# Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Women's 800 metres

The Women's 800 metres at the 2000 Summer Olympics as part of the athletics programme was held at Stadium Australia on Friday 22 September, Saturday 23 September, and Monday 25 September 2000.
The top two runners in each of the initial five heats automatically qualified for the semi-final. The next six fastest runners from across the heats also qualified for the semi-final.
The top three runners in each semi-final automatically qualified for the final. The next two fastest runners from across the heats also qualified for the final.
There were a total number of 39 participating athletes.
In the final, Helena Fuchsová took her lane 1 position out to the lead, with Brigita Langerholc sweeping across the track from lane 8 to shut the door on Hazel Clark and the rest of the pack. Fuchsova held the lead through a 55.04 first lap and on to 600 metres in 1:25.5. Behind her the pack scrambled for position with Kelly Holmes on Fuchsova's shoulder. Holmes, then Maria Mutola, then Stephanie Graf all passed on the final turn. On the final straightaway, Mutola rans strong on the outside, advancing past Holmes, with Graf sprinting past for silver. Four years later, it would be reversed, with Holmes running past Mutoloa on the final straight.

## Records

| World Record | 1:53.28 | Jarmila Kratochvílová | Czechoslovakia | Munich, West Germany | 26 July 1983 |
| Olympic Record | 1:53.43 | Nadiya Olizarenko | Soviet Union | Moscow, Soviet Union | 27 February 1980 |

## Medals

| Gold: | Silver: | Bronze: |
| Maria Mutola, Mozambique | Stephanie Graf, Austria | Kelly Holmes, Great Britain |

## Results

All times shown are in seconds.
* Q denotes qualification by place in heat.
* q denotes qualification by overall place.
* DNS denotes did not start.
* DNF denotes did not finish.
* DQ denotes disqualification.
* NR denotes national record.
* OR denotes Olympic record.
* WR denotes world record.
* PB denotes personal best.
* SB denotes season best.

