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Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Men's 800 metres

Men's 800 metres
at the Games of the I Olympiad
Venue Panathinaiko Stadium
Dates April 6 (heats)
April 9 (final)
Competitors 9 from 6 nations
Medalists
1st, gold medalist(s) Edwin Flack
 Australia
2nd, silver medalist(s) Nándor Dáni
 Hungary
3rd, bronze medalist(s) Dimitrios Golemis
 Greece
1900
1st, gold medalist(s) Edwin Flack
 Australia
2nd, silver medalist(s) Nándor Dáni
 Hungary
3rd, bronze medalist(s) Dimitrios Golemis
 Greece

The men's 800 metres race was the second-longest of the four flat-track events on the Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme. The preliminary heats were the third event held on 6 April. The nine competitors were split into two groups. The top two athletes in each heat advanced to the final, which was held on 9 April.

The two heats of the preliminary round were held on 6 April. The top two runners in each heat advanced.

Flack beat Dáni by four feet with the others far behind; his time of 2:10.0 was the inaugural Olympic record.

Lermusiaux beat Golemis by 1¼ yards.

The final consisted of only three runners, as Lermusiaux elected not to compete to save himself for the marathon. Flack won by five meters, and Dáni finished 95 yards ahead of Golemis.


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Wikipedia

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