The history of 800m - featuring Rudisha, Konchellah and Jepkosgei

The 800 metres, commonly known as the two-lap race, is the shortest of the middle-distance running event on track.

The race is run over two laps of the track with each lap covering 400 metre. The race has been an Olympic event since the first Games in 1896 Athens where Australia Edwin Flack won the men’s race in 2 minutes and 11.0 seconds.

The women’s race made its debut during the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics with Lina Radke from Germany making history as the first winner in 2:22.4. The women’s race was then not included in the next five editions of the Olympic Games and only made a return at the 1960 Rome Games.

It only took the next edition of the Games in 1900 Paris for Great Britain’s Alfred Tysoe to run an Olympic Record in 1:59.0, making history as the first man to run sub two minutes.

However, the first woman to run under two minutes at the Olympics was Hildegard Falck from the former West Germany when she won the final in an OR time of 1:58.55.

The race was incorporated in the inaugural edition of the World Championship in Helsinki, Finland in 1983 where Willi Wülbeck from West Germany had the honours of winning the first world title in 1:43.65.

Kenya’s sole representative Sammy Koskei fell in the semi-final where he finished seventh in 1:48.92 as the eventual winner Wülbeck won in 1:46.21.

Jarmila Kratochvílová from Czechoslovakia won the maiden women’s world title in 1:54.68 at the championship where Kenya didn’t enter athletes in the women’s race.

Interestingly, the 800m race at the Indoor is usually run on a 200-metre track, therefore requiring four laps unlike the standard race that has two laps.

Kenya had a representative in the inaugural 1985 World Indoor Championships in Paris but Edwin Koech failed to start. However, he got to start at the 1987 event in Indianapolis, USA where he fell in the semis.

Kenya participated in the Olympics for the first time during the 1956 Melbourne Games, but had to wait until 1964 Tokyo Games to field a representative in Wilson Kiprugut.

Kiprugut went on to win the country its first medal over the distance when he settled for bronze in 1:45.9, losing the battle to Peter Snell from New Zealand, who chalked a then Olympic Record time of 1:45.1 as Canadian William Crothers went for silver in 1:45.6.

Kenyan men have gone on to collect 12 medals in the 800m at the Olympics; five gold, two silver and five bronze.

Kenyan women have only three medals from the Olympics; one gold, one silver and one bronze.

Kiprugut improved to silver at the 1968 Mexico City where Ralph Doubell from Australia won as Mike Boit settled for bronze at the 1972 Munich Games where compatriot Robert Ouko finished fifth. USA’s Dave Wottle went home with the gold.

ERENG WINS MAIDEN GOLD

Then the towering Paul Ereng would hand Kenya its maiden Olympic victory in the 800m when he won gold during the 1988 Seoul Games in 1:43.55 as William Tanui and Nixon Kiprotich completed a 1-2 finish for Kenya in the next Games at the 1992 Barcelona.

Frederick Onyancha gave Kenya bronze at the 1996 Atlanta while the country missed medals at the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Games.

However, the country has managed to stump its authority in the two lap race to win the last three editions of the games in 2008 Beijing, 2012 London and 2016 Rio.

Wilfred Bungei won in Beijing in 1:44.65 where compatriot Alfred Kirwa settled for bronze in 1:44.82. Ismail Ahmed Ismail from Sudan clocked for silver in 1:44.70.

Then "King" David Rudisha would begin his Olympics reign.

Perhaps his 2012 London Games victory is the greatest 800m race in an Olympics track since he broke his own world record with a new time of 1:40. 91.

Nijel Amos of Botswana went for silver in National and World Junior Record time of 1:41.73. Rudisha’s compatriot Timothy Kitum claimed bronze in 1:42.53.

Rudisha’s record still stands to date. The only person who came closer is Kenya’s Emmanuel Korir when he won the London Grand Prix in 1:42.05 in July 2018.

Then Rudisha would come from a long recess owing to injuries to retain his title in Rio.

Rudisha broke the World Record that was held by Wilson Kipketer of 1:41.24 set in 1997 twice in 2010. He set the new time of 1:41.09 before improving it to 1:41.01.

Elizabeth Chesire is the first Kenyan woman to compete in 800m at the Olympics where she failed to reach the semis during the 1968 Mexico City Games.

JELIMO ENTERS HISTORY BOOKS

It’s until the 2008 Beijing Games where Kenya got to win its next medal.

Pamela Jelimo made history as the first Kenyan woman to win an Olympic gold medal over the distance with victory in 1:54.87, which remains the World Junior and Africa Record.

Janeth Jepkosgei had the previous year also made history as the first Kenyan woman to win a World 800m title in 1:56.07.

South Africa’s Caster Semenya went on to dominate the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Olympic Games with Kenya only managing one medal from the two events; Margaret Nyairera’s bronze in Rio.

It didn’t take long before Kenyan athletes affirmed their prowess at the World Championships where the country has won 11 medals; six gold, two silver and three bronze in men’s competition. Kenyan women have won five medals; two gold, one silver and two bronze medals.

Legendary Billy Konchellah won the second edition of the World event in 1987 Rome and 1991 Tokyo before Paul Ruto completed a hat-trick for Kenya at the 1993 Stuttgart where Konchellah settled for bronze.

It’s Kenyan-born Dane Wilson Kipketer who would then go for his record-breaking victories in the next three editions for his newly adopted country in 1995 Gothenburg, 1997 Athens and 1999 Seville.

Bungei won silver for Kenya at 2001 Edmonton with William Yiampoy settling for bronze at 2005 Helsinki before Alfred Kirwa Yego reclaimed the title for Kenya at 2007 Osaka. Kirwa then claimed silver at 2009 Berlin.

Rudisha claimed his maiden world title at the 2011 Daegu, went for London Olympics exploits the following year but an injury saw him fail to defend his world title at 2013 Moscow.

Rudisha was right on time to recapture the world title at the 2015 Beijing Championships, before retaining his Olympic title in 2016 Rio. Just like 2013, an injury forced him out of the 2017 London where Kipyegon Bett claimed bronze for Kenya.

Janeth Jepksogei made history as the first Kenyan woman to win the world 800m title at 2007 Osaka but settled for bronze at 2011 Daegu.

Eunice Sum reclaimed the title for Kenya at 2013 Moscow before taking bronze at 2015 Beijing.

Kenyans have had a share of at the World Indoor Championships that started in 1985 where Ereng won gold in 1989 and 1991 with Bungei going for the top honours in 2006.

The women’s 800m world record of 1:53.28 set by Jarmila Kratochvílová from Germany has stood for 35 years. She set it on July 26, 1983 in Munich, Germany.

Kenya’s Pamela Jelimo has the third fastest time in history of 1:54.01 set on August 29, 2008 in Zürich, just coming after second fastest time of 1:53.43 held by Nadezhda Olizarenko of Russia from Moscow on July 27, 1980.

Sum and Caster Semenya from South Africa have the most Diamond League wins with three each. Sum won it back-to-back from 2012 to 2014 while Semenya 2016 to 2018. Jepkosgei was the first winner in 2010 while Jelimo claimed it in 2011.