| | Event type

800 metres, Women

Date	26 – 29 July 1996
Status	Olympic
Location	Centennial Olympic Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Participants	36 from 30 countries

In January 1993, Ana Fidelia Quirós was cooking with a kerosene cooker at her home when it exploded, leaving her with 3rd-degree burns over 40% of her body. She endured a long hospitalization, and 21 surgeries with multiple skin grafts to cover the burned skin. Incredibly, she returned to competition in November and recovered enough to win the 1995 World Championships. Co-favorite with her in Atlanta was Mozambique’s Maria Mutola, who had first run in the Olympics in 1988 as a 15-year-old, and placed fifth in the 1992 800. Mutola had lost only one race since 1993, that the 1995 Worlds to Quirós when she was disqualified for running out of her lane before the break.

Nobody was considering Russia’s Svetlana Masterkova, who had not competed in 1994 or 1995. In the final, she moved into the lead at the gun, but then slowed the pace. She continued to lead into the straight when she was challenged by Quirós. However, Masterkova took off with 80 metres left and dropped her easily. Mutola never really challenged for the gold but moved up in the run-in to get a bronze medal.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	R1	SF	Final
1	3700	Svetlana Masterkova	RUS	1:59.67 (1 h1)	1:57.95 (1 h1)	1:57.73 (1)	Gold
2	3201	Ana Fidelia Quirós	CUB	1:59.98 (1 h4)	1:57.99 (2 h1)	1:58.11 (2)	Silver
3	3569	Maria Mutola	MOZ	1:58.98 (1 h2)	1:57.62 (1 h2)	1:58.71 (3)	Bronze
4	3313	Kelly Holmes	GBR	1:58.80 (1 h5)	1:58.49 (3 h1)	1:58.81 (4)
5	3672	Yelena Afanasyeva	RUS	1:59.18 (2 h2)	1:57.77 (2 h2)	1:59.57 (5)
6	3290	Patricia Djaté-Taillard	FRA	1:58.98 (2 h5)	1:57.93 (3 h2)	1:59.61 (6)
7	3076	Natallia Dukhnova	BLR	1:59.23 (1 h3)	1:58.67 (4 h1)	2:00.32 (7)
8	3615	Toni Hodgkinson	NZL	1:59.35 (2 h3)	1:58.25 (4 h2)	2:00.54 (8)
5 h1 r2/3	3904	Dawn Williams	DMA	1:59.65 (3 h3)	1:59.06 (5 h1)	–
5 h2 r2/3	3765	Letitia Vriesde	SUR	1:59.71 (2 h1)	1:58.29 (5 h2)	–
6 h1 r2/3	3356	Linda Kisabaka	GER	1:59.56 (3 h2)	1:59.23 (6 h1)	–
6 h2 r2/3	3205	Ludmila Formanová	CZE	1:59.37 (3 h5)	1:59.28 (6 h2)	–
7 h1 r2/3	3291	Viviane Dorsile	FRA	2:00.02 (4 h2)	2:00.68 (7 h1)	–
7 h2 r2/3	3866	Meredith Rainey	USA	1:59.96 (4 h3)	1:59.36 (7 h2)	–
8 h2 r2/3	3718	Lyubov Tsyoma	RUS	2:00.18 (5 h3)	2:02.50 (8 h2)	–
AC h1 r2/3	3579	Stella Jongmans	NED	2:00.26 (2 h4)	– (DNF h1)	–
3 h1 r1/3	3103	Luciana Mendes	BRA	2:00.25 (3 h1)	–	–
3 h4 r1/3	3824	Joetta Clark	USA	2:00.38 (3 h4)	–	–
4 h1 r1/3	3005	Noria Benida	ALG	2:02.44 (4 h1)	–	–
4 h4 r1/3	3770	Malin Ewerlöf	SWE	2:01.61 (4 h4)	–	–
4 h5 r1/3	3838	Suzy Hamilton	USA	2:00.47 (4 h5)	–	–
5 h1 r1/3	3162	Zhang Jian	CHN	2:04.17 (5 h1)	–	–
5 h2 r1/3	3631	Eduarda Coelho	POR	2:03.22 (5 h2)	–	–
5 h4 r1/3	3115	Petya Strashilova	BUL	2:02.13 (5 h4)	–	–
5 h5 r1/3	3484	Inez Turner	JAM	2:01.48 (5 h5)	–	–
6 h1 r1/3	3141	Léontine Tsiba	CGO	2:08.58 (6 h1)	–	–
6 h2 r1/3	3016	Marta Orellana	ARG	2:04.99 (6 h2)	–	–
6 h3 r1/3	3129	Charmaine Crooks	CAN	2:00.27 (6 h3)	–	–
6 h4 r1/3	3035	Lisa Lightfoot	AUS	2:02.88 (6 h4)	–	–
6 h5 r1/3	3259	Kutre Dulecha	ETH	2:04.80 (6 h5)	–	–
7 h1 r1/3	3071	Sharette García	BIZ	2:13.52 (7 h1)	–	–
7 h3 r1/3	3560	Yaznee Nasheeda	MDV	2:36.85 (7 h3)	–	–
7 h4 r1/3	3773	Restituta Joseph	TAN	2:08.31 (7 h4)	–	–
AC h2 r1/3	3326	Diane Modahl	GBR	– (DNF h2)	–	–
AC h3 r1/3	3239	Ana Menéndez	ESP	– (DNF h3)	–	–
AC h5 r1/3	3303	Adama N'Jie	GAM	– (DNF h5)	–	–
DNS	3570	Tina Paulino	MOZ	– (DNS h1)	–	–

