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| Event type

800 metres Freestyle, Women

Date2 – 3 August 1984
StatusOlympic
LocationOlympic Swim Stadium, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
Participants20 from 14 countries

The world record in this event was the oldest one on the books, set in August 1978 by Australian Tracey Wickham at the Commonwealth Games. Wickham was now retired and the favorite in Los Angeles was Tiffany Cohen, who had already won a gold medal in the 400 free. The 1982 World Champion was American Kim Linehan, who had made the 1984 US Olympic team, but not in this event. Cohen was never challenged in winning the gold medal, finishing in 8:24.95, almost six seconds of her teammate Michelle Richardson. Cohen’s time was the third fastest ever, trailing Wickham’s world record of 8:24.62 and Linehan’s American record of 8:24.70, set in 1979 at the US Nationals. The bronze medal went to Britain’s Sarah Hardcastle, who had already won a silver in the 400 free in Los Angeles. In 1986 Hardcastle would win the 400 and 800 free at the Commonwealth Games and then retire, only to return in 1993 and win the 1995 World Short-Course 800 freestyle, and compete again at the 1996 Olympics, where she made the final of this event.

PosSwimmerNOCR1Final
1Tiffany CohenUSA8:41.86 (1 h3)8:24.95 (1)Gold
2Michelle RichardsonUSA8:32.64 (1 h2)8:30.73 (2)Silver
3Sarah HardcastleGBR8:35.87 (1 h1)8:32.60 (3)Bronze
4Anna McVannAUS8:35.19 (2 h2)8:37.94 (4)
5Carla LasiITA8:41.84 (2 h1)8:42.45 (5)
6Jolande van der MeerNED8:46.58 (3 h3)8:42.86 (6)
7Monica OlmiITA8:45.83 (3 h2)8:47.32 (7)
8Karen WardCAN8:45.37 (2 h3)8:48.12 (8)
9Ann LinderSWE8:50.80 (4 h3)
10Donna McGinnisCAN8:51.71 (4 h2)
11Birgit KowalczikFRG8:53.34 (3 h1)
12Irma HuertaMEX8:56.18 (5 h3)
13Susie BaumerAUS8:56.40 (6 h3)
14Annabelle CrippsGBR8:58.09 (4 h1)
15Laurence BensimonFRA9:01.75 (5 h2)
16Nadia KrügerSUI9:07.95 (5 h1)
17Lisa Ann WenTPE9:09.73 (7 h3)
18Junko SakuraiJPN9:13.27 (6 h2)
19Karen Slowing-AceitunoGUA9:20.68 (7 h2)
20Chang Hui-ChienTPE9:34.93 (6 h1)
DNSSofia DaraGRE– (DNS h1)
DNSHadar RubinsteinISR– (DNS h2)
DNSRosa FuentesMEX– (DNS h3)

Round One (2 August 1984 — 11:15)

Fastest eight advanced to the final.

Heat One

PosLaneSwimmerNOCTime
14Sarah HardcastleGBR8:35.87Q
25Carla LasiITA8:41.84Q
36Birgit KowalczikFRG8:53.34
43Annabelle CrippsGBR8:58.09
57Nadia KrügerSUI9:07.95
61Chang Hui-ChienTPE9:34.93
DNS2Sofia DaraGRE

Heat Two

PosLaneSwimmerNOCTime
14Michelle RichardsonUSA8:32.64Q
25Anna McVannAUS8:35.19Q
32Monica OlmiITA8:45.83Q
46Donna McGinnisCAN8:51.71
53Laurence BensimonFRA9:01.75
67Junko SakuraiJPN9:13.27
78Karen Slowing-AceitunoGUA9:20.68
DNS1Hadar RubinsteinISR

Heat Three

PosLaneSwimmerNOCTime
14Tiffany CohenUSA8:41.86Q
26Karen WardCAN8:45.37Q
35Jolande van der MeerNED8:46.58Q
42Ann LinderSWE8:50.80
51Irma HuertaMEX8:56.18
63Susie BaumerAUS8:56.40
77Lisa Ann WenTPE9:09.73
DNS8Rosa FuentesMEX

Final (3 August 1984 — 18:20)

PosLaneSwimmerNOCTime
12Tiffany CohenUSA8:24.95OR
24Michelle RichardsonUSA8:30.73
33Sarah HardcastleGBR8:32.60
45Anna McVannAUS8:37.94
56Carla LasiITA8:42.45
68Jolande van der MeerNED8:42.86
71Monica OlmiITA8:47.32
87Karen WardCAN8:48.12