Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Women's 800 metres

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The women's 800 metres at the Athens 2004 Summer Olympics was won by Briton Kelly Holmes, who ran a tactical race, coming from the back of the field. Hasna Benhassi of Morocco and Jolanda Ceplak of Slovenia finished strongly, taking Silver and Bronze respectively, and beating defending champion, pre-race favourite and Holmes' training partner, Maria de Lurdes Mutola of Mozambique, who finished fourth.

Records

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in minutes) prior to the 2004 Summer Olympics.

Results

Final

The final started with a fast first 200 metres, but Kelly Holmes and Maria de Lurdes Mutola were last at this stage. As the pace slowed, Mutola and Holmes moved forwards through the field. The time at 400metres was 56.37 seconds, with American Jearl Miles Clark leading. They entered the finishing straight with Mutola taking the lead, before Holmes took the lead and held off Mutola to take gold. Hasna Benhassi and Jolanda Čeplak finished strongly, both with a time of 1:56.43s, Benhassi winning silver in a photo finish. Mutola was forced into fourth place. Holmes' face lit up as she crossed the line, but then, unsure of the result, she anxiously waited for the times to come up.

Holmes had only decided to enter the 800 metres at the last moment, and went on to also win gold in her preferred event, the 1500 m. This feat made her one of the UK's most successful ever athletes ; the Olympic 800/1500 metres double was never accomplished by any of their great 1980s middle distance trio, Sebastian Coe, Steve Ovett or Steve Cram.

# Kelly Holmes, Great Britain 1:56.38s Season Best
# Hasna Benhassi, Morocco 1:56.43s National Record
# Jolanda Čeplak Slovenia 1:56.43s Season Best
# Maria de Lurdes Mutola, Mozambique 1:56.51s Season Best
# Tatyana Andrianova, Russia 1:56.88s
# Jearl Miles Clark,United States 1:57.27s Season Best
# Maria Cioncan Romania 1:59.62s
# Zulia Calatayud, Cuba 2:00.95s

leader at 400 m : 56.37 Jearl Miles Clark (USA)

Semi-finals

21.08.04

Semi-final 1

400 m : 57.18 Jearl Miles Clark, (USA)

# Kelly Holmes, Great Britain 1:57.98 - Q Season Best
# Tatyana Andrianova, Russia 1:58.41 - Q
# Jearl Miles Clark, United States 1:58.71 - q
# Zulia Calatayud, Cuba 1:59.21 - q Season Best
# Agnes Samaria Namibia 1:59.37 Season Best
# Élisabeth Grousselle France 2:00.21
# Amina Ait Hammou Morocco 2:00.66
# Michelle Ballentine Jamaica 2:00.94

emi-final 2

400 m : 57.85 Jolanda Čeplak (SLO)

# Hasna Benhassi, Morocco 1:58.59 - Q Season Best
# Jolanda Čeplak, Slovenia 1:58.80 - Q
# Tetyana Petlyuk, Ukraine 1:59.48 Personal Best
# Nicole Teter, United States 1:59.50
# Natalya Khrushchelyova, Russia 2:00.68
# Lucia Klocova, Slovakia 2:00.79 Season Best
# Marian Burnett, Guyana 2:02.21
# Mayte Martínez Spain 2:03.30

emi-final 3

400 m : 57.84 Maria de Lurdes Mutola (MOZ)

#Flagicon|Mozambique Maria de Lurdes Mutola, Mozambique 1:59.30 - Q
#Flagicon|Romania Maria Cioncan, Romania 1:59.44 - Q Personal Best
#Flagicon|Russia Svetlana Cherkasova, Russia 1:59.80
#Flagicon|Canada Diane Cummins, Canada 2:00.30
#Flagicon|United Kingdom Joanne Fenn, Great Britain 2:00.60
#Flagicon|Morocco Seltana Ait Hammou, Morocco 2:00.64
#Flagicon|Brazil Luciana de Paula Mendes, Brazil 2:02.00
#Flagicon|Suriname Letitia Vriesde, Suriname 2:06.95

Round 1

Heat 1

# Hasna Benhassi, Morocco 2:01.20 - Q
# Maria de Lurdes Mutola, Mozambique 2:01.50 - Q
# Tetyana Petlyuk, Ukraine 2:02.07 - Q
# Marian Burnett, Guyana 2:02.12 - q
# Nedia Semedo, Portugal 2:02.61
# Olga Cristea, Republic of Moldova 2:08.97
# Marlyse Nsourou, Gabon 2:12.35 National Record

Heat 2

# Maria Cioncan, Romania 1:59.64 - Q Personal Best
# Agnes Samaria, Namibia 2:00.05 - Q
# Élisabeth Grousselle, France 2:00.31 - Q
# Natalya Khrushchelyova, Russia 2:00.56 - q
# Diane Cummins, Canada 2:01.19 - q
# Miho Sugimori, Japan 2:02.82
# Adama Njie, Gambia 2:10.02

Heat 3

# Kelly Holmes, Great Britain 2:00.81 - Q
# Jearl Miles Clark, United States 2:01.33 - Q
# Michelle Ballentine, Jamaica 2:01.52 - Q
# Letitia Vriesde, Suriname 2:01.70 - q
# Tamsyn Lewis, Australia 2:02.67
# Tatyana Roslanova, Kazakhstan 2:06.39
# Sanna Abubkheet, Palestinian Authority 2:32.10
# Anhel Cape, Guinea-Bissau Did not finish

Heat 4

# Svetlana Cherkasova, Russia 2:03.60 - Q
# Amina Ait Hammou, Morocco 2:03.70 - Q
# Joanne Fenn, Great Britain 2:03.72 - Q
# Claudia Gesell, Germany 2:03.87
# Akosua Serwaa, Ghana 2:03.96
# Faith Macharia, Kenya 2:06.31
# Emilia Mikue Ondo, Equatorial Guinea 2:22.88

Heat 5

# Jolanda Čeplak, Slovenia 2:00.61 - Q
# Mayte Martínez, Spain 2:00.81 - Q
# Nicole Teter, United States 2:01.16 - Q
# Luciana de Paula Mendes, Brazil 2:01.36 - q
# Lucia Klocova, Slovakia 2:02.17 - q
# Binnaz Uslu, Turkey 2:03.46
# Marie-Lyne Joseph, Dominica 2:20.23

Heat 6

# Tatyana Andrianova, Russia 2:03.77 - Q
# Seltana Ait Hammou, Morocco 2:03.95 - Q
# Zulia Calatayud, Cuba 2:03.99 - Q
# Anita Bragger, Switzerland 2:04.00
# Hazel Clark, United States 2:05.67
# Noelly Mankatu Bibiche, Democratic Republic of Congo 2:06.23
# Tanya Blake, Malta 2:19.34

External links

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics_2004/athletics/3584580.stm BBC Sport - Holmes takes brilliant gold]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics_2004/athletics/3592768.stm BBC Sport Kelly's greatest triumph]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics_2004/athletics/3593600.stm Packer hails Holmes win]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics_2004/photo_galleries/3592840.stm BBC sport photographs]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics_2004/athletics/3592554.stm Steve Cram on Holmes]