Round One

Date	26 July 1996
Format	Top 2 in each heat and next six fastest advanced to the semi-finals.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Time (automatic)
1	3313	Kelly Holmes	GBR	1:58.80	Q
=2	3569	Maria Mutola	MOZ	1:58.98	Q
=2	3290	Patricia Djaté-Taillard	FRA	1:58.98	Q
4	3672	Yelena Afanasyeva	RUS	1:59.18	Q
5	3076	Natallia Dukhnova	BLR	1:59.23	Q
6	3615	Toni Hodgkinson	NZL	1:59.35	Q
7	3205	Ludmila Formanová	CZE	1:59.37	q
8	3356	Linda Kisabaka	GER	1:59.56	q
9	3904	Dawn Williams	DMA	1:59.65	q
10	3700	Svetlana Masterkova	RUS	1:59.67	Q
11	3765	Letitia Vriesde	SUR	1:59.71	Q
12	3866	Meredith Rainey	USA	1:59.96	q
13	3201	Ana Fidelia Quirós	CUB	1:59.98	Q
14	3291	Viviane Dorsile	FRA	2:00.02	q
15	3718	Lyubov Tsyoma	RUS	2:00.18	q
16	3103	Luciana Mendes	BRA	2:00.25
17	3579	Stella Jongmans	NED	2:00.26	Q
18	3129	Charmaine Crooks	CAN	2:00.27
19	3824	Joetta Clark	USA	2:00.38
20	3838	Suzy Hamilton	USA	2:00.47
21	3484	Inez Turner	JAM	2:01.48
22	3770	Malin Ewerlöf	SWE	2:01.61
23	3115	Petya Strashilova	BUL	2:02.13
24	3005	Noria Benida	ALG	2:02.44
25	3035	Lisa Lightfoot	AUS	2:02.88
26	3631	Eduarda Coelho	POR	2:03.22
27	3162	Zhang Jian	CHN	2:04.17
28	3259	Kutre Dulecha	ETH	2:04.80
29	3016	Marta Orellana	ARG	2:04.99
30	3773	Restituta Joseph	TAN	2:08.31
31	3141	Léontine Tsiba	CGO	2:08.58
32	3071	Sharette García	BIZ	2:13.52
33	3560	Yaznee Nasheeda	MDV	2:36.85
DNF	3326	Diane Modahl	GBR	–
DNF	3239	Ana Menéndez	ESP	–
DNF	3303	Adama N'Jie	GAM	–
DNS	3570	Tina Paulino	MOZ	–

Heat #1

Time	17:00

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)
1	3	Svetlana Masterkova	RUS	1:59.67	Q
2	5	Letitia Vriesde	SUR	1:59.71	Q
3	4	Luciana Mendes	BRA	2:00.25
4	1	Noria Benida	ALG	2:02.44
5	2	Zhang Jian	CHN	2:04.17
6	6	Léontine Tsiba	CGO	2:08.58
7	8	Sharette García	BIZ	2:13.52
DNS	7	Tina Paulino	MOZ	–

Heat #2

Time	17:07

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)
1	5	Maria Mutola	MOZ	1:58.98	Q
2	6	Yelena Afanasyeva	RUS	1:59.18	Q
3	3	Linda Kisabaka	GER	1:59.56	q
4	1	Viviane Dorsile	FRA	2:00.02	q
5	7	Eduarda Coelho	POR	2:03.22
6	8	Marta Orellana	ARG	2:04.99
DNF	2	Diane Modahl	GBR	–

