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| Event type

800 metres, Women

Date8 – 11 August 2012
StatusOlympic
LocationOlympic Stadium, Olympic Park, Stratford, London
Participants41 from 32 countries

The pre-meet favorite was Kenyan Pamela Jelimo, the defending gold medalist, but Russian Mariya Savinova was also a challenger for gold, having won the 2011 World Championships. The Beijing silver medalist, and 2009 World Champion, Caster Semenya of South Africa was also back. Her 2009 World title had been controversial, as questions arose as to her gender and if she had actually failed a pre-meet gender test, but she was eventually cleared of those charges and allowed to compete. She lost time off competition in 2010 as a result, but came back in 2011 to place second to Savinova at the Worlds.

The early lead in the final was taken by American Alysia Johnson-Montaño, as expected. The frequent frontrunner led through 200 metres in 26.9 and 400 in 56.31. Jelimo powered ahead on the final backstretch, and had three strides on the field. She seemed to have the repeat gold in hand, but Savinova had timed her kick perfectly. At 130 metres from the finish, she let it go and easily passed a slowing Jelimo to win the gold by over a second. As Jelimo faded, Semenya came on to repeat as silver medalist, with Savinova’s teammate Yekaterina Poistogova taking the bronze. Jelimo was fourth and Montaño fifth. Last in the final was Kenyan Janeth Jepkosgei, the silver medalist from Beijing.

That was how the event and the results seemed to have ended. In 2015, however, the IOC began re-testing samples from the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics, using newer, more advanced testing techniques, in an effort to find those who had used performance enhancing drugs (PEDs), but in whom it could not be detected at the time of those Olympics. This was one of the many events affected.

In February 2016 Mariya Savinova, the original gold medalist, was disqualified after a biological passport offense. South African Caster Semenya was advanced to the gold medal and Russian Yekaterina Poistogova received the silver medal. In July 2020 the IOC also advanced Jelimo to a bronze medal.