## Qualifying heats
### Round 1

Heat 1 of 5 Date: Friday 22 September 2000 :
| Place | Place | Athlete | Nation | Lane | Time | Qual. | Record |
| Heat | Overall | Athlete | Nation | Lane | Time | Qual. | Record |
| 1 | 7 | Maria Mutola | Mozambique | 5 | 1:59.88 | Q | |
| 2 | 10 | Tamsyn Lewis | Australia | 3 | 2:00.33 | Q | |
| 3 | 11 | Hasna Benhassi | Morocco | 8 | 2:00.50 | q | |
| 4 | 22 | Natalya Dukhnova | Belarus | 1 | 2:03.20 | | |
| 5 | 25 | Grace Birungi | Uganda | 6 | 2:03.32 | | |
| 6 | 26 | Olena Buzhenko | Ukraine | 7 | 2:03:48 | | |
| 7 | 27 | Florencia Hunt | Netherlands Antilles | 4 | 2:03.78 | | NR |
| 8 | 32 | Direma Banasso | Togo | 2 | 2:13.67 | | PB |
Heat 2 of 5 Date: Friday 22 September 2000 :
| Place | Place | Athlete | Nation | Lane | Time | Qual. | Record |
| Heat | Overall | Athlete | Nation | Lane | Time | Qual. | Record |
| 1 | 14 | Jearl Miles Clark | United States | 3 | 2:01.79 | Q | |
| 2 | 15 | Brigita Langerholc | Slovenia | 7 | 2:01.89 | Q | |
| 3 | 16 | Olga Raspopova | Russia | 1 | 2:01.95 | | |
| 4 | 18 | Letitia Vriesde | Suriname | 2 | 2:02.09 | | |
| 5 | 23 | Mina Ait Hammou | Morocco | 5 | 2:03.25 | | |
| 6 | 28 | Leontine Tsiba | Republic of the Congo | 6 | 2:04:08 | | NR |
| 7 | 30 | Elena Iagăr | Romania | 8 | 2:07.56 | | |
| 8 | 37 | Roda Ali Wais | Djibouti | 4 | 2:31.71 | | |
Heat 3 of 5 Date: Friday 22 September 2000 :
| Place | Place | Athlete | Nation | Lane | Time | Qual. | Record |
| Heat | Overall | Athlete | Nation | Lane | Time | Qual. | Record |
| 1 | 5 | Mayte Martínez | Spain | 3 | 1:59.60 | Q | PB |
| 2 | 6 | Irina Mistyukevich | Russia | 6 | 1:59.73 | Q | |
| 3 | 8 | Zulia Calatayud | Cuba | 8 | 2:00.18 | q | |
| 4 | 9 | Joetta Clark Diggs | United States | 4 | 2:00.19 | q | |
| 5 | 12 | Charmaine Howell | Jamaica | 7 | 2:01.14 | q | |
| 6 | 33 | Christine Mukamutesi | Rwanda | 5 | 2:14:15 | | |
| 7 | 36 | Anhel Cape | Guinea-Bissau | 1 | 2:17.05 | | |
| | | Ludmila Formanová | Czech Republic | 2 | DNF | | |
Heat 4 of 5 Date: Friday 22 September 2000 :
| Place | Place | Athlete | Nation | Lane | Time | Qual. | Record |
| Heat | Overall | Athlete | Nation | Lane | Time | Qual. | Record |
| 1 | 13 | Kelly Holmes | Great Britain | 6 | 2:01.76 | Q | |
| 2 | 17 | Hazel Clark | United States | 5 | 2:01.99 | Q | |
| 3 | 19 | Natalya Tsyganova | Russia | 8 | 2:02.26 | | |
| 4 | 20 | Sandra Stals | Belgium | 4 | 2:02.33 | | |
| 5 | 24 | Susan Andrews | Australia | 1 | 2:03.31 | | |
| 6 | 29 | Irina Latve | Latvia | 2 | 2:06:05 | | |
| 7 | 35 | Delfina Cassinda | Angola | 3 | 2:15.02 | | |
Heat 5 of 5 Date: Friday 22 September 2000 :
| Place | Place | Athlete | Nation | Lane | Time | Qual. | Record |
| Heat | Overall | Athlete | Nation | Lane | Time | Qual. | Record |
| 1 | 1 | Stephanie Graf | Austria | 1 | 1:58.39 | Q | |
| 2 | 2 | Claudia Gesell | Germany | 2 | 1:58.56 | Q | |
| 3 | 3 | Helena Fuchsová | Czech Republic | 4 | 1:58.97 | q | SB |
| 4 | 4 | Toni Hodgkinson | New Zealand | 7 | 1:59.37 | q | |
| 5 | 21 | Diane Modahl | Great Britain | 5 | 2:02.41 | | |
| 6 | 31 | Adama Njie | The Gambia | 6 | 2:07:90 | | SB |
| 7 | 34 | Anna Nasilyan | Armenia | 8 | 2:14.86 | | |
