Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 800 metres
Rank Heat Athlete Country Time Notes
1 1 Wilfred Bungei Kenya 1:44.90 Q , SB
2 1 Yuriy Borzakovskiy Russia 1:45.15 Q
3 1 Nadjim Manseur Algeria 1:45.62 q
4 8 Yeimer López Cuba 1:45.66 Q
5 8 Boaz Kiplagat Lalang Kenya 1:45.72 Q
6 8 Nabil Madi Algeria 1:45.75 q
7 5 Manuel Olmedo Spain 1:45.78 Q
8 5 Ismail Ahmed Ismail Sudan 1:45.87 Q
9 8 Marcin Lewandowski Poland 1:45.89 q , SB
10 8 Belal Mansoor Ali Bahrain 1:45.95 q , SB
11 4 Nick Symmonds United States 1:46.01 Q
12 5 Gary Reed Canada 1:46.02 q
13 4 Alfred Kirwa Yego Kenya 1:46.04 Q
14 8 Sajjad Moradi Iran 1:46.10 q
15 4 Antonio Manuel Reina Spain 1:46.30 q
16 1 Fabiano Peçanha Brazil 1:46.54 q
17 4 Andy González Cuba 1:46.59
18 4 Mouhssin Chehibi Morocco 1:46.75
19 8 Yassine Bensghir Morocco 1:46.88
20 7 Mohammad Al-Azemi Kuwait 1:46.94 Q
Results -- Round 1
The first round was held on 20 August . The first two runners of each heat ( Q ) plus the next eight overall fastest runners ( q ) qualified for the second round .
The Men's 800 metres at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place from 20-23 August at the Beijing National Stadium. The final on 23 August resulted in a triumph for Kenyan runner Wilfred Bungei in an official time of 1:44.65. The qualifying standards were 1:46.00 (A standard) and 1:47.00 (B standard). Along the way to the final, defending champion Yuriy Borzakovskiy was eliminated as his fast closing tactics didn't get him into a qualifying place or time. In the final, most of the field got off fairly evenly, with Ismail Ahmed Ismail showing the least interest in joining the pack of seven. By 200 metres, Wilfred Bungei, wearing sunglasses in the Beijing night, had found his way to the lead with his Kenyan teammate Alfred Kirwa Yego protecting him on his shoulder. Ismail joined the back of the pack and without leaving the rail, almost casually worked his way to being a step behind Bungei at the end of the first lap. Bungei and the field accelerated on the back stretch with Ismail staying on the rail running into a box inside of Yego. As Yego faltered through the final turn, Yeimer López ran around him into the perfect strategic position, still leaving Ismail boxed into no-mans land. Coming off the turn, Ismail simply ran faster and ran out of the trap, López was out of gas. Bungei took off into a sprint with his right arm flapping, opening up two metres on Ismail, who drifted out to lane 2 for clear running. Ten metres before the finish, Bungei let up and coasted over the finish line, Ismail tried to pass, dipping at the line but Bungei's lead was just enough to hold onto gold.