1960 Summer Olympics / Athletics - 800 m (men)
![]() |
|||||||||
![]() |
|||||||||
sport | athletics | ||||||||
discipline | 800 meter run | ||||||||
gender | Men | ||||||||
Attendees | 56 athletes from 49 countries | ||||||||
Competition location | Stadio Olimpico | ||||||||
Competition phase | August 31, 1960 (preliminary / quarter finals) September 1, 1960 (semi-finals) September 2, 1960 (final) |
||||||||
|
The men's 800-meter run at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome was held from August 31 to September 2, 1960 at the Stadio Olimpico . 56 athletes took part. For the first time at the Olympic Games, the first 100 meters were run in their own lanes.
Olympic champion was the New Zealander Peter Snell . He won ahead of the Belgian Roger Moens and George Kerr , who started for the West Indian Federation.
Three runners started for the German team. Jörg Balke reached the semi-finals, but was eliminated there as fourth of his run. Manfred Matuschewski and Paul Schmidt qualified for the final. There Schmidt was fourth and Matuschewski sixth. The only Swiss, Christian Wägli , also reached the final and came in fifth. Austria was represented by Rudolf Klaban, who made it to the quarter-finals, where he was eliminated in fourth of his run. Egon Oehri took part for Liechtenstein, but was eliminated in the run-up.
Existing records
World record |
Roger Moens ( Belgium )
![]() |
1: 45.7 min | Oslo | 3rd August 1955 |
Olympic record |
Tom Courtney ( United States )
![]() |
1: 47.7 min | Melbourne | November 26, 1956 |
Conducting the competition
The runners started the heats on August 31st. A total of nine runs were completed. In each preliminary run, the three best starters could qualify for the quarter-finals on the same day. In the quarter-finals, too, the three best runners qualified for the next round, the semi-finals. The semi-finals were held on September 1st and the three best runners each qualified, this time for the final on September 2nd.
Note: The qualified athletes are highlighted in light blue.
Time schedule
August 31, 11 a.m .: Preliminaries
August 31, 4.30 p.m .: Quarter-finals
September 1, 4.40 p.m .: Semi-finals
September 2, 4.45 p.m .: Final
Prelims
Forward 1
space | Surname | nation | Time (hand stopped) |
Time (electronically stopped) |
annotation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Donal Smith |
![]() |
1: 51.7 min | 1: 51.86 min | |
2 | Valery Bulishev |
![]() |
1: 51.7 min | 1: 51.83 min | |
3 | Zbigniew Makomaski |
![]() |
1: 52.5 min | 1: 52.70 min | |
4th | Brian Hewson |
![]() |
1: 54.6 min | 1: 54.73 min | |
5 | Yair Pantilat |
![]() |
1: 54.7 min | 1: 54.86 min | |
6th | George Johnson |
![]() |
1: 55.9 min | 1: 56.04 min |
Forward 2
space | Surname | nation | Time (hand stopped) |
Time (electronically stopped) |
annotation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Tom Farrell |
![]() |
1: 48.9 min | 1: 49.05 min | |
2 | Jerry Siebert |
![]() |
1: 48.9 min | 1: 49.08 min | |
3 | Jos Lambrechts |
![]() |
1: 49.1 min | 1: 49.27 min | |
4th | Pierre-Yvon Lenoir |
![]() |
1: 49.3 min | 1: 49.41 min | |
5 | Jaromir Šlégr |
![]() |
1: 50.1 min | 1: 50.23 min | |
6th | Moussa Said |
![]() |
1: 50.3 min | 1: 50.49 min |
Forward 3
space | Surname | nation | Time (hand stopped) |
Time (electronically stopped) |
