1983 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 800 metres

These are the official results of the men's 800 metres event at the 1983 IAAF World Championships in Helsinki, Finland. There were a total of 60 participating athletes, with eight qualifying heats, three semi-finals and the final held on 9 August 1983.

Men's 800 metres
at the 1983 World Championships
VenueHelsinki Olympic Stadium
Dates7 August (heats)
8 August (semi-finals)
9 August (final)
Competitors60 from 46 nations
Winning time1:43.65 CR
Medalists
gold medal    West Germany
silver medal    Netherlands
bronze medal    Brazil
1987 →

From the gun, World Junior Record holder and NCAA Champion Joaquim Cruz went out fast to get the lead, with Peter Elliott in lane 1 accelerating when he saw Cruz ahead of him, passing the break point swinging wide to go around Cruz but Cruz would not let him by. Coming off the turn, Elliott accelerated and ran past Cruz to take the lead at the bell in 50.58. Hans-Peter Ferner was next behind them, followed by Willi Wülbeck and Rob Druppers. Coming off the third turn, Cruz again accelerated to try to take back the lead. Down the backstretch, Cruz and Elliott ran shoulder to shoulder. Gritting his teeth, Elliott would not concede the position, Cruz running the final turn outside of Elliott still shoulder to shoulder with now Wülbeck watching the battle from two steps behind. Off the final turn, Cruz accelerated again to pull away from Elliott but Wülbeck went around the outside to sprint past both of them, unleaded to victory. Druppers came off the final turn several metres back, passed a fading Ferner and began sprinting, picking off Elliott and then Cruz just before the finish line.

Records

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Existing records at the start of the event.

World Record   Sebastian Coe (GBR) 1:41.73 Florence, Italy June 10, 1981
Championship Record New event

Results

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Qualifying heats

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The qualifying heats took place on 7 August, with the 60 athletes involved being split into 8 heats. The first 2 athletes in each heat ( Q ) and the next 8 fastest ( q ) qualified for the semifinals.

Heat 1
Rank Name Nationality Time Notes
1 James Robinson   United States (USA) 1:46.32 Q, CR
2 Garry Cook   Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) 1:46.44 Q
3 Viktor Kalinkin   Soviet Union (URS) 1:46.57 q
4 Christoph Ulmer   Switzerland (SUI) 1:47.98
5 Jama Aden   Somalia (SOM) 1:48.69
6 Paul Gilbert   Australia (AUS) 1:51.39
7 Khaled Khalifa   Kuwait (KUW) 1:52.84
8 Sekou Camara   Guinea (GUI) 1:59.90
Heat 2
Rank Name Nationality Time Notes
1 Matthias Assmann   West Germany (FRG) 1:47.45 Q
2 José Luíz Barbosa   Brazil (BRA) 1:47.47 Q
3 Binko Kolev   Bulgaria (BUL) 1:47.49 q
4 Peter Bourke   Australia (AUS) 1:48.15
5 Petru Drăgoescu   Romania (ROM) 1:48.33
6 Bo Breigan   Norway (NOR) 1:49.53
7 Mohammed Darwish   Iraq (IRQ) 1:50.68
Heat 3
Rank Name Nationality Time Notes
1 Willi Wülbeck   West Germany (FRG) 1:46.55 Q
2 Philippe Dupont   France (FRA) 1:46.62 Q
3 David Patrick   United States (USA) 1:46.76 q
4 Babacar Niang   Senegal (SEN) 1:47.54
5 Donato Sabia   Italy (ITA) 1:47.62
6 Sotirios Moutsanas   Greece (GRE) 1:48.23
7 Vincent Confait   Seychelles (SEY) 1:55.04
8 Jean-Marie Rudasinqwa   Rwanda (RWA) 1:55.12
Heat 4
Rank Name Nationality Time Notes
1 Detlef Wagenknecht   East Germany (GDR) 1:49.20 Q
2 Sammy Koskei   Kenya (KEN) 1:49.35 Q
3 Omer Khalifa   Sudan (SUD) 1:49.67
4 Ronny Olsson   Sweden (SWE) 1:49.72
5 Simon Hoogewerf   Canada (CAN) 1:49.92
Charlie Oliver   Solomon Islands (SOL) DNS
Ryszard Ostrowski   Poland (POL) DNS
Heat 5
Rank Name Nationality Time Notes
1 Agberto Guimarães   Brazil (BRA) 1:48.30 Q
2 Alberto Juantorena   Cuba (CUB) 1:48.40 Q
3 Juma Ndiwa   Kenya (KEN) 1:48.40
4 Mohamed Zahafi   Morocco (MAR) 1:49.43
5 Gordan Hinds   Barbados (BAR) 1:50.92
6 Didier Le Guillou   France (FRA) 1:52.49
7 Ruthsel Martina   Netherlands Antilles (AHO) 1:55.67
Heat 6
Rank Name Nationality Time Notes
1 David Mack   United States (USA) 1:45.84 Q, CR
2 Jorma Härkönen   Finland (FIN) 1:46.39 Q
3 Peter Elliott   Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) 1:46.53 q
4 José Marajo   France (FRA) 1:46.78 q
5 Colomán Trabado   Spain (ESP) 1:47.10 q
6 Bock-Ju Kim   South Korea (KOR) 1:48.40
7 Tisbite Rakotoarisoa   Madagascar (MAD) 1:50.70
8 Antonio Cadio Paraiso   São Tomé and Príncipe (STP) 1:58.47
Heat 7
Rank Name Nationality Time Notes
1 Rob Druppers   Netherlands (NED) 1:46.12 Q
2 Joaquim Cruz   Brazil (BRA) 1:46.12 Q
3 Peter Pearless   New Zealand (NZL) 1:47.22 q
4 Mike Solomon   Trinidad and Tobago (TRI) 1:47.30 q
5 Faouzi Lahbi   Morocco (MAR) 1:47.76
6 Gawain Guy   Jamaica (JAM) 1:49.19
7 John Chappory   Gibraltar (GIB) 1:52.30
Heat 8
Rank Name Nationality Time Notes
1 Hans-Peter Ferner   West Germany (FRG) 1:48.34 Q
2 Michael Hillardt   Australia (AUS) 1:48.44 Q
3 James Maina Boi   Kenya (KEN) 1:48.69
4 Mark Handelsman   Israel (ISR) 1:49.02
5 Mohamed Alouini   Tunisia (TUN) 1:49.09
6 William Wuycke   Venezuela (VEN) 1:50.71
7 Luis Ramirez   Nicaragua (NCA) 1:55.77
8 Clive Williams   Belize (BIZ) 2:03.64

