Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 800 metres

The men's 800 metres competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom, was held at the Olympic Stadium on 6–9 August.[1] Fifty-five athletes from 43 nations competed.[2] The event was won by David Rudisha of Kenya, the second consecutive and fourth overall title for Kenya in the event. Rudisha would later become the fourth man to successfully defend his Olympic 800 metres title, and the 11th to win two medals of any kind in the event. Nijel Amos' silver medal was the first Olympic medal ever for Botswana.[3] Timothy Kitum of Kenya won the bronze medal.

Men's 800 metres
at the Games of the XXX Olympiad
VenueOlympic Stadium
Date6–9 August
Competitors55 from 43 nations
Winning time1:40.91 WR
Medalists
1st place, gold medalist(s) David Rudisha
 Kenya
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Nijel Amos
 Botswana
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Timothy Kitum
 Kenya
← 2008
2016 →
Official Video


Summary edit

Reigning world champion David Rudisha won the race in 1:40.91, becoming the first person to break 1:41 and improving on his own world record (the first world record in an Olympic men's 800m final since 1976). The reigning world junior champion, Nijel Amos, finished second in 1:41.73, establishing a new world junior record and Botswana national record. In an exceptionally fast final, all runners except Abubaker Kaki (who ran a seasonal best) set personal bests, including three national records (Kenya, Botswana, and Ethiopia). The finishing times were the fastest recorded for each placing and it constituted the first time that eight athletes ran under 1:44 in the same race. All the athletes in the race produced times that would have won the final in Beijing.[4] The eighth-place finisher, Andrew Osagie, produced a time that would have won the gold medal at all but three of the previous Olympic 800m finals.

Rudisha led from the start of the race, easing from lane 4 to the break with a determined Kaki in tow. By the halfway mark in 49.28 Mohammed Aman lined up off Kaki's shoulder. During the next 200 meters, Rudisha put a gap on the field and Kaki began falling back. The scramble was on to see who had anything left or, like Kaki, who would pay the price. As Rudisha showed the strain of his effort, Nijel Amos and Timothy Kitum started to make up a little of the ground Rudisha had built up. Running at the back of the field, Duane Solomon and Nick Symmonds made a late run, finishing just a step out of the medals.

Background edit

This was the 27th appearance of the event, which is one of 12 athletics events to have been held at every Summer Olympics. The only returning finalist from 2008 was silver-medalist Ismail Ahmed Ismail, who had also taken second in the 2011 world championship. 2004 gold medalist, 2008 semifinalist, and 2011 world-championship third-place runner Yuriy Borzakovskiy of Russia competed as well. The clear favorite was David Rudisha of Kenya, the 2011 world champion, world record holder, and #1 ranked runner in 2009, 2010, and 2011.[2]

Cambodia, Iraq, and Mali appeared in the event for the first time. Great Britain made its 26th appearance, most among all nations, having had no competitors in the event only in the 1904 Games in St. Louis.

Qualification edit

A National Olympic Committee (NOC) could enter up to 3 qualified athletes in the men's 100 metres event if all athletes met the A standard, or 1 athlete if they met the B standard. The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The qualifying time standards could be obtained in various meets during the qualifying period that had the approval of the IAAF. Indoor and outdoor meets were eligible. The A standard for the 2012 men's 800 metres was 1:45.60; the B standard was 1:46.30. The qualifying period for was from 1 May 2011 to 8 July 2012. NOCs could also have an athlete enter the 800 metres through a universality place. NOCs could enter one male athlete in an athletics event, regardless of time, if they had no male athletes meeting the qualifying A or B standards in any men's athletic event.[5][6][7]

Competition format edit

The competition had seven heats in the first round, three semifinals, and a final.[8] The top three in each of the first round heats progressed, as did the three next fastest runners. The top two finishers in each semifinal race reached the finals along with the two fastest runners outside these runners, to make up the eight finalists.[9]

Records edit

Prior to the competition, the existing World and Olympic records, and world leading run for the season, were as follows.

