800 metres, Men

The best 800 metre runner in 1976 was Kenya’s Mike Boit, bronze medalist from 1972. But the African boycott prevented him from competing, and deprived track fans of what would have been a great battle between him and Cuba’s Alberto Juantorena. Juantorena was known as a world class 400 m runner but had required surgery for a foot injury in 1975. As part of his rehabilitation he tested his endurance with a series of 800 m races in Spring 1976 that proved so successful that it was decided to add the 800 to his Olympic programme.

The other top 800 runner since 1972 was Rick Wohlhuter (USA) who had set two world records over 880 yards. Belgium’s Ivo Van Damme trailed only Wohlhuter on the 1976 year list prior to Montréal. The final included the three favorites and also the 1974 European Champion, Yugoslavia’s Luciano Sušanj. Sri Ram Singh (IND) set the pace in the final, going thru halfway in 50.85. Juantorena took the lead on the backstretch, with Wohlhuter on his shoulder. But Juantorena could not be had, his strength pulling him to a world record 1:43.50. This was Cuba’s first ever Olympic medal on the track. Wohlhuter faded slightly in the stretch and was passed by Van Damme for the silver medal.

After the Olympics Boit raced all the finalists in Europe, except Juantorena, and lost only one race. In December 1976 the track world was saddened to hear of the death of Ivo Van Damme in a car accident. In August 1977, Alberto Juantorena bettered his own world record with 1:43.4 in Sofia, Bulgaria. For the only time in Olympic history the 800 was run with a 2-turn stagger, so the athletes did not compete against each other closely until they had run 300 metres, making for some very dull races.