Heat #3

Time	17:14

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)
1	6	Natallia Dukhnova	BLR	1:59.23	Q
2	2	Toni Hodgkinson	NZL	1:59.35	Q
3	7	Dawn Williams	DMA	1:59.65	q
4	5	Meredith Rainey	USA	1:59.96	q
5	4	Lyubov Tsyoma	RUS	2:00.18	q
6	8	Charmaine Crooks	CAN	2:00.27
7	1	Yaznee Nasheeda	MDV	2:36.85
DNF	3	Ana Menéndez	ESP	–

Heat #4

Time	17:22

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)
1	2	Ana Fidelia Quirós	CUB	1:59.98	Q
2	4	Stella Jongmans	NED	2:00.26	Q
3	3	Joetta Clark	USA	2:00.38
4	7	Malin Ewerlöf	SWE	2:01.61
5	5	Petya Strashilova	BUL	2:02.13
6	8	Lisa Lightfoot	AUS	2:02.88
7	6	Restituta Joseph	TAN	2:08.31

Heat #5

Time	17:30

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)
1	8	Kelly Holmes	GBR	1:58.80	Q
2	7	Patricia Djaté-Taillard	FRA	1:58.98	Q
3	2	Ludmila Formanová	CZE	1:59.37	q
4	3	Suzy Hamilton	USA	2:00.47
5	5	Inez Turner	JAM	2:01.48
6	4	Kutre Dulecha	ETH	2:04.80
DNF	1	Adama N'Jie	GAM	–

Semi-Finals

Date	27 July 1996
Format	Top 4 in each heat advanced to the final.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Time (automatic)
1	3569	Maria Mutola	MOZ	1:57.62	Q
2	3672	Yelena Afanasyeva	RUS	1:57.77	Q
3	3290	Patricia Djaté-Taillard	FRA	1:57.93	Q
4	3700	Svetlana Masterkova	RUS	1:57.95	Q
5	3201	Ana Fidelia Quirós	CUB	1:57.99	Q
6	3615	Toni Hodgkinson	NZL	1:58.25	Q
7	3765	Letitia Vriesde	SUR	1:58.29
8	3313	Kelly Holmes	GBR	1:58.49	Q
9	3076	Natallia Dukhnova	BLR	1:58.67	Q
10	3904	Dawn Williams	DMA	1:59.06
11	3356	Linda Kisabaka	GER	1:59.23
12	3205	Ludmila Formanová	CZE	1:59.28
13	3866	Meredith Rainey	USA	1:59.36
14	3291	Viviane Dorsile	FRA	2:00.68
15	3718	Lyubov Tsyoma	RUS	2:02.50
DNF	3579	Stella Jongmans	NED	–

Heat #1

Time	20:25

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)
1	6	Svetlana Masterkova	RUS	1:57.95	Q
2	4	Ana Fidelia Quirós	CUB	1:57.99	Q
3	3	Kelly Holmes	GBR	1:58.49	Q
4	5	Natallia Dukhnova	BLR	1:58.67	Q
5	7	Dawn Williams	DMA	1:59.06
6	1	Linda Kisabaka	GER	1:59.23
7	2	Viviane Dorsile	FRA	2:00.68
DNF	8	Stella Jongmans	NED	–

Heat #2

Time	20:35

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)
1	6	Maria Mutola	MOZ	1:57.62	Q
2	2	Yelena Afanasyeva	RUS	1:57.77	Q
3	3	Patricia Djaté-Taillard	FRA	1:57.93	Q
4	1	Toni Hodgkinson	NZL	1:58.25	Q
5	5	Letitia Vriesde	SUR	1:58.29
6	8	Ludmila Formanová	CZE	1:59.28
7	4	Meredith Rainey	USA	1:59.36
8	7	Lyubov Tsyoma	RUS	2:02.50

Final Round

Date	29 July 1996 — 19:15

Pos	Lane	Competitor	NOC	Time (Automatic)
1	3	Svetlana Masterkova	RUS	1:57.73
2	6	Ana Fidelia Quirós	CUB	1:58.11
3	5	Maria Mutola	MOZ	1:58.71
4	2	Kelly Holmes	GBR	1:58.81
5	4	Yelena Afanasyeva	RUS	1:59.57
6	8	Patricia Djaté-Taillard	FRA	1:59.61
7	7	Natallia Dukhnova	BLR	2:00.32
8	1	Toni Hodgkinson	NZL	2:00.54