Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 800 metres

Men's 800 metres at the Games of the XXIX Olympiad
Venue	Beijing National Stadium
Dates	20 August 2008 (heats) 21 August 2008 (semi-finals) 23 August 2008 (final)
Competitors	58 from 42 nations
Winning time	1:44.65
Medalists
01 ! Wilfred Bungei  Kenya 02 ! Ismail Ahmed Ismail  Sudan 03 ! Alfred Kirwa Yego  Kenya
← 2004 2012 →

01 !		Wilfred Bungei	Kenya
02 !		Ismail Ahmed Ismail	Sudan
03 !		Alfred Kirwa Yego	Kenya

The Men's 800 metres at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place from 20–23 August at the Beijing National Stadium. The final on 23 August resulted in a triumph for Kenyan runner Wilfred Bungei in an official time of 1:44.65. The qualifying standards were 1:46.00 (A standard) and 1:47.00 (B standard).

Along the way to the final, defending champion Yuriy Borzakovskiy was eliminated as his fast closing tactics didn't get him into a qualifying place or time. In the final, most of the field got off fairly evenly, with Ismail Ahmed Ismail showing the least interest in joining the pack of seven. By 200 metres, Wilfred Bungei, wearing sunglasses in the Beijing night, had found his way to the lead with his Kenyan teammate Alfred Kirwa Yego protecting him on his shoulder. Ismail joined the back of the pack and without leaving the rail, almost casually worked his way to being a step behind Bungei at the end of the first lap. Bungei and the field accelerated on the back stretch with Ismail staying on the rail running into a box inside of Yego. As Yego faltered through the final turn, Yeimer López ran around him into the perfect strategic position, still leaving Ismail boxed into no-mans land. Coming off the turn, Ismail simply ran faster and ran out of the trap, López was out of gas. Bungei took off into a sprint with his right arm flapping, opening up two metres on Ismail, who drifted out to lane 2 for clear running. Ten metres before the finish, Bungei let up and coasted over the finish line, Ismail tried to pass, dipping at the line but Bungei's lead was just enough to hold onto gold. In the final rush for bronze, Kenyan mercenary running for Bahrain Yusuf Saad Kamel looked to have the edge, but Yego moved out to lane 3 to avoid López and run down Kamel. With a final rush, Gary Reed caught Kamel at the line, still a step behind Yego.

Prior to this competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows:

No new world or Olympic records were set for this event.

Each National Olympic Committee (NOC) was able to enter up to three entrants providing they had met the A qualifying standard (1:46.00) in the qualifying period (1 January 2007 to 23 July 2008). NOCs were also permitted to enter one athlete providing he had met the B standard (1:47.00) in the same qualifying period.