World record   David Rudisha (KEN) 1:41.01 Rieti, Italy 29 August 2010
Olympic record   Vebjørn Rodal (NOR) 1:42.58 Atlanta, United States 31 July 1996
2012 World leading   David Rudisha (KEN) 1:41.54 Paris, France 6 July 2012

The following records were established during the competition:

Date Event Athlete Nation Time Record
9 August Final David Rudisha   Kenya 1:40.91 WR

The following national records were set during the competition.

Kenya national record   David Rudisha (KEN) 1:40.91
Botswana national record   Nijel Amos (BOT) 1:41.73
Ethiopia national record   Mohammed Aman (ETH) 1:43.20

Schedule edit

All times are British Summer Time (UTC+1)

Date Time Round
Monday, 6 August 2012 10:50 Round 1
Tuesday, 7 August 2012 19:55 Semifinals
Thursday, 9 August 2012 20:00 Final

Results edit

 
Official Video of Round 1

Round 1 edit

Qual. rule: first 3 of each heat (Q) plus the 3 fastest times (q) qualified.

Heat 1 edit

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes[10]
1 Nijel Amos   Botswana 1:45.90 Q
2 Fabiano Pecanha   Brazil 1:46.29 Q
3 Luis Alberto Marco   Spain 1:46.86 Q
4 Khadevis Robinson   United States 1:47.17
5 Marcin Lewandowski   Poland 1:47.64 q[11]
6 Ivan Tukhtachev   Russia 1:49.77
7 Derek Mandell   Guam 1:58.94
Mohammad Al-Azemi   Kuwait DSQ R163.2

Heat 2 edit

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes[10]
1 David Rudisha   Kenya 1:45.90 Q
2 Musaeb Abdulrahman Balla   Qatar 1:46.37 Q
3 Andrew Osagie   Great Britain 1:46.42 Q
4 Wesley Vazquez   Puerto Rico 1:46.45
5 Jeffrey Riseley   Australia 1:46.99
6 Ismail Ahmed Ismail   Sudan 1:48.79
7 Anis Ananenka   Belarus 1:49.61 DPG[12]
8 Samorn Kieng   Cambodia 1:55.26 SB

Heat 3 edit

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes[10]
1 Abubaker Kaki   Sudan 1:45.51 Q
2 Timothy Kitum   Kenya 1:45.72 Q
3 Abdulaziz Mohammed   Saudi Arabia 1:46.09 Q
4 Andy González   Cuba 1:46.24 q
5 Gareth Warburton   Great Britain 1:46.97
6 Tamás Kazi   Hungary 1:47.10 SB
7 Sören Ludolph   Germany 1:48.57
8 Arnold Sorina   Vanuatu 1:54.29

Heat 4 edit

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes[10]
1 Nick Symmonds   United States 1:45.91 Q
2 Geoffrey Harris   Canada 1:45.97 Q
3 Adam Kszczot   Poland 1:45.99 Q
4 Pierre-Ambroise Bosse   France 1:46.03 q
5 Yuriy Borzakovskiy   Russia 1:46.29 q
6 Andreas Bube   Denmark 1:46.40
7 Manuel Antonio   Angola 1:52.54
Brice Etes   Monaco DSQ

Heat 5 edit

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes[10]
1 Hamada Mohamed   Egypt 1:48.05 Q
2 Sajad Moradi   Iran 1:48.23 Q
3 Kevin Lopez   Spain 1:48.27 Q
4 Masato Yokota   Japan 1:48.48
5 Michael Rimmer   Great Britain 1:49.05
6 Moussa Camara   Mali 1:51.36
7 Edgar Cortez   Nicaragua 1:58.99
Taoufik Makhloufi   Algeria DNF

Heat 6 edit

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes[10]
1 Mohammed Aman   Ethiopia 1:47.34 Q
2 Anthony Chemut   Kenya 1:47.42 Q
3 Antonio Manuel Reina   Spain 1:47.44 Q
4 Rafith Rodriguez   Colombia 1:47.70
5 Adnan Taess Akkar   Iraq 1:47.83
6 Amine El Manaoui   Morocco 1:48.48
7 Prince Mumba   Zambia 1:49.07
8 Erzhan Askarov   Kyrgyzstan 1:59.56

Heat 7 edit

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes[10]
1 Duane Solomon   United States 1:46.05 Q
2 Robert Lathouwers   Netherlands 1:46.06 Q
3 André Olivier   South Africa 1:46.42 Q
4 Jakub Holuša   Czech Republic 1:46.87
5 Julius Mutekanga   Uganda 1:48.41
6 Moise Joseph   Haiti 1:48.46
7 Benjamín Enzema   Equatorial Guinea 1:57.47
Kleberson Davide   Brazil DNS

Semifinals edit

 
Official Video of Semifinals

Qual. rule: first 2 of each heat (Q) plus the 2 fastest times (q) qualified.