| | | Tina Paulino | Mozambique | 3 | DNS | | |
Overall Results Round 1
Round 1 Overall Results :
| Place | Athlete | Nation | Heat | Lane | Place | Time | Qual. | Record |
| 1 | Stephanie Graf | Austria | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1:58.39 | Q | |
| 2 | Claudia Gesell | Germany | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1:58.56 | Q | |
| 3 | Helena Fuchsová | Czech Republic | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1:58.97 | q | SB |
| 4 | Toni Hodgkinson | New Zealand | 5 | 7 | 4 | 1:59.37 | q | |
| 5 | Mayte Martínez | Spain | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1:59.60 | Q | PB |
| 6 | Irina Mistyukevich | Russia | 3 | 6 | 3 | 1:59.73 | Q | |
| 7 | Maria Mutola | Mozambique | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1:59.88 | Q | |
| 8 | Zulia Calatayud | Cuba | 2 | 8 | 3 | 2:00.18 | q | |
| 9 | Joetta Clark Diggs | United States | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2:00.19 | q | |
| 10 | Tamsyn Lewis | Australia | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2:00.23 | Q | |
| 11 | Hasna Benhassi | Morocco | 1 | 8 | 3 | 2:00.50 | q | |
| 12 | Charmaine Howell | Jamaica | 3 | 7 | 5 | 2:01.14 | q | |
| 13 | Kelly Holmes | Great Britain | 4 | 6 | 1 | 2:01.76 | Q | |
| 14 | Jearl Miles Clark | United States | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2:01.79 | Q | |
| 15 | Brigita Langerholc | Slovenia | 2 | 7 | 2 | 2:01.89 | Q | |
| 16 | Olga Raspopova | Russia | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2:01.95 | | |
| 17 | Hazel Clark | United States | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2:01.99 | Q | |
| 18 | Letitia Vriesde | Suriname | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2:02.09 | | |
| 19 | Natalya Tsyganova | Russia | 4 | 8 | 3 | 2:02.25 | | |
| 20 | Sandra Stals | Belgium | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2:02.33 | | |
| 21 | Diane Modahl | Great Britain | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2:02.41 | | |
| 22 | Natalya Dukhnova | Belarus | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2:03.20 | | |
| 23 | Mina Ait Hammou | Morocco | 2 | 5 | 5 | 2:03.25 | | |
| 24 | Susan Andrews | Australia | 4 | 1 | 5 | 2:03.31 | | |
| 25 | Grace Birungi | Uganda | 1 | 6 | 5 | 2:03.32 | | |
| 26 | Olena Buzhenko | Ukraine | 1 | 7 | 6 | 2:03.48 | | |
| 27 | Florencia Hunt | Netherlands Antilles | 1 | 4 | 7 | 2:03.78 | | NR |
| 28 | Leontine Tsiba | Republic of the Congo | 2 | 6 | 6 | 2:04.08 | | |
| 29 | Irina Latve | Latvia | 4 | 2 | 6 | 2:06.05 | | |
| 30 | Elena Iagăr | Romania | 2 | 8 | 7 | 2:07.56 | | |
| 31 | Adama Njie | The Gambia | 5 | 6 | 6 | 2:07.90 | | SB |
| 32 | Direma Banasso | Togo | 1 | 2 | 8 | 2:13.67 | | PB |
| 33 | Christine Mukamutesi | Rwanda | 3 | 5 | 6 | 2:14.15 | | |
| 34 | Anna Nasilyan | Armenia | 5 | 8 | 7 | 2:14:86 | | |
| 35 | Delfina Cassinda | Angola | 4 | 3 | 7 | 2:15.02 | | |
| 36 | Anhel Cape | Guinea-Bissau | 3 | 1 | 7 | 2:17.05 | | |
| 37 | Roda Ali Wais | Djibouti | 2 | 4 | 8 | 2:31.71 | | |
| | Ludmila Formanová | Czech Republic | 3 | 2 | | DNF | | |
| | Tina Paulino | Mozambique | 5 | 3 | | DNS | | |

