Photo via BBC Sport

How the race they said women couldn't run took centre stage

The women's 800m first appeared on the Olympic schedule at Amsterdam 1928, joining the 100m, high jump, discus, and 400m hurdles as track and field opportunities for female athletes expanded. Germany's Karoline Lina Radke secured that inaugural gold medal, but the event was abruptly banned for thirty-two years following unfounded claims that runners suffered from severe physical collapse and exhaustion.

The distance finally returned to the Olympic roster in 1960, paving the way for Great Britain's Ann Brightwell to triumph at the 1964 Tokyo Games. 1 seconds, achieving a milestone victory for female British runners.

Today, the two-lap contest stands among the premier spectacles in international athletics. 42 seconds.