| | Event type

800 metres, Women

Date	17 – 19 October 1968
Status	Olympic
Location	Estadio Olímpico Universitario, Ciudad de México
Participants	24 from 16 countries

The favorite in 1968 was Vera Nikolić of Yugoslavia, who was the world record holder (2:00.5) and had won the 1966 European Championship. She won the first heat in round one. In the semi-final, she led for 300 metres and then oddly stepped off the track, walking back to the start line where she sat down and took off her shoes. There were many explanations given, but the actual reasons are not known. Some said she was overcome by psychological pressure, driven too hard by her coach, while others said the rarified air of México had her struggling for oxygen. But with Nikolić out, the way was open for America’s Madeline Manning, who had won the 1967 AAU in 2:03.6. But the favorite’s in the final probably fell to Dutchwoman Mia Gommers. In the final Manning went to the lead at the bell and nobody could pass her, as she won by almost 15 metres in an Olympic record 2:00.9. Romania’s Ileana Silai edged Gommers for the silver.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	R1	SF	Final
1	97	Madeline Manning	USA	2:08.7 (1 h4)	2:05.8 (1 h1)	2:00.9 (1)	Gold
2	215	Ileana Silai	ROU	2:04.1 (2 h2)	2:05.9 (2 h1)	2:02.5 (2)	Silver
3	148	Mia Gommers	NED	2:04.0 (1 h2)	2:05.1 (1 h2)	2:02.6 (3)	Bronze
4	142	Sheila Taylor	GBR	2:04.1 (3 h2)	2:05.2 (3 h2)	2:03.8 (4)
5	87	Doris Brown	USA	2:09.5 (2 h3)	2:05.2 (2 h2)	2:03.9 (5)
6	131	Pat Lowe	GBR	2:09.5 (3 h3)	2:06.6 (3 h1)	2:04.2 (6)
7	58	Abby Hoffman	CAN	2:08.9 (2 h4)	2:07.0 (4 h1)	2:06.8 (7)
8	119	Maryvonne Dupureur	FRA	2:09.5 (1 h3)	2:05.5 (4 h2)	2:08.2 (8)
5 h1 r2/3	19	Karin Burneleit	GDR	2:07.1 (4 h1)	2:08.4 (5 h1)	–
5 h2 r2/3	299	Laine Erik	URS	2:06.5 (2 h1)	2:06.0 (5 h2)	–
6 h1 r2/3	251	Anna Zimina	URS	2:04.4 (4 h2)	2:08.5 (6 h1)	–
6 h2 r2/3	200	Sylvia Potts	NZL	2:09.6 (4 h3)	2:07.2 (6 h2)	–
7 h1 r2/3	150	Ilja Keizer	NED	2:08.9 (4 h4)	2:14.8 (7 h1)	–
7 h2 r2/3	174	Paola Pigni	ITA	2:06.7 (3 h1)	2:07.8 (7 h2)	–
8 h2 r2/3	75	Jaroslava Jehličková	TCH	2:08.9 (3 h4)	2:13.5 (8 h2)	–
AC h1 r2/3	256	Vera Nikolić	YUG	2:05.7 (1 h1)	– (DNF h1)	–
5 h1 r1/3	96	Francie Kraker	USA	2:07.3 (5 h1)	–	–
5 h2 r1/3	29	Barbara Wieck	GDR	2:08.5 (5 h2)	–	–
5 h3 r1/3	112	Eeva Haimi	FIN	2:09.6 (5 h3)	–	–
5 h4 r1/3	81	Annelise Damm Olesen	DEN	2:09.0 (5 h4)	–	–
6 h1 r1/3	184	Elizabeth Chesire	KEN	2:10.9 (6 h1)	–	–
6 h2 r1/3	171	Channa Shezifi	ISR	2:09.2 (6 h2)	–	–
6 h3 r1/3	155	Tilly van der Made-van der Zwaard	NED	2:10.5 (6 h3)	–	–
6 h4 r1/3	133	Joan Page	GBR	2:10.2 (6 h4)	–	–
DNS	69	Aurelia Pentón	CUB	– (DNS h1)	–	–
DNS	47	Irenice Maria Rodrigues	BRA	–	–	–
DNS	163	Sára Szenteleki-Ligetkuti	HUN	–	–	–
DNS	218	Elisabeth Östberg	SWE	–	–	–

Round One

Date	17 October 1968 — 11:00
Format	Top four in each heat advanced to the semi-finals.

