The women's 800 metre freestyle event at the
2000 Summer Olympics
The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 ( Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from ...
took place on 21–22 September at the
Sydney International Aquatic Centre
The Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre (SOPAC) , formerly Sydney International Aquatic Centre (SIAC), is a swimming venue located in the Sydney Olympic Park in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Built in 1994, the SOPAC was a major venue for t ...
in
Sydney, Australia
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and List of cities in Oceania by population, Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metro ...
.
United States' teenager
Brooke Bennett
Brooke Marie Bennett (born May 6, 1980) is an American former competition swimmer and three-time Olympic champion.
Swimming career
1996 Summer Olympics
'
Bennett's first gold medal came in the 800-meter freestyle race at the 1996 Summer Olymp ...
became the second swimmer in Olympic history to defend her title in the event, and the fifth to strike a long-distance freestyle double, since
Debbie Meyer
Deborah Elizabeth Meyer (born August 14, 1952), also known by her married name Deborah Weber, is an American former competition swimmer, a three-time Olympic champion, and a former world record-holder in four events. Meyer won the 200-, 400-, a ...
did so in 1968,
Petra Thümer in 1976,
Tiffany Cohen
Tiffany Lisa Cohen (born June 11, 1966) is an American former swimmer who was a double gold medalist at the 1984 Summer Olympics (400-meter and 800-meter freestyle).
Cohen is Jewish.
In 1982, she won the U.S. National Championship in the 500-, ...
in 1984, and the legendary
Janet Evans
Janet Beth Evans (born August 28, 1971) is an American former competition swimmer who specialized in distance freestyle events. Evans was a world champion and world record-holder, and won a total of four gold medals at the 1988 and the 1992 Ol ...
in 1988. She maintained a powerful lead from start to finish before hitting the wall first in 8:19.67, the second-fastest of all time, cutting off Evans' 12-year Olympic record by 0.53 seconds. After effortlessly striking a medley double over the past six days,
Yana Klochkova
Yana Oleksandrivna Klochkova ( uk, Яна Олександрівна Клочкова; born 7 August 1982) is a Ukrainian swimmer, who has won five Olympic medals in her career, with four of them being gold. She is Merited Master of Sports (19 ...
added a silver to her medal tally at these Games, in a scintillating Ukrainian record of 8:22.66. Bennett's teammate
Kaitlin Sandeno
Kaitlin Shea Sandeno (born March 13, 1983) is an American former competition swimmer who is an Olympic gold medalist, world champion and former world record-holder. Sandeno was a member of the American team that set a new world record in the 4 ...
gave the Americans a further reason to celebrate, as she powered home with a bronze in 8:24.29.
Switzerland's
Flavia Rigamonti lost a spirited challenge to Sandeno for the bronze by more than a full body length, but earned a fourth spot in a national record of 8:25.91. She was followed in fifth by Germany's
Hannah Stockbauer
Hannah Stockbauer (; born 7 January 1982) is a World Champion, Olympic and national-record holding swimmer from Germany. In 2003, she was named the female World Swimmer of the Year by ''Swimming World Magazine'', following her winning the 400, ...
(8:30.11), and in sixth by China's
Chen Hua (8:30.58). Stockbauer's teammate
Jana Henke
Jana Henke (born 1 October 1973 in Löbau, Saxony) is a former freestyle swimmer from Germany, who won the bronze medal in the 800 m freestyle at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. She competed in three Summer Olympics
The ...
(8:31.97), bronze medalist in Barcelona eight years earlier, and Japan's
Sachiko Yamada (8:37.39) rounded out the finale.
[
]
Records
Prior to this competition, the existing world and Olympic records were as follows.
The following new world and Olympic records were set during this competition.
Results
Heats
[
]
Final
References
External links
Official Olympic Report
{{DEFAULTSORT:Swimming at the 2000 Summer Olympics - Women's 800 metre freestyle
F
2000 in women's swimming
Women's events at the 2000 Summer Olympics