Semifinal 1 edit

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes[10]
1 Abubaker Kaki   Sudan 1:44.51 Q
2 Nijel Amos   Botswana 1:44.54 Q
3 Adam Kszczot   Poland 1:45.34
4 Anthony Chemut   Kenya 1:45.63
5 Robert Lathouwers   Netherlands 1:45.85
6 Luis Alberto Marco   Spain 1:46.19
7 Fabiano Pecanha   Brazil 1:46.29
Sajad Moradi   Iran DSQ R163.3

Semifinal 2 edit

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes[10]
1 David Rudisha   Kenya 1:44.35 Q
2 Andrew Osagie   Great Britain 1:44.74 Q
3 Nick Symmonds   United States 1:44.87 q
4 Marcin Lewandowski   Poland 1:45.08
5 Yuriy Borzakovskiy   Russia 1:45.09 SB
6 Kevin Lopez   Spain 1:46.66
7 Musaeb Abdulrahman Balla   Qatar 1:47.52
8 Hamada Mohamed   Egypt 1:48.18
9 Andy Gonzalez   Cuba 1:53.46

Semifinal 3 edit

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes[10]
1 Mohammed Aman   Ethiopia 1:44.34 Q
2 Timothy Kitum   Kenya 1:44.63 Q
3 Duane Solomon   United States 1:44.93 q
4 Pierre-Ambroise Bosse   France 1:45.10
5 André Olivier   South Africa 1:45.44
6 Antonio Manuel Reina   Spain 1:45.84
7 Geoffrey Harris   Canada 1:46.14
8 Abdulaziz Mohammed   Saudi Arabia 1:48.98

Final edit

Rank Athlete Nation Time Notes
  David Rudisha   Kenya 1:40.91 WR
  Nijel Amos   Botswana 1:41.73 WJR, NR
  Timothy Kitum   Kenya 1:42.53 PB
4 Duane Solomon   United States 1:42.82 PB
5 Nick Symmonds   United States 1:42.95 PB
6 Mohammed Aman   Ethiopia 1:43.20 NR
7 Abubaker Kaki   Sudan 1:43.32 SB
8 Andrew Osagie   Great Britain 1:43.77 PB
Splits
Intermediate Athlete Nation Mark
400m David Rudisha   Kenya 49.28
600m David Rudisha   Kenya 1:14.30

References edit

  1. ^ "Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics". Archived from the original on 2012-09-05. Retrieved 2012-05-11.
  2. ^ a b "800 metres, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  3. ^ "Olympics 2012: Nation Power Rankings, Day 13 Edition".
  4. ^ Ramsak, Bob (2012-08-09). Stunning! Rudisha 1:40.91 World Record in London! - UPDATED. IAAF. Retrieved on 2012-08-10.
  5. ^ "QUALIFICATION SYSTEM – GAMES OF THE XXX OLYMPIAD" (PDF). IAAF. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  6. ^ "Olympic Qualifying Procedures for Athletics". Telegraph. 15 April 2011. Archived from the original on 19 April 2011. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
  7. ^ "Amended Qualifying Standards". IAAF. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  8. ^ "Men's 800m". London 2012 Organising Committee. Archived from the original on 16 December 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
  9. ^ "800m competition format". London 2012 Organising Committee. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "800 Metres - M. Heats". london2012.com. Archived from the original on 9 December 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  11. ^ Advanced by judges decision after being pushed by Al-Azemi.
  12. ^ IOC DISCIPLINARY COMMISSION DECISION REGARDING ANIS ANANENKA, International Olympic Committee, 27 March 2019.