800 metres Wheelchair, Women

This was the second time wheelchair racing was held as a demonstration event on the athletics program at the Olympics. The women raced 800 metres on the track with eight competitors. The event was won by American Sharon Hedrick, who had won the event in 1984 in world record time, in an Olympic record 2:11.73, which was a huge 6.8 seconds ahead of Denmark’s Connie Hansen in second place. Between 1976-92 Hedrick won nine medals, and five gold medals at the Paralympics, winning medals in wheelchair racing, swimming, and basketball. Hansen would win this event at the 1992 Olympics.