PosNrAthleteNOCR1SFFinal
12794Caster SemenyaRSA2:00.71 (2 h1)1:57.67 (1 h2)1:57.23 (1)Gold
22886Yekaterina PoistogovaRUS2:01.08 (2 h6)1:59.45 (2 h1)1:57.53 (2)Silver
32329Pamela JelimoKEN2:00.54 (1 h4)1:59.42 (1 h1)1:57.59 (3)Bronze
43300Alysia Johnson-MontañoUSA2:00.47 (1 h1)1:58.42 (3 h2)1:57.93 (4)
51130Francine NiyonsabaBDI2:07.57 (1 h3)1:58.67 (1 h3)1:59.63 (5)
62323Janeth JepkosgeiKEN2:01.04 (1 h6)1:58.26 (2 h2)2:00.19 (6)
2 h3 r2/32285Margarita MukashovaKAZ2:02.12 (5 h6)1:59.20 (2 h3)
3 h1 r2/31428Rosibel GarcíaCOL2:01.30 (3 h6)2:00.16 (3 h1)
3 h3 r2/32464Malika AkkaouiMAR2:01.78 (3 h2)2:00.32 (3 h3)
4 h1 r2/33315Alice SchmidtUSA2:01.65 (1 h2)2:01.63 (4 h1)
4 h2 r2/32469Halima HachlafMAR2:00.99 (3 h1)1:58.84 (4 h2)
4 h3 r2/32338Cherono KoechKEN2:08.39 (2 h5)2:00.53 (4 h3)
5 h1 r2/33173Nataliya LupuUKR2:08.35 (1 h5)2:01.63 (5 h1)
5 h2 r2/32074Tintu LukaIND2:01.75 (2 h2)1:59.69 (5 h2)
5 h3 r2/31260Genzeb ShumiBRN2:07.77 (3 h3)2:01.76 (5 h3)
6 h1 r2/31486Rose AlmanzaCUB2:01.19 (4 h1)2:01.70 (6 h1)
6 h2 r2/32767Elena Mirela LavricROU2:01.65 (4 h6)2:00.46 (6 h2)
6 h3 r2/31318Jessica SmithCAN2:07.75 (2 h3)2:01.90 (6 h3)
7 h1 r2/31878Lynsey SharpGBR2:01.41 (2 h4)2:01.78 (7 h1)
7 h2 r2/32009Neisha Bernard-ThomasGRN2:03.23 (6 h6)2:00.68 (7 h2)
7 h3 r2/33291Geena GallUSA2:03.85 (4 h4)2:05.76 (7 h3)
8 h1 r2/31990Eleni FilandraGRE2:02.29 (3 h4)2:04.42 (8 h1)
3 h5 r1/31173Maryna ArzamasavaBLR2:08.43 (3 h5)
4 h2 r1/32625Andrea FerrisPAN2:05.59 (4 h2)
4 h3 r1/32969Amina BakhitSUD2:09.78 (4 h3)
4 h5 r1/31536Lenka MasnáCZE2:08.45 (4 h5)
5 h1 r1/32531Annabelle LascarMRI2:05.45 (5 h1)
5 h2 r1/32518Haley NemraMHL2:14.90 (5 h2)
5 h3 r1/32023Amy AtkinsonGUM2:18.53 (5 h3)
5 h4 r1/31015Felismina CavelaANG2:10.95 (5 h4)
5 h5 r1/31305Melissa Bishop-NriaguCAN2:09.33 (5 h5)
6 h1 r1/32491Elena PopescuMDA2:06.94 (6 h1)
6 h2 r1/33081Merve AydınTUR3:24.35 (6 h2)
6 h4 r1/32622Rabia AshiqPAK2:17.39 (6 h4)
6 h5 r1/32533Aicha FallMTN2:27.97 (6 h5)
7 h5 r1/32638Woroud SawalhaPLE2:29.16 (7 h5)
7 h6 r1/31276Elisabeth MandabaCAF2:12.56 (7 h6)
8 h6 r1/32378Sarah AttarKSA2:44.95 (8 h6)
DQ2844Yelena ArzhakovaRUS[2:08.39] (DQ h5)[1:58.13] (DQ h2)[1:59.21] (DQ)1
DNF3169Yuliya KrevsunUKR– (DNF h4)
DQ2890Mariya SavinovaRUS[2:01.56] (DQ h2)[1:58.57] (DQ h3)[1:56.19] (DQ)2
DNS1590Noura El-SayedEGY– (DNS h1)
DNS3171Liliya LobanovaUKR– (DNS h3)
DNS1711Fantu MagisoETH– (DNS h3)
DNS2204Kenia SinclairJAM– (DNS h3)

Round One (8 August 2012 — 11:35)

Top three in each heat and next six fastest advanced to the semi-finals.

Heat One (11:35)

PosLaneAthleteNOCTime (A)
17Alysia Johnson-MontañoUSA2:00.47Q
28Caster SemenyaRSA2:00.71Q
33Halima HachlafMAR2:00.99Q
42Rose AlmanzaCUB2:01.19q
54Annabelle LascarMRI2:05.45
65Elena PopescuMDA2:06.94
DNS6Noura El-SayedEGY

Splits

400 m55.55Alysia Johnson-Montaño
600 m1:27.22Alysia Johnson-Montaño

Heat Two (11:44)

PosLaneAthleteNOCTime (A)
17Alice SchmidtUSA2:01.65Q
25Tintu LukaIND2:01.75Q
36Malika AkkaouiMAR2:01.78q
43Andrea FerrisPAN2:05.59
58Haley NemraMHL2:14.90
64Merve AydınTUR3:24.35
DQ2Mariya SavinovaRUS[2:01.56]Q3

Splits

400 m1:00.23Alice Schmidt
600 m1:31.29Alice Schmidt

Heat Three (11:53)

PosLaneAthleteNOCTime (A)
17Francine NiyonsabaBDI2:07.57Q
29Jessica SmithCAN2:07.75Q
38Genzeb ShumiBRN2:07.77Q
42Amina BakhitSUD2:09.78
56Amy AtkinsonGUM2:18.53
DNS4Liliya LobanovaUKR
DNS3Fantu MagisoETH
DNS5Kenia SinclairJAM

Splits

400 m1:08.06Genzeb Shumi
600 m1:38.91Francine Niyonsaba

Heat Four (12:02)