### Semi-finals

Heat 1 of 2 Date: Saturday 23 September 2000 :
| Place | Place | Athlete | Nation | Lane | Time | Qual. | Record |
| Heat | Overall | Athlete | Nation | Lane | Time | Qual. | Record |
| 1 | 4 | Maria Mutola | Mozambique | 5 | 1:58.56 | Q | |
| 2 | 7 | Hasna Benhassi | Morocco | 4 | 1:59.19 | Q | |
| 3 | 8 | Zulia Calatayud | Cuba | 2 | 1:59.30 | Q | PB |
| 4 | 9 | Tamsyn Lewis | Australia | 7 | 1:59.33 | | |
| 5 | 10 | Jearl Miles Clark | United States | 3 | 1:59.44 | | |
| 6 | 11 | Claudia Gesell | Germany | 6 | 1:59:69 | | |
| 7 | 13 | Charmaine Howell | Jamaica | 8 | 2:00.63 | | PB |
| 8 | 15 | Mayte Martínez | Spain | 1 | 2:03.27 | | |
Heat 2 of 2 Date: Saturday 23 September 2000 :
| Place | Place | Athlete | Nation | Lane | Time | Qual. | Record |
| Heat | Overall | Athlete | Nation | Lane | Time | Qual. | Record |
| 1 | 1 | Stephanie Graf | Austria | 3 | 1:57.56 | Q | |
| 2 | 2 | Kelly Holmes | Great Britain | 1 | 1:58.45 | Q | SB |
| 3 | 3 | Helena Fuchsová | Czech Republic | 4 | 1:58.82 | Q | SB |
| 4 | 5 | Brigita Langerholc | Slovenia | 1 | 1:59.09 | q | NR |
| 5 | 6 | Hazel Clark | United States | 6 | 1:59.12 | q | |
| 6 | 12 | Toni Hodgkinson | New Zealand | 7 | 1:59:84 | | |
| 7 | 14 | Irina Mistyukevich | Russia | 5 | 2:02.95 | | |
| 8 | 16 | Joetta Clark Diggs | United States | 8 | 2:04.12 | | |
Overall Results Semi-finals
Semi-final Overall Results :
| Place | Athlete | Nation | Heat | Lane | Place | Time | Qual. | Record |
| 1 | Stephanie Graf | Austria | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1:57.56 | Q | |
| 2 | Kelly Holmes | Great Britain | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1:58.45 | Q | SB |
| 3 | Helena Fuchsová | Czech Republic | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1:58.82 | Q | SB |
| 4 | Maria Mutola | Mozambique | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1:58.86 | Q | |
| 5 | Brigita Langerholc | Slovenia | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1:59.96 | q | NR |
| 6 | Hazel Clark | United States | 2 | 6 | 5 | 1:59.12 | q | |
| 7 | Hasna Benhassi | Morocco | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1:59.19 | Q | |
| 8 | Zulia Calatayud | Cuba | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1:59.30 | Q | PB |
| 9 | Tamsyn Lewis | Australia | 1 | 7 | 4 | 1:59.33 | | |
| 10 | Jearl Miles Clark | United States | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1:59.44 | | |
| 11 | Claudia Gesell | Germany | 1 | 6 | 6 | 1:59.69 | | |
| 12 | Toni Hodgkinson | New Zealand | 2 | 7 | 6 | 1:59.84 | | |
| 13 | Charmaine Howell | Jamaica | 1 | 8 | 7 | 2:00.63 | | PB |
| 14 | Irina Mistyukevich | Russia | 2 | 5 | 7 | 2:02.95 | | |
| 15 | Mayte Martínez | Spain | 1 | 1 | 8 | 2:03.27 | | |
| 16 | Joetta Clark Diggs | United States | 2 | 8 | 8 | 2:04.12 | | |

## Final

Date: Monday 25 September 2000 :
| Place | Athlete | Nation | Lane | Time | Record |
| | Maria Mutola | Mozambique | 6 | 1:56.15 | SB |
| | Stephanie Graf | Austria | 5 | 1:56.64 | NR |
| | Kelly Holmes | Great Britain | 3 | 1:56.80 | SB |
| 4 | Brigita Langerholc | Slovenia | 8 | 1:58.51 | NR |
| 5 | Helena Fuchsová | Czech Republic | 1 | 1:58.56 | PB |
| 6 | Zulia Calatayud | Cuba | 7 | 1:58.66 | PB |
| 7 | Hazel Clark | United States | 2 | 1:58.75 | |
| 8 | Hasna Benhassi | Morocco | 4 | 1:59.17 | |