# 1971 European Athletics Championships – Women's 800 metres

The women's 800 metres at the 1971 European Athletics Championships was held in Helsinki, Finland, at Helsinki Olympic Stadium on 10, 11, and 12 August 1971.

## Medalists

| Gold | Vera Nikolić Yugoslavia |
| Silver | Patricia Lowe Great Britain |
| Bronze | Rosemary Stirling Great Britain |

## Results
### Final

12 August
| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| | Vera Nikolić | Yugoslavia | 2:00.00 | NR CR |
| | Patricia Lowe | Great Britain | 2:01.66 | |
| | Rosemary Stirling | Great Britain | 2:02.08 | |
| 4 | Danuta Wierzbowska | Poland | 2:04.16 | |
| 5 | Gisela Ellenberger | West Germany | 2:05.14 | |
| 6 | Claire Walsh | Ireland | 2:08.57 | |
| | Hildegard Falck | West Germany | DNF | |
| | Gunhild Hoffmeister | East Germany | DNF | |

### Semi-finals

11 August

#### Semi-final 1

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Vera Nikolić | Yugoslavia | 2:03.7 | Q |
| 2 | Danuta Wierzbowska | Poland | 2:05.3 | Q |
| 3 | Gisela Ellenberger | West Germany | 2:05.4 | Q |
| 4 | Patricia Lowe | Great Britain | 2:05.4 | Q |
| 5 | Magdolna Kulcsár | Hungary | 2:06.2 | |
| 6 | Waltraud Pöhland | East Germany | 2:06.9 | |
| 7 | Angela Ramello | Italy | 2:07.5 | |
| 8 | Kirsten Hoiler | Denmark | 2:07.6 | |

#### Semi-final 2

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Gunhild Hoffmeister | East Germany | 2:03.1 | Q |
| 2 | Hildegard Falck | West Germany | 2:03.2 | Q |
| 3 | Rosemary Stirling | Great Britain | 2:03.3 | Q |
| 4 | Claire Walsh | Ireland | 2:03.4 | NR Q |
| 5 | Ileana Silai | Romania | 2:03.9 | |
| 6 | Sylvia Schenk | West Germany | 2:04.6 | |
| 7 | Donata Govoni | Italy | 2:05.0 | |
| | Nijolė Sabaitė | Soviet Union | DNS | |

### Heats

10 August

#### Heat 1

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Hildegard Falck | West Germany | 2:04.96 | Q |
| 2 | Magdolna Kulcsár | Hungary | 2:05.30 | Q |
| 3 | Waltraud Pöhland | East Germany | 2:05.31 | Q |
| 4 | Angela Ramello | Italy | 2:05.70 | Q |
| 5 | Vasilena Amzina | Bulgaria | 2:06.39 | |
| 6 | Sandra Sutherland | Great Britain | 2:09.46 | |

#### Heat 2

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Vera Nikolić | Yugoslavia | 2:04.81 | Q |
| 2 | Rosemary Stirling | Great Britain | 2:06.74 | Q |
| 3 | Sylvia Schenk | West Germany | 2:07.41 | Q |
| 4 | Danuta Wierzbowska | Poland | 2:07.93 | Q |
| 5 | Birgitte Jennes | Denmark | 2:09.54 | |
| 6 | Maria-Coro Fuentes | Spain | 2:12.58 | |

#### Heat 3

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Gunhild Hoffmeister | East Germany | 2:05.87 | Q |
| 2 | Claire Walsh | Ireland | 2:06.06 | Q |
| 3 | Patricia Lowe | Great Britain | 2:06.37 | Q |
| 4 | Kirsten Hoiler | Denmark | 2:06.67 | Q |
| 5 | Elżbieta Skowrońska | Poland | 2:06.94 | |

#### Heat 4

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Ileana Silai | Romania | 2:04.88 | Q |
| 2 | Donata Govoni | Italy | 2:05.48 | Q |
| 3 | Nijolė Sabaitė | Soviet Union | 2:05.54 | Q |
| 4 | Gisela Ellenberger | West Germany | 2:05.57 | Q |
| 5 | Tonka Petrova | Bulgaria | 2:05.91 | |
| 6 | Grete Andersen | Norway | 2:07.63 | |

## Participation

According to an unofficial count, 23 athletes from 14 countries participated in the event.
* Bulgaria (2)
* Denmark (2)
* East Germany (2)
* Hungary (1)
* Ireland (1)
* Italy (2)
* Norway (1)
* Poland (2)
* Romania (1)
* Soviet Union (1)
* Spain (1)
* Great Britain (3)
* West Germany (3)
* Yugoslavia (1)