Nadezhda Olizarenko

URSWomen

Birth dateNov 28, 1953

BirthplaceBryansk, Russia

Height1.65 m

Weight57 kg

Nadezhda Olizarenko (1953-2017) was a Soviet middle-distance runner who left an indelible mark on the 800 metres. At the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, she won the gold medal in the 800 metres with a world record time of 1:53.43, and also earned a bronze medal in the 1500 metres.

Her 800 metres time remains the second-fastest ever recorded over that distance. Only world record holder Jarmila Kratochvilova, along with Pamela Jelimo and Caster Semenya, have come within a second of Olizarenko's mark.

She also won the 1986 European Championship title in the 800 metres, though she was unable to reach the final in that event at the 1988 Olympics. Additionally, Olizarenko still holds the world record in the 4x800 metres relay, set in 1984.

Key facts

800 m

1:53.43

#2 all-time

1500 m

3:59.48

#133 all-time

1991 season best

2:08.15

Feb 24, 1991 · Karlsruhe (GER) (i)

1991 season best

Medals

Olympic Games: 1 gold, 1 bronze

Record

World record · 4x800 Metres Relay 7:50.17

World record

Age

72 years old

As of Sep 17, 2026: 800 m 1:53.43 (#2 all-time), 1500 m 3:59.48 (#133 all-time), 1991 season best 2:08.15 (Feb 24, 1991, Karlsruhe (GER) (i)) · Olympic Games: 1 gold, 1 bronze · World record (4x800 Metres Relay) · 72 years old