annotation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Peter Snell |
![]() |
1: 48.1 min | 1: 48.22 min | |
2 | Christian Wägli |
![]() |
1: 48.8 min | 1: 48.88 min | |
3 | Ernie Cunliffe |
![]() |
1: 48.8 min | 1: 48.95 min | |
4th | István Rózsavölgyi |
![]() |
1: 49.4 min | 1: 49.51 min |
Forward 4
space | Surname | nation | Time (hand stopped) |
Time (electronically stopped) |
annotation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Tony Blue |
![]() |
1: 50.7 min | 1: 50.82 min | |
2 | Ergas Leps |
![]() |
1: 50.8 min | 1: 50.93 min | |
3 | Manfred Matuschewski |
![]() |
1: 51.0 min | 1: 51.17 min | |
4th | Vasily Savinkov |
![]() |
1: 51.4 min | 1: 51.49 min | |
5 | Konstantinos Moragiemos |
![]() |
1: 54.3 min | 1: 54.60 min | |
6th | Ahmed Lazreg |
![]() |
1: 55.7 min | 1: 55.91 min |
Forward 5
space | Surname | nation | Time (hand stopped) |
Time (electronically stopped) |
annotation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Abram Kryvosheev |
![]() |
1: 53.4 min | 1: 53.49 min | |
2 | Jörg Balke |
![]() |
1: 53.6 min | 1: 53.72 min | |
3 | John Wenk |
![]() |
1: 54.1 min | 1: 54.27 min | |
4th | Norbert Hauptert |
![]() |
1: 54.7 min | 1: 54.83 min | |
5 | Frederick Owusu |
![]() |
1: 55.2 min | 1: 55.41 min | |
6th | Egon Oehri |
![]() |
2: 00.3 min | 2: 00.49 min |
Forward 6
space | Surname | nation | Time (hand stopped) |
Time (electronically stopped) |
annotation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Roger Moens |
![]() |
1: 50.6 min | 1: 50.73 min | |
2 | Per Knuts |
![]() |
1: 51.2 min | 1: 51.36 min | |
3 | Lajos Kovács |
![]() |
1: 51.3 min | 1: 51.45 min | |
4th | Stefan Lewandowski |
![]() |
1: 51.6 min | 1: 51.75 min | |
5 | Svavar Markússon |
![]() |
1: 52.7 min | 1: 52.88 min | |
6th | Abdeslem Dargouth |
![]() |
1: 54.7 min | 1: 54.87 min |
Forward 7
space | Surname | nation | Time (hand stopped) |
Time (electronically stopped) |
annotation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | George Kerr |
![]() |
1: 50.9 min | 1: 51.11 min | |
2 | Terry Sullivan |
![]() |
1: 51.1 min | 1: 51.26 min | |
3 | Péter Parsch |
![]() |
1: 51.2 min | 1: 51.34 min | |
4th | Borut Ingolič |
![]() |
1: 51.4 min | 1: 51.51 min | |
5 | Pertti Ålander |
![]() |
1: 52.0 min | 1: 52.20 min | |
6th | Zbigniew Orywał |
![]() |
1: 55.8 min | 1: 55.89 min |
Forward 8
space | Surname | nation | Time (hand stopped) |
Time (electronically stopped) |
annotation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Paul Schmidt |
![]() |
1: 50.8 min | 1: 50.97 min | |
2 | Rudolf Klaban |
![]() |
1: 50.8 min | 1: 50.96 min | |
3 | Ron Delany |
![]() |
1: 51.0 min | 1: 51.19 min | |
4th | Joe Mullins |
![]() |
1: 51.3 min | 1: 51.46 min | |
5 | Gianfranco Baraldi |
![]() |
1: 52.0 min | 1: 52.15 min | |
6th | Julio Gomez |
![]() |
1: 53.7 min | 1: 53.90 min | |
7th | Somsak Thonf Ar-Ram |
![]() |
1: 57.1 min | 1: 57.24 min |
Forward 9
space | Surname | nation | Time (hand stopped) |
Time (electronically stopped) |
annotation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Tom Murphy |
![]() |
1: 52.1 min | 1: 52.30 min | |
2 | Ralph Gomes |
![]() |
1: 52.9 min | 1: 53.06 min | |
3 | Ekrem Koçak |
![]() |
1: 59.0 min | 1: 59.12 min | |
4th | Sig Ohlemann |
![]() |
2: 07.4 min |
Quarter finals
The Belgian Jos Lambrechts and the Hungarian Péter Parsch did not make the quarter-finals.
