| | Event type

800 metres, Women

Date	3 – 6 August 1984
Status	Olympic
Location	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California
Participants	25 from 20 countries

The Soviet boycott crippled the level of competition in this event as all the best 800 metre runners in the world were from Eastern Europe. But Romania did compete in Los Angeles, and their runners became the favorites in the absence of the USSR, GDR, and Czechoslovakia. Czechoslovakia was of note because at the 1st Athletics World Championships in 1983, Jarmila Kratochvílová had won the 400/800 double, shortly after setting a world record of 1:53.28, which stood well into the 2020s. The final pace was set by Italy’s Gabriella Dorio who led until 550 metres, when Doina Beşliu-Melinte (ROM) took over. She was chased to the line by American Kim Gallagher but never was caught. Dorio faded and the bronze medal went to Melinte’s teammate, Fiţa Lovin.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	R1	SF	Final
1	315	Doina Melinte	ROU	2:02.77 (1 h3)	2:01.42 (2 h1)	1:57.60 (1)	Gold
2	377	Kim Gallagher	USA	2:00.37 (1 h4)	2:00.48 (1 h1)	1:58.63 (2)	Silver
3	314	Fița Lovin	ROU	2:01.51 (1 h2)	1:59.29 (1 h2)	1:58.83 (3)	Bronze
4	226	Gabriella Dorio	ITA	2:01.41 (2 h4)	1:59.53 (2 h2)	1:59.05 (4)
5	146	Lorraine Baker	GBR	2:01.73 (3 h2)	2:00.66 (4 h2)	2:00.03 (5)
6	405	Ruth Wysocki	USA	2:04.05 (2 h1)	2:02.31 (3 h1)	2:00.34 (6)
7	124	Margrit Klinger	FRG	2:03.66 (1 h1)	2:00.00 (3 h2)	2:00.65 (7)
8	216	Caroline O'Shea	IRL	2:03.60 (2 h3)	2:02.70 (4 h1)	2:00.77 (8)
5 h1 r2/3	204	Elly van Hulst	NED	2:03.38 (3 h4)	2:03.25 (5 h1)	–
5 h2 r2/3	369	Robin Campbell	USA	2:01.72 (2 h2)	2:01.21 (5 h2)	–
6 h1 r2/3	306	Angelita Lind	PUR	2:01.84 (4 h2)	2:03.27 (6 h1)	–
6 h2 r2/3	331	Jill McCabe	SWE	2:04.16 (3 h1)	2:02.20 (6 h2)	–
7 h1 r2/3	62	Christine Slythe	CAN	2:04.17 (3 h3)	2:04.95 (7 h1)	–
7 h2 r2/3	66	Grace Verbeek	CAN	2:04.16 (4 h4)	2:03.23 (7 h2)	–
8 h1 r2/3	40	Ranza Clark	CAN	2:04.67 (4 h1)	2:05.42 (8 h1)	–
8 h2 r2/3	207	Shiny Abraham	IND	2:04.69 (4 h3)	2:05.42 (8 h2)	–
5 h1 r1/3	82	Céléstine N'Drin	CIV	2:06.06 (5 h1)	–	–
5 h2 r1/3	260	Selina Chirchir	KEN	2:07.17 (5 h2)	–	–
5 h3 r1/3	71	Alejandra Ramos	CHI	2:05.77 (5 h3)	–	–
5 h4 r1/3	302	Albertina Machado	POR	2:05.74 (5 h4)	–	–
6 h1 r1/3	408	Christine Bakombo	COD	2:18.79 (6 h1)	–	–
6 h2 r1/3	186	Grace Bakari	GHA	2:14.50 (6 h2)	–	–
6 h3 r1/3	355	Evelyn Adiru	UGA	2:07.39 (6 h3)	–	–
6 h4 r1/3	3	Laverne Bryan	ANT	2:11.44 (6 h4)	–	–
7 h3 r1/3	193	Patricia Meigham	GUA	2:14.17 (7 h3)	–	–

Round One

Date	3 August 1984 — 16:00
Format	Top three in each heat and next four fastest advanced to the semi-finals.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Time (automatic)
1	377	Kim Gallagher	USA	2:00.37	Q
2	226	Gabriella Dorio	ITA	2:01.41	Q
3	314	Fița Lovin	ROU	2:01.51	Q
4	369	Robin Campbell	USA	2:01.72	Q
5	146	Lorraine Baker	GBR	2:01.73	Q
6	306	Angelita Lind	PUR	2:01.84	q
7	315	Doina Melinte	ROU	2:02.77	Q
8	204	Elly van Hulst	NED	2:03.38	Q
9	216	Caroline O'Shea	IRL	2:03.60	Q
10	124	Margrit Klinger	FRG	2:03.66	Q
11	405	Ruth Wysocki	USA	2:04.05	Q
=12	331	Jill McCabe	SWE	2:04.16	Q
=12	66	Grace Verbeek	CAN	2:04.16	q
14	62	Christine Slythe	CAN	2:04.17	Q
15	40	Ranza Clark	CAN	2:04.67	q
16	207	Shiny Abraham	IND	2:04.69	q
17	302	Albertina Machado	POR	2:05.74
18	71	Alejandra Ramos	CHI	2:05.77
19	82	Céléstine N'Drin	CIV	2:06.06
20	260	Selina Chirchir	KEN	2:07.17
21	355	Evelyn Adiru	UGA	2:07.39
22	3	Laverne Bryan	ANT	2:11.44
23	193	Patricia Meigham	GUA	2:14.17
24	186	Grace Bakari	GHA	2:14.50
25	408	Christine Bakombo	COD	2:18.79