Personal bests

50.96

1:53.43

3:59.48

3:18.58

4:10.5HT

2:00.8HT

2:40.1HT

2:40.1HT

7:50.17

52.69

1:25.68

1:25.68

🏅

Medals

	🥇	🥈	🥉	Total
Olympic Games	1	-	1	2

Performance Charts

Season bests

Season	Discipline	Result	Wind	Date	Trend	Competitions
1991	800m	2:08.15	-	Feb 24, 1991	↓	Karlsruhe (GER) (i)
1991	800m-short-track	2:08.15	-	Feb 24, 1991	↓	Karlsruhe (GER) (i)
1990	800m	1:58.51	-	Jun 9, 1990	↓	Moskva (URS)
1989	600m-short-track	1:25.68	-	Feb 25, 1989	↑	Moskva (URS) (i)
1989	600m	1:25.68	-	Feb 25, 1989	↑	Moskva (URS) (i)
1989	800m	2:00.56	-	Jun 29, 1989	↓	Helsinki (FIN)
1989	800m-short-track	2:01.93	-	Feb 4, 1989	↓	Gomel (BLR) (i)
1988	400m	52.35	-	Jun 26, 1988	↑	Sofia (BUL)
1988	600m-short-track	1:26.73	-	Feb 21, 1988	↑	Moskva (URS) (i)
1988	600m	1:26.73	-	Feb 21, 1988	↑	Moskva (URS) (i)
1988	800m	1:56.0h	-	Jul 4, 1988	↓	Kiev (URS)
1988	1500m	4:04.8h	-	Sep 13, 1988	↓	Vladivostok (URS)
1987	400m	51.62	-	Aug 22, 1987	↑	Moskva (URS)
1987	800m	1:58.6h	-	Aug 16, 1987	↓	Stadio Olimpico, Roma (ITA)
1986	400m	52.69	-	Feb 7, 1986	↑	Moskva (URS) (i)
1986	400m-short-track	52.69	-	Feb 7, 1986	-	Moskva (URS) (i)
1986	800m	1:57.15	-	Aug 28, 1986	↓	Stuttgart European Championships
1986	4x400m	3:21.94	-	Jul 17, 1986	↑	Kiev (URS)
1985	400m	50.97	-	Aug 11, 1985	↑	-
1985	800m	1:56.25	-	Aug 1, 1985	↓	Leningrad (URS)
1985	800m-short-track	2:00.90	-	Mar 3, 1985	↓	European Indoor Championships
1985	4x400m	3:18.58	-	Aug 18, 1985	↑	Moskva (URS)
1985	4x800Metre	7:52.24	-	Aug 4, 1985	↑	Leningrad (URS)
1984	800m	1:56.09	-	Jun 22, 1984	↓	Kiev (URS)
1984	1500m	4:04.94	-	Sep 2, 1984	↓	Rieti (ITA)
1984	4x800Metre	7:50.17	-	Aug 5, 1984	↑	Moskva (URS)
1983	800m	1:58.16	-	Aug 29, 1983	↓	Kiev (URS)
1980	400m	50.96	-	Jul 12, 1980	↑	Moskva (URS)
1980	600m-short-track	1:27.3h	-	Feb 4, 1980	↑	Bryansk (URS) (i)
1980	600m	1:27.3h	-	Feb 4, 1980	↑	Bryansk (URS) (i)
1980	800m	1:53.43	-	Jul 27, 1980	↓	Lenin Stadium, Moskva (URS)
1980	800m-short-track	2:00.8h	-	Feb 15, 1980	↓	Moskva (URS) (i)
1980	1000m-short-track	2:40.1h	-	Jan 27, 1980	-	Bryansk (URS) (i)
1980	1000m	2:40.1h	-	Jan 27, 1980	-	Bryansk (URS) (i)
1980	1500m	3:56.8	-	Jul 6, 1980	↓	Lenin Stadium, Moskva (URS)
1980	1500m-short-track	4:10.5h	-	Feb 16, 1980	-	Moskva (URS) (i)
1979	800m	1:57.5h	-	Aug 12, 1979	↓	Ciudad de México (MEX)
1979	4x800Metre	7:59.6h	-	Jul 25, 1979	↑	Moskva (URS)
1978	400m	51.59	-	Sep 17, 1978	↑	Tbilisi (GEO)
1978	800m	1:55.82	-	Aug 31, 1978	↓	Praha European Championships, Stadion Evžena Rošického, Praha
1978	800m-short-track	2:05.7h	-	Mar 3, 1978	↓	Moskva (URS) (i)
1978	4x400m	3:22.53	-	Sep 3, 1978	↑	Praha European Championships, Stadion Evžena Rošického, Praha
1978	1500m	4:04.1h	-	Jul 1, 1978	↓	Dortmund (GER)
1977	800m	1:59.76	-	Jul 27, 1977	↓	Moskva (URS)
1976	600m-short-track	1:30.4h	-	Mar 6, 1976	↑	Leningrad (URS) (i)
1976	600m	1:30.4h	-	Mar 6, 1976	↑	Leningrad (URS) (i)
1970	400m	57.2h	-	Sep 11, 1970	↑	European Junior Championships
1970	4x400m	3:50.1h	-	Sep 13, 1970	↑	European Junior Championships

1991

1 performance

Discipline	Result	Wind	Date	Competitions
800m-short-track	2:08.15	-	Feb 24	Karlsruhe IHM, Karlsruhe (i)

1990

3 performances

Discipline	Result	Wind	Date	Competitions
800m	2:03.39	-	Jul 23	Seattle Goodwill Games, Seattle, WA
800m	1:58.51	-	Jun 9	Moskva Znam, Moskva
800m	2:00.32	-	Jun 2	Moskva

1989

5 performances

Discipline	Result	Wind	Date	Competitions
800m	2:00.73	-	Jul 3	Stockholm DN Galan, Stockholm
800m	2:00.96	-	Jul 1	Oslo Bislett Games, Oslo
800m	2:00.56	-	Jun 29	Helsinki World Games, Helsinki
600m-short-track	1:25.68	-	Feb 25	Moskva (i)
800m-short-track	2:01.93	-	Feb 4	Gomel (i)

