2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Women's 800 metres
# 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Women's 800 metres

The women's 800 metres at the 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships took place on 3 and 4 March 2018.

## Summary

In the heats, Olympic and returning bronze medalist Margaret Wambui was the victim of another disqualification.

In the final, Ajeé Wilson sprinted the first turn to take the lead at the break. But then she relaxed into a more reasonable pace. Habitam Alemu took up the second position for a lap before, defending champion Francine Niyonsaba came forward at a faster pace. Wilson again sprinted to maintain position. After a 59.02 first 400m, Alemu accelerate on the backstretch, to try to pass Niyonsaba, who sprinted a few steps to rebuff that effort. At the bell, Niyonsaba attacked again, but Wilson sprinted the penultimate turn to keep Niyonsaba on the outside, the two pulling away from the rest of the field. Well behind the battle for the lead, Shelayna Oskan-Clarke had been running in fifth place, began to move forward. On the final backstretch, Niyonsaba ran past Wilson, and pulled away on the homestretch, celebrating a 5-metre win to retain her championship. Wilson repeated her silver medal from 2016. Oskan-Clarke took Alemu coming off the final turn to take bronze.

## Results

### Heats

The heats were started on 3 March at 11:50.

| Rank | Heat | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 3 | 2 | Francine Niyonsaba | Burundi | 2:00.99 | Q, SB |
| 2 | 2 | 5 | Shelayna Oskan-Clarke | Great Britain | 2:01.76 | Q |
| 3 | 2 | 4 | Selina Büchel | Switzerland | 2:01.84 | q |
| 4 | 1 | 3 | Ajeé Wilson | United States | 2:01.90 | Q |
| 5 | 2 | 6 | Raevyn Rogers | United States | 2:02.17 | q |
| 6 | 1 | 6 | Habitam Alemu | Ethiopia | 2:02.18 | q |
| 7 | 1 | 5 | Angelika Cichocka | Poland | 2:02.25 | |
| 8 | 3 | 6 | Natoya Goule | Jamaica | 2:02.49 | |
| 9 | 3 | 3 | Mhairi Hendry | Great Britain | 2:02.65 | |
| 10 | 1 | 4 | Līga Velvere | Latvia | 2:02.98 | |
| 11 | 3 | 4 | Olha Lyakhova | Ukraine | 2:03.81 | |
| 12 | 2 | 3 | Jenna Westaway | Canada | 2:03.91 | |
| 13 | 1 | 2 | Esther Guerrero | Spain | 2:04.06 | |
| 14 | 2 | 2 | Winny Chebet | Kenya | 2:18.31 | SB |
| | 3 | 5 | Margaret Wambui | Kenya | DQ | 163.3(a) |

### Final

The final was started on March 4 at 15:58.

| Rank | Lane | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | 2 | Francine Niyonsaba | Burundi | 1:58.31 | WL |
| | 3 | Ajeé Wilson | United States | 1:58.99 | PB |
| | 4 | Shelayna Oskan-Clarke | Great Britain | 1:59.81 | PB |
| 4 | 5 | Habitam Alemu | Ethiopia | 2:01.10 | |
| 5 | 6 | Raevyn Rogers | United States | 2:01.44 | |
| 6 | 1 | Selina Büchel | Switzerland | 2:03.01 | |