Run 1
space | Surname | nation | Time (hand stopped) |
Time (electronically stopped) |
annotation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Tom Murphy |
![]() |
1: 48.0 min | 1: 48.12 min | |
2 | Christian Wägli |
![]() |
1: 48.0 min | 1: 48.15 min | |
3 | Manfred Matuschewski |
![]() |
1: 48.1 min | 1: 48.24 min | |
4th | Donal Smith |
![]() |
1: 48.4 min | 1: 48.52 min | |
5 | Terry Sullivan |
![]() |
1: 49.9 min | 1: 50.01 min |
Run 2
space | Surname | nation | Time (hand stopped) |
Time (electronically stopped) |
annotation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Paul Schmidt |
![]() |
1: 51.2 min | 1: 51.38 min | |
2 | Abram Kryvosheev |
![]() |
1: 51.2 min | 1: 51.40 min | |
3 | Jerry Siebert |
![]() |
1: 51.3 min | 1: 51.53 min | |
4th | Zbigniew Makomaski |
![]() |
1: 51.6 min | 1: 51.72 min | |
5 | Ralph Gomes |
![]() |
1: 52.3 min | 1: 52.47 min | |
6th | Lajos Kovács |
![]() |
1: 52.4 min | 1: 52.55 min | |
7th | Per Knuts |
![]() |
1: 52.8 min | 1: 52.91 min |
Run 3
space | Surname | nation | Time (hand stopped) |
Time (electronically stopped) |
annotation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | George Kerr |
![]() |
1: 49.4 min | 1: 49.58 min | |
2 | Ernie Cunliffe |
![]() |
1: 49.7 min | 1: 49.83 min | |
3 | Tony Blue |
![]() |
1: 49.9 min | 1: 50.05 min | |
4th | John Wenk |
![]() |
1: 50.0 min | 1: 50.13 min | |
5 | Valery Bulishev |
![]() |
1: 50.6 min | 1: 50.74 min | |
6th | Ron Delany |
![]() |
1: 51.1 min | 1: 51.42 min |
Run 4
space | Surname | nation | Time (hand stopped) |
Time (electronically stopped) |
annotation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Roger Moens |
![]() |
1: 48.5 min | 1: 48.69 min | |
2 | Peter Snell |
![]() |
1: 48.6 min | 1: 48.84 min | |
3 | Jörg Balke |
![]() |
1: 48.8 min | 1: 48.98 min | |
4th | Rudolf Klaban |
![]() |
1: 50.2 min | 1: 50.32 min | |
5 | Tom Farrell |
![]() |
1: 50.7 min | 1: 50.84 min | |
6th | Ergas Leps |
![]() |
1: 52.0 min | 1: 52.13 min | |
7th | Ekrem Koçak |
![]() |
1: 52.5 min | 1: 52.66 min |
Semifinals
Run 1
space | Surname | nation | Time (hand stopped) |
Time (electronically stopped) |
annotation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | George Kerr |
![]() |
1: 47.1 min | 1: 47.26 min | OR |
2 | Christian Wägli |
![]() |
1: 47.3 min | 1: 47.40 min | |
3 | Manfred Matuschewski |
![]() |
1: 47.4 min | 1: 47.54 min | |
4th | Jörg Balke |
![]() |
1: 47.5 min | 1: 47.63 min | |
5 | Tony Blue |
![]() |
1: 47.8 min | 1: 47.97 min | |
6th | Tom Murphy |
![]() |
1: 48.2 min | 1: 48.29 min |
Run 2
space | Surname | nation | Time (hand stopped) |
Time (electronically stopped) |
annotation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Peter Snell |
![]() |
1: 47.2 min | 1: 47.34 min | |
2 | Roger Moens |
![]() |
1: 47.4 min | 1: 47.49 min | |
3 | Paul Schmidt |
![]() |
1: 47.8 min | 1: 47.95 min | |
4th | Jerry Siebert |
![]() |
1: 48.0 min | 1: 48.20 min | |
5 | Abram Kryvosheev |
![]() |
1: 48.1 min | 1: 48.25 min | |
6th | Ernie Cunliffe |
![]() |
1: 50.8 min | 1: 50.92 min |
final
The favorite was the world record holder Roger Moens. The greatest challenger was considered to be the Jamaican George Kerr, who competed for the West Indian Federation.
The pace in the final race was initially set by Swiss Christian Wägli, who was three meters ahead after 400 meters. Moens lay behind him, then Peter Snell. On the home straight, Moens and Kerr fought a duel for the lead. When Moens looked around and saw that Kerr could no longer attack, he slowed down. The hitherto unknown New Zealander Snell passed the surprised Belgian. Silver remained for Moens and bronze for Kerr.
Snell ran for the first New Zealand Olympic victory over 800 meters.
Moens and Kerr won the first medals for their countries in this discipline.
For the first time since 1896, no US runner could qualify for the finals in the 800-meter Olympic run.
space | Surname | nation | Time (hand stopped) |
Time (electronically stopped) |
annotation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Peter Snell |
![]() |
1: 46.3 min | 1: 46.48 min | OR |
2 | Roger Moens |
![]() |
1: 46.5 min | 1: 46.55 min | |
3 | George Kerr |
![]() |
1: 47.1 min | 1: 47.25 min | |
4th | Paul Schmidt |
![]() |
1: 47.6 min | 1: 47.82 min | |
5 | Christian Wägli |
![]() |
1: 48.1 min | 1: 48.19 min | |
6th | Manfred Matuschewski |
![]() |
1: 52.0 min | 1: 52.21 min |
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ IAAF Statistics Handbook, Berlin 2009 page 548 ( Memento from June 29, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Official report, page 63
- ↑ SportsReference (Eng.)