1988

12 performances

Discipline	Result	Wind	Date	Competitions
800m	2:05.27	-	Sep 25	The XXIV Olympic Games, Olympic Stadium, Seoul
800m	2:01.81	-	Sep 24	The XXIV Olympic Games, Olympic Stadium, Seoul
1500m	4:04.8HT	-	Sep 13	Vladivostok
800m	1:56.03	-	Aug 1	Kiev
800m	1:58.32	-	Jul 31	Kiev
800m	1:58.50	-	Jul 30	Kiev
800m	1:56.0HT	-	Jul 4	Kharkov
400m	52.35	-	Jun 26	Sofia
800m	1:58.83	-	Jun 25	Sofia
800m	1:59.41	-	Jun 11	Leningrad Znamenskiy Memorial, Leningrad
1500m	4:12.86	-	Jun 1	Sochi
600m-short-track	1:26.73	-	Feb 21	Moskva (i)

1987

8 performances

Discipline	Result	Wind	Date	Competitions
800m	2:00.28	-	Aug 31	IAAF World Championships
800m	2:01.63	-	Aug 30	IAAF World Championships
800m	2:00.28	-	Aug 29	IAAF World Championships
800m	2:01.63	-	Aug 29	IAAF World Championships
400m	51.62	-	Aug 22	Moskva
800m	1:58.6HT	-	Aug 16	Moskva
400m	52.13	-	Aug 15	Moskva
800m	2:02.54	-	May 30	Livorno

1986

11 performances

Discipline	Result	Wind	Date	Competitions
800m	1:57.15	-	Aug 28	Stuttgart European Championships
800m	1:58.70	-	Aug 27	Stuttgart European Championships
800m	2:02.12	-	Aug 26	Stuttgart European Championships
800m	1:57.15	-	Aug 26	Stuttgart European Championships
800m	1:58.70	-	Aug 26	Stuttgart European Championships
800m	1:57.42	-	Aug 9	Moskva
4x400m	3:21.94	-	Jul 17	Kiev
800m	1:58.18	-	Jul 16	-
800m	1:58.74	-	Jul 6	-
800m	2:00.6HT	-	Jun 27	Dnepropetrovsk
400m-short-track	52.69	-	Feb 7	Moskva (i)

1985

10 performances

Discipline	Result	Wind	Date	Competitions
800m	2:02.17	-	Oct 6	Canberra IAAF World Cup, Bruce Stadium, Canberra
800m	1:58.07	-	Sep 22	-
4x400m	3:18.58	-	Aug 18	European Cup Final A, Moskva
800m	1:56.63	-	Aug 17	European Cup Final A, Moskva
400m	50.97	-	Aug 11	-
4x800Metre	7:52.24	-	Aug 4	Leningrad
800m	1:56.25	-	Aug 1	Leningrad
800m-short-track	2:00.90	-	Mar 3	European Indoor Championships
800m-short-track	2:03.12	-	Mar 2	European Indoor Championships
800m-short-track	2:00.90	-	Mar 2	European Indoor Championships

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is Nadezhda Olizarenko's 800 m personal best?

Nadezhda Olizarenko's 800 m personal best is 1:53.43, set on Jul 27, 1980 in Lenin Stadium, Moskva (URS), #2 on the all-time list.

Which events does Nadezhda Olizarenko compete in?

Nadezhda Olizarenko competes in the 800 m and 1500 m.

How did Nadezhda Olizarenko perform in 1991?

1991 season best: 2:08.15, set on Feb 24, 1991 in Karlsruhe (GER) (i).

How many medals has Nadezhda Olizarenko won?

Nadezhda Olizarenko has won 2 Olympic Games medals.

Does Nadezhda Olizarenko hold a world record?

Yes, Nadezhda Olizarenko holds the 4x800 Metres Relay world record with 7:50.17.

Nadezhda Olizarenko

Personal bests

Medals

Performance Charts

Season bests

1991

1990

1989

1988

1987

1986

1985

Honours

Frequently asked questions