Semi-finals

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The semifinals took place on 8 August, with the 24 athletes involved being split into 3 heats. The first 2 athletes in each heat ( Q ) and the next 2 fastest ( q ) qualified for the final.

Heat 1
Rank Name Nationality Time Notes
1 Joaquim Cruz   Brazil (BRA) 1:45.62 Q, CR
2 James Robinson   United States (USA) 1:46.16 Q
3 Philippe Dupont   France (FRA) 1:46.36
4 Viktor Kalinkin   Soviet Union (URS) 1:46.83
5 Mike Solomon   Trinidad and Tobago (TRI) 1:47.10
6 Matthias Assmann   West Germany (FRG) 1:48.73
7 Michael Hillardt   Australia (AUS) 1:49.64
Alberto Juantorena   Cuba (CUB) DNS
Heat 2
Rank Name Nationality Time Notes
1 Willi Wülbeck   West Germany (FRG) 1:46.21 Q
2 Agberto Guimarães   Brazil (BRA) 1:46.37 Q
3 José Marajo   France (FRA) 1:46.39
4 David Mack   United States (USA) 1:46.39
5 Colomán Trabado   Spain (ESP) 1:46.85
6 Garry Cook   Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) 1:47.48
7 Sammy Koskei   Kenya (KEN) 1:48.92
8 Binko Kolev   Bulgaria (BUL) 1:50.23
Heat 3
Rank Name Nationality Time Notes
1 Hans-Peter Ferner   West Germany (FRG) 1:45.24 Q, CR
2 David Patrick   United States (USA) 1:45.30 Q
3 Peter Elliott   Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) 1:45.38 q
4 Rob Druppers   Netherlands (NED) 1:45.55 q
5 Detlef Wagenknecht   East Germany (GDR) 1:45.70
6 Peter Pearless   New Zealand (NZL) 1:47.82
7 José Luíz Barbosa   Brazil (BRA) 1:48.05
8 Jorma Härkönen   Finland (FIN) 1:49.39

Final

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The final took place on August 9.

Rank Name Nationality Time Notes
  Willi Wülbeck   West Germany (FRG) 1:43.65 CR
  Rob Druppers   Netherlands (NED) 1:44.20
  Joaquim Cruz   Brazil (BRA) 1:44.27
4 Peter Elliott   Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) 1:44.87
5 James Robinson   United States (USA) 1:45.12
6 Agberto Guimarães   Brazil (BRA) 1:45.46
7 Hans-Peter Ferner   West Germany (FRG) 1:45.74
8 David Patrick   United States (USA) 1:46.56

References

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