Catalina Gheorghiu | Romania | 2:01.96 |
| | Dorota Buczkowska | Poland | 2:02.94 |
| 4 | Olga Burkanova | Soviet Union | 2:04.94 |
| 5 | Carol Holmen | Canada | 2:06.60 |
| 6 | Snežana Pajkić | Yugoslavia | 2:07.56 |
| 7 | Luminita Avasiloaie | Romania | 2:07.61 |
| 8 | Daniele Steinecke | East Germany | 2:08.18 |

### Semifinals

28 July

#### Semifinal 1

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Birthe Bruhns | East Germany | 2:06.08 | Q |
| 2 | Catalina Gheorghiu | Romania | 2:06.33 | Q |
| 3 | Olga Burkanova | Soviet Union | 2:06.74 | Q |
| 4 | Lizzy Immesoete | Belgium | 2:06.84 | |
| 5 | Helena Zímová | Czechoslovakia | 2:07.21 | |
| 6 | Carla Sacramento | Portugal | 2:07.24 | |
| 7 | Paula Fryer | United Kingdom | 2:09.04 | |
| 8 | Erzsebet Todorán | Hungary | 2:09.99 | |

#### Semifinal 2

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Snežana Pajkić | Yugoslavia | 2:05.43 | Q |
| 2 | Dorota Buczkowska | Poland | 2:05.68 | Q |
| 3 | Daniele Steinecke | East Germany | 2:06.15 | Q |
| 4 | Luminita Avasiloaie | Romania | 2:06.38 | q |
| 5 | Carol Holmen | Canada | 2:06.64 | q |
| 6 | Daniela Di Santo | Italy | 2:07.68 | |
| 7 | Mónika Balint | Hungary | 2:08.33 | |
| 8 | Shola Lynch | United States | 2:09.80 | |

### Heats

27 July

#### Heat 1

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Snežana Pajkić | Yugoslavia | 2:05.96 | Q |
| 2 | Olga Burkanova | Soviet Union | 2:06.21 | Q |
| 3 | Mónika Balint | Hungary | 2:06.45 | Q |
| 4 | Carol Holmen | Canada | 2:06.80 | q |
| 5 | Paula Fryer | United Kingdom | 2:07.20 | q |
| 6 | Ausa Mwendachabe | Zambia | 2:14.72 | |
| 7 | Olga Zapeda | Honduras | 2:34.73 | |

#### Heat 2

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Daniele Steinecke | East Germany | 2:07.18 | Q |
| 2 | Helena Zímová | Czechoslovakia | 2:07.22 | Q |
| 3 | Luminita Avasiloaie | Romania | 2:07.42 | Q |
| 4 | Grete Slettom | Norway | 2:07.69 | |
| 5 | Nathalie Rouillard | Canada | 2:07.88 | |
| 6 | Mireille Sankaatsing | Suriname | 2:11.47 | |

#### Heat 3

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Lizzy Immesoete | Belgium | 2:09.34 | Q |
| 2 | Catalina Gheorghiu | Romania | 2:09.60 | Q |
| 3 | Dorota Buczkowska | Poland | 2:10.45 | Q |
| 4 | Marlen Estévez | Cuba | 2:11.73 | |
| 5 | Chandel Marion | United States | 2:17.57 | |
| | Lorie Ann Adams | Guyana | DQ | |
| | Célia dos Santos | Brazil | DQ | |

#### Heat 4

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Birthe Bruhns | East Germany | 2:06.73 | Q |
| 2 | Erzsebet Todorán | Hungary | 2:07.12 | Q |
| 3 | Carla Sacramento | Portugal | 2:07.15 | Q |
| 4 | Daniela Di Santo | Italy | 2:07.18 | q |
| 5 | Shola Lynch | United States | 2:07.52 | q |
| 6 | Alma Leticia Jiménez | Guatemala | 2:07.54 | |
| | Sonia Escalera | Puerto Rico | DQ | |

## Participation

According to an unofficial count, 27 athletes from 22 countries participated in the event.
* Belgium (1)
* Brazil (1)
* Canada (2)
* Cuba (1)
* Czechoslovakia (1)
* East Germany (2)
* Guatemala (1)
* Guyana (1)
* Honduras (1)
* Hungary (2)
* Italy (1)
* Norway (1)
* Poland (1)
* Portugal (1)
* Puerto Rico (1)
* Romania (2)
* Soviet Union (1)
* Suriname (1)
* United Kingdom (1)
* United States (2)
* Yugoslavia (1)
* Zambia (1)