PosLaneAthleteNOCTime (A)
16Pamela JelimoKEN2:00.54Q
27Lynsey SharpGBR2:01.41Q
32Eleni FilandraGRE2:02.29Q
43Geena GallUSA2:03.85q
54Felismina CavelaANG2:10.95
68Rabia AshiqPAK2:17.39
DNF5Yuliya KrevsunUKR

Splits

400 m59.21Eleni Filandra
600 m1:29.59Pamela Jelimo

Heat Five (12:11)

PosLaneAthleteNOCTime (A)
16Nataliya LupuUKR2:08.35Q
27Cherono KoechKEN2:08.39Q
32Maryna ArzamasavaBLR2:08.43
49Lenka MasnáCZE2:08.45
55Melissa Bishop-NriaguCAN2:09.33
64Aicha FallMTN2:27.97
78Woroud SawalhaPLE2:29.16
DQ3Yelena ArzhakovaRUS[2:08.39]Q4

Splits

400 m1:08.70Yelena Arzhakova
600 m1:41.03Nataliya Lupu

Heat Six (12:20)

PosLaneAthleteNOCTime (A)
13Janeth JepkosgeiKEN2:01.04Q
22Yekaterina PoistogovaRUS2:01.08Q
37Rosibel GarcíaCOL2:01.30Q
44Elena Mirela LavricROU2:01.65q
55Margarita MukashovaKAZ2:02.12q
69Neisha Bernard-ThomasGRN2:03.23q
76Elisabeth MandabaCAF2:12.56
88Sarah AttarKSA2:44.95

Splits

400 m58.71Janeth Jepkosgei
600 m1:30.62Janeth Jepkosgei

Semi-Finals (9 August 2012 — 19:30)

Top two in each heat and next two fastest advanced to the final.

Heat One (19:30)

PosLaneAthleteNOCTime (A)
15Pamela JelimoKEN1:59.42Q
27Yekaterina PoistogovaRUS1:59.45Q
32Rosibel GarcíaCOL2:00.16
46Alice SchmidtUSA2:01.63
54Nataliya LupuUKR2:01.63
68Rose AlmanzaCUB2:01.70
73Lynsey SharpGBR2:01.78
89Eleni FilandraGRE2:04.42

Splits

400 m1:00.15Eleni Filandra
600 m1:30.51Pamela Jelimo

Heat Two (19:38)

PosLaneAthleteNOCTime (A)
16Caster SemenyaRSA1:57.67Q
27Janeth JepkosgeiKEN1:58.26q
35Alysia Johnson-MontañoUSA1:58.42q
49Halima HachlafMAR1:58.84
53Tintu LukaIND1:59.69
68Elena Mirela LavricROU2:00.46
72Neisha Bernard-ThomasGRN2:00.68
DQ4Yelena ArzhakovaRUS[1:58.13]Q5

Splits

400 m57.36Janeth Jepkosgei
600 m1:27.92Janeth Jepkosgei

Heat Three (19:46)

PosLaneAthleteNOCTime (A)
15Francine NiyonsabaBDI1:58.67Q
28Margarita MukashovaKAZ1:59.20
34Malika AkkaouiMAR2:00.32
42Cherono KoechKEN2:00.53
53Genzeb ShumiBRN2:01.76
69Jessica SmithCAN2:01.90
76Geena GallUSA2:05.76
DQ7Mariya SavinovaRUS[1:58.57]Q6

Splits

400 m57.79Margarita Mukashova
600 m1:28.45Margarita Mukashova

Final (11 August 2012 — 20:00)

PosLaneAthleteNOCTime (A)
17Caster SemenyaRSA1:57.23
22Yekaterina PoistogovaRUS1:57.53
36Pamela JelimoKEN1:57.59
44Alysia Johnson-MontañoUSA1:57.93
53Francine NiyonsabaBDI1:59.63
68Janeth JepkosgeiKEN2:00.19
DQ9Yelena ArzhakovaRUS[1:59.21]7
DQ5Mariya SavinovaRUS[1:56.19]8

Splits

400 m56.31Alysia Johnson-Montaño
600 m1:25.89Pamela Jelimo