Heat #1

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)
1	124	Margrit Klinger	FRG	2:03.66	Q
2	405	Ruth Wysocki	USA	2:04.05	Q
3	331	Jill McCabe	SWE	2:04.16	Q
4	40	Ranza Clark	CAN	2:04.67	q
5	82	Céléstine N'Drin	CIV	2:06.06
6	408	Christine Bakombo	COD	2:18.79

Heat #2

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)
1	314	Fița Lovin	ROU	2:01.51	Q
2	369	Robin Campbell	USA	2:01.72	Q
3	146	Lorraine Baker	GBR	2:01.73	Q
4	306	Angelita Lind	PUR	2:01.84	q
5	260	Selina Chirchir	KEN	2:07.17
6	186	Grace Bakari	GHA	2:14.50

Heat #3

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)
1	315	Doina Melinte	ROU	2:02.77	Q
2	216	Caroline O'Shea	IRL	2:03.60	Q
3	62	Christine Slythe	CAN	2:04.17	Q
4	207	Shiny Abraham	IND	2:04.69	q
5	71	Alejandra Ramos	CHI	2:05.77
6	355	Evelyn Adiru	UGA	2:07.39
7	193	Patricia Meigham	GUA	2:14.17

Heat #4

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)
1	377	Kim Gallagher	USA	2:00.37	Q
2	226	Gabriella Dorio	ITA	2:01.41	Q
3	204	Elly van Hulst	NED	2:03.38	Q
4	66	Grace Verbeek	CAN	2:04.16	q
5	302	Albertina Machado	POR	2:05.74
6	3	Laverne Bryan	ANT	2:11.44

Semi-Finals

Date	4 August 1984 — 16:55
Format	Top four in each heat advanced to the final.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Time (automatic)
1	314	Fița Lovin	ROU	1:59.29	Q
2	226	Gabriella Dorio	ITA	1:59.53	Q
3	124	Margrit Klinger	FRG	2:00.00	Q
4	377	Kim Gallagher	USA	2:00.48	Q
5	146	Lorraine Baker	GBR	2:00.66	Q
6	369	Robin Campbell	USA	2:01.21
7	315	Doina Melinte	ROU	2:01.42	Q
8	331	Jill McCabe	SWE	2:02.20
9	405	Ruth Wysocki	USA	2:02.31	Q
10	216	Caroline O'Shea	IRL	2:02.70	Q
11	66	Grace Verbeek	CAN	2:03.23
12	204	Elly van Hulst	NED	2:03.25
13	306	Angelita Lind	PUR	2:03.27
14	62	Christine Slythe	CAN	2:04.95
=15	40	Ranza Clark	CAN	2:05.42
=15	207	Shiny Abraham	IND	2:05.42

Heat #1

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)
1	377	Kim Gallagher	USA	2:00.48	Q
2	315	Doina Melinte	ROU	2:01.42	Q
3	405	Ruth Wysocki	USA	2:02.31	Q
4	216	Caroline O'Shea	IRL	2:02.70	Q
5	204	Elly van Hulst	NED	2:03.25
6	306	Angelita Lind	PUR	2:03.27
7	62	Christine Slythe	CAN	2:04.95
8	40	Ranza Clark	CAN	2:05.42

Heat #2

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)
1	314	Fița Lovin	ROU	1:59.29	Q
2	226	Gabriella Dorio	ITA	1:59.53	Q
3	124	Margrit Klinger	FRG	2:00.00	Q
4	146	Lorraine Baker	GBR	2:00.66	Q
5	369	Robin Campbell	USA	2:01.21
6	331	Jill McCabe	SWE	2:02.20
7	66	Grace Verbeek	CAN	2:03.23
8	207	Shiny Abraham	IND	2:05.42

Final Round

Date	6 August 1984 — 17:35

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)
1	315	Doina Melinte	ROU	1:57.60
2	377	Kim Gallagher	USA	1:58.63
3	314	Fița Lovin	ROU	1:58.83
4	226	Gabriella Dorio	ITA	1:59.05
5	146	Lorraine Baker	GBR	2:00.03
6	405	Ruth Wysocki	USA	2:00.34
7	124	Margrit Klinger	FRG	2:00.65
8	216	Caroline O'Shea	IRL	2:00.77

Split Times

Time	Athlete(s)	Result
200 m	Gabriella Dorio	27.7
400 m	Gabriella Dorio	57.3
600 m	Doina Beșliu-Melinte	1:27.9