# Athletics at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Women's 800 metres

The Women's 800 metres competition at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico. The event were held at the University Olympic Stadium on October 17–19.
Madeline Manning became the first Black woman to win an Olympic 800m title. She also became the first American to do so.

## Competition format

The competition had four heats in the first round, two semi-finals and a final. The top four in the first round heats progressed. The top four finishers in the semi-final race reached the finals.

## Records

Prior to the competition, the existing World and Olympic records were as follows.
| World record | Vera Nikolić (YUG) | 2:00.5 | London, United Kingdom | July 20, 1968 |
| Olympic record | Ann Packer (GBR) | 2:01.1 | Tokyo, Japan | October 20, 1964 |

## Results
### Round 1
#### Heat 1

| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Vera Nikolić | Yugoslavia | 2:05.7 | Q |
| 2 | Laine Erik | Soviet Union | 2:06.5 | Q |
| 3 | Paola Pigni | Italy | 2:06.7 | Q |
| 4 | Karin Krebs | East Germany | 2:07.1 | Q |
| 5 | Francie Kraker | United States | 2:07.3 | |
| 6 | Elizabeth Chesire | Kenya | 2:10.9 | |

#### Heat 2

| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Mia Gommers | Netherlands | 2:04.0 | Q |
| 2 | Ileana Silai | Romania | 2:04.1 | Q |
| 3 | Sheila Carey | Great Britain | 2:04.1 | Q |
| 4 | Anna Zimina | Soviet Union | 2:04.4 | Q |
| 5 | Barbara Wieck | East Germany | 2:08.5 | |
| 6 | Hana Shezifi | Israel | 2:09.2 | |

#### Heat 3

| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Maryvonne Dupureur | France | 2:09.5 | Q |
| 2 | Doris Brown | United States | 2:09.5 | Q |
| 3 | Pat Lowe-Cropper | Great Britain | 2:09.5 | Q |
| 4 | Sylvia Potts | New Zealand | 2:09.6 | Q |
| 5 | Eeva Haimi | Finland | 2:09.6 | |
| 6 | Tilly van der Made | Netherlands | 2:10.5 | |

#### Heat 4

| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Madeline Manning | United States | 2:08.7 | Q |
| 2 | Abby Hoffman | Canada | 2:08.9 | Q |
| 3 | Jaroslava Jehličková | Czechoslovakia | 2:08.9 | Q |
| 4 | Ilja Keizer | Netherlands | 2:08.9 | Q |
| 5 | Annelise Damm Olesen | Denmark | 2:09.0 | |
| 6 | Joan Page-Allison | Great Britain | 2:10.2 | |

### Semifinals
#### Heat 1

| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Madeline Manning | United States | 2:05.8 | Q |
| 2 | Ileana Silai | Romania | 2:05.9 | Q |
| 3 | Pat Lowe-Cropper | Great Britain | 2:06.6 | Q |
| 4 | Abby Hoffman | Canada | 2:07.0 | Q |
| 5 | Karin Krebs | East Germany | 2:08.4 | |
| 6 | Anna Zimina | Soviet Union | 2:04.4 | |
| 7 | Ilja Keizer | Netherlands | 2:14.8 | |
| — | Vera Nikolić | Yugoslavia | DNF | |

#### Heat 2

| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Mia Gommers | Netherlands | 2:05.1 | Q |
| 2 | Doris Brown | United States | 2:05.2 | Q |
| 3 | Sheila Carey | Great Britain | 2:05.2 | Q |
| 4 | Maryvonne Dupureur | France | 2:05.5 | Q |
| 5 | Laine Erik | Soviet Union | 2:06.0 | |
| 6 | Sylvia Potts | New Zealand | 2:07.2 | |
| 7 | Paola Pigni | Italy | 2:07.8 | |
| 8 | Jaroslava Jehličková | Czechoslovakia | 2:13.5 | |

### Final

| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Notes |
| | Madeline Manning | United States | 2:00.9 | OR |
| | Ileana Silai | Romania | 2:02.5 | |
| | Mia Gommers | Netherlands | 2:02.6 | |
| 4 | Sheila Carey | Great Britain | 2:03.8 | |
| 5 | Doris Brown | United States | 2:03.9 | |
| 6 | Pat Lowe-Cropper | Great Britain | 2:04.2 | |
| 7 | Abby Hoffman | Canada | 2:06.8 | |
| 8 | Maryvonne Dupureur | France | 2:08.2 | |