Athletics at the 1964 Summer Olympics – Women's 800 metres

The top five runners in each of the 3 heats advanced, as well as the next fastest runner from across the heats.

All three of the eventual medallists were in the first heat.

The top four runners in each semifinal advanced to the final.

After winning a silver medal in the 400 metres Ann Packer had no plans to run in the 800 metres and had a shopping trip planned until her fiancé, Robbie Brightwell, finished fourth in the 400 metres. Disappointed for him, she turned to the 800 metres, an event which she had only raced in five times before.

Packer, who had placed fifth in her first round heat and third in her semifinal, started the final as the second slowest of the eight contestants.

After the break in the final Zsuzsa Szabó took the lead with Maryvonne Dupureur and Antje Gleichfeld in close order behind her. Coming off the second turn Dupureur took the lead. At the bell she accelerated further. Packer was sixth at 400 metres, tagging along at the back of the pack behind Dupureur. Along the backstretch, Dupureur opened a gap which she extended through the final turn, five girls hit the 600 mark virtually shoulder to shoulder, with Packer a step behind the wall. Laine Erik was the outside of the wall but had more speed through the turn, the only one in the field looking to have enough speed to try to make progress on the now five metre lead of Dupureur.

File:Women 800 m final 1964 Olympics 1964b.jpg

Suddenly halfway through the final turn, Packer launched into a sprint, running around the other competitors. She took the lead in the final straight, her sprinting speed taking her past Dupureur in a completely different gear to take the gold medal in world record time.[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927222933/http://www.times-olympics.co.uk/historyheroes/stgbo10.html Ann Packer]. The Times The first five runners beat the Olympic record time (set by Dupureur in the semifinals).

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Category:Athletics at the 1964 Summer Olympics

Category:800 metres at the Olympics

Category:1964 in women's athletics

Category:Women's events at the 1964 Summer Olympics