Heat #1

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	256	Vera Nikolić	YUG	2:05.7	2:05.78	Q
2	299	Laine Erik	URS	2:06.5	2:06.52	Q
3	174	Paola Pigni	ITA	2:06.7	2:06.72	Q
4	19	Karin Burneleit	GDR	2:07.1	2:07.13	Q
5	96	Francie Kraker	USA	2:07.3	2:07.34
6	184	Elizabeth Chesire	KEN	2:10.9	2:10.92
DNS	69	Aurelia Pentón	CUB	–	–

Split Times

Time	Athlete(s)	NOC	Result	Notes
400 m	Vera Nikolić		1:02.9

Heat #2

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	148	Mia Gommers	NED	2:04.0	2:04.06	Q
2	215	Ileana Silai	ROU	2:04.1	2:04.11	Q
3	142	Sheila Taylor	GBR	2:04.1	2:04.17	Q
4	251	Anna Zimina	URS	2:04.4	2:04.48	Q
5	29	Barbara Wieck	GDR	2:08.5	2:08.18
6	171	Channa Shezifi	ISR	2:09.2	2:09.23

Split Times

Time	Athlete(s)	NOC	Result	Notes
400 m	Mia Gommers		1:00.9

Heat #3

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	119	Maryvonne Dupureur	FRA	2:09.5	2:09.55	Q	1
2	87	Doris Brown	USA	2:09.5	2:09.54	Q	2
3	131	Pat Lowe	GBR	2:09.5	2:09.57	Q
4	200	Sylvia Potts	NZL	2:09.6	2:09.63	Q
5	112	Eeva Haimi	FIN	2:09.6	2:09.67
6	155	Tilly van der Made-van der Zwaard	NED	2:10.5	2:10.59

Split Times

Time	Athlete(s)	NOC	Result	Notes
400 m	Doris Brown		1:06.2

Heat #4

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	97	Madeline Manning	USA	2:08.7	2:08.74	Q
2	58	Abby Hoffman	CAN	2:08.9	2:08.94	Q
3	75	Jaroslava Jehličková	TCH	2:08.9	2:08.96	Q
4	150	Ilja Keizer	NED	2:08.9	2:08.96	Q
5	81	Annelise Damm Olesen	DEN	2:09.0	2:09.01
6	133	Joan Page	GBR	2:10.2	2:10.21

Split Times

Time	Athlete(s)	NOC	Result	Notes
400 m	Madeline Manning-Jackson		1:05.6

Semi-Finals

Date	18 October 1968 — 16:40
Format	Top four in each heat advanced to the final.

Heat #1

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	97	Madeline Manning	USA	2:05.8	2:05.82	Q
2	215	Ileana Silai	ROU	2:05.9	2:05.94	Q
3	131	Pat Lowe	GBR	2:06.6	2:06.62	Q
4	58	Abby Hoffman	CAN	2:07.0	2:07.03	Q
5	19	Karin Burneleit	GDR	2:08.4	2:08.41
6	251	Anna Zimina	URS	2:08.5	2:08.54
7	150	Ilja Keizer	NED	2:14.8	2:14.88
DNF	256	Vera Nikolić	YUG	–	–

Split Times

Time	Athlete(s)	NOC	Result	Notes
400 m	Madeline Manning-Jackson		1:00.3

Heat #2

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	148	Mia Gommers	NED	2:05.1	2:05.13	Q
2	87	Doris Brown	USA	2:05.2	2:05.23	Q
3	142	Sheila Taylor	GBR	2:05.2	2:05.29	Q
4	119	Maryvonne Dupureur	FRA	2:05.5	2:05.58	Q
5	299	Laine Erik	URS	2:06.0	2:06.09
6	200	Sylvia Potts	NZL	2:07.2	2:07.27
7	174	Paola Pigni	ITA	2:07.8	2:07.82
8	75	Jaroslava Jehličková	TCH	2:13.5	2:13.59

Split Times

Time	Athlete(s)	NOC	Result	Notes
400 m	Mia Gommers		1:02.2

Final

Date	19 October 1968 — 17:50

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Time (Hand)	Time (Automatic)
1	Madeline Manning	USA	2:00.9	2:00.92	OR
2	Ileana Silai	ROU	2:02.5	2:02.58
3	Mia Gommers	NED	2:02.6	2:02.63
4	Sheila Taylor	GBR	2:03.8	2:03.81
5	Doris Brown	USA	2:03.9	2:03.98
6	Pat Lowe	GBR	2:04.2	2:04.25
7	Abby Hoffman	CAN	2:06.8	2:06.99
8	Maryvonne Dupureur	FRA	2:08.2	2:08.28

Split Times

Time	Athlete(s)	NOC	Result	Notes
400 m	Ileana Silai		59.1