# 1996 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 800 metres

The women's 800 metres event at the 1996 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sydney, Australia, at International Athletic Centre on 21, 22 and 23 August.

## Medalists

| Gold | Claudia Gesell Germany |
| Silver | Kathleen Friedrich Germany |
| Bronze | Nancy Jebet Langat Kenya |

## Results
### Final

23 August
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time |
| | Claudia Gesell | Germany | 2:02.67 |
| | Kathleen Friedrich | Germany | 2:02.70 |
| | Nancy Jebet Langat | Kenya | 2:03.21 |
| 4 | Mairelín Fuentes | Cuba | 2:03.49 |
| 5 | Anca Safta | Romania | 2:03.64 |
| 6 | Rhode Senekal-Snyman | South Africa | 2:04.59 |
| 7 | Marilena Zevedeanu | Romania | 2:08.19 |
| 8 | Natalya Yevdokimova | Ukraine | 2:10.77 |

### Semifinals

22 August

#### Semifinal 1

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Anca Safta | Romania | 2:05.99 | Q |
| 2 | Kathleen Friedrich | Germany | 2:06.08 | Q |
| 3 | Mairelín Fuentes | Cuba | 2:06.73 | Q |
| 4 | Natalya Yevdokimova | Ukraine | 2:07.54 | Q |
| 5 | Tytti Reho | Finland | 2:07.67 | |
| 6 | Laetitia Valdonado | France | 2:09.34 | |
| 7 | Oksana Zbrozhek | Russia | 2:12.58 | |
| | Shura Hotesa | Ethiopia | DQ | IAAF rule 141.2 |

#### Semifinal 2

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Claudia Gesell | Germany | 2:06.23 | Q |
| 2 | Nancy Jebet Langat | Kenya | 2:06.79 | Q |
| 3 | Marilena Zevedeanu | Romania | 2:07.22 | Q |
| 4 | Rhode Senekal-Snyman | South Africa | 2:07.40 | Q |
| 5 | Miriam Maseková | Slovakia | 2:07.65 | |
| 6 | Tara Mendoza | United States | 2:08.95 | |
| 7 | Hasna Benhassi | Morocco | 2:25.00 | |
| | Sintayahu Fikre | Ethiopia | DNS | |

### Heats

21 August

#### Heat 1

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Nancy Jebet Langat | Kenya | 2:08.02 | Q |
| 2 | Tytti Reho | Finland | 2:08.48 | Q |
| 3 | Rhode Senekal-Snyman | South Africa | 2:08.50 | Q |
| 4 | Bi Tanna | China | 2:08.82 | |
| 5 | Natalia Rodríguez | Spain | 2:09.09 | |
| 6 | Lena Nilsson | Sweden | 2:09.12 | |
| 7 | Cherryl Escat | Philippines | 2:14.63 | |
| 8 | Zolveik Ruíz | Panama | 2:19.11 | |

#### Heat 2

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Anca Safta | Romania | 2:06.24 | Q |
| 2 | Mairelín Fuentes | Cuba | 2:06.25 | Q |
| 3 | Laetitia Valdonado | France | 2:07.46 | Q |
| 4 | Oksana Zbrozhek | Russia | 2:08.42 | q |
| 5 | Natalya Yevdokimova | Ukraine | 2:08.80 | q |
| 6 | Tamieka Grizzle | United States | 2:11.48 | |
| 7 | Alli Li Yin Yee | Hong Kong | 2:15.49 | |

#### Heat 3

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Miriam Maseková | Slovakia | 2:08.75 | Q |
| 2 | Kathleen Friedrich | Germany | 2:09.17 | Q |
| 3 | Sintayahu Fikre | Ethiopia | 2:10.27 | Q |
| 4 | Margaret Chirchir | Kenya | 2:10.34 | |
| 5 | Marie-Louise Henning | South Africa | 2:10.90 | |
| 6 | Melanie Bradley | Australia | 2:11.12 | |
| 7 | Zhang Jinqing | China | 2:14.04 | |

#### Heat 4

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Claudia Gesell | Germany | 2:05.66 | Q |
| 2 | Shura Hotesa | Ethiopia | 2:06.57 | Q |
| 3 | Hasna Benhassi | Morocco | 2:07.12 | Q |
| 4 | Tara Mendoza | United States | 2:07.56 | q |
| 5 | Marilena Zevedeanu | Romania | 2:08.43 | q |
| 6 | Jelena Stanisavljevic | Yugoslavia | 2:09.88 | |
| 7 | Sonja Roman | Slovenia | 2:10.63 | |

## Participation

According to an unofficial count, 29 athletes from 22 countries participated in the event.
* Australia (1)
* China (2)
* Cuba (1)
* Ethiopia (2)
* Finland (1)
* France (1)
* Germany (2)
* Hong Kong (1)
* Kenya (2)
* Morocco (1)
* Panama (1)
* Philippines (1)
* Romania (2)
* Russia (1)
* Slovakia (1)
* Slovenia (1)
* South Africa (2)
* Spain (1)
* Sweden (1)
* Ukraine (1)
* United States (2)
* Yugoslavia (1)