Who set the women's 800m world record of 1:53.28?

Jarmila Kratochvílová set the women's 800-metre world record of 1:53.28. The Czechoslovak runner recorded the time in Munich on 26 July 1983, and the mark remains one of athletics' most enduring records.

The 800 metres requires both speed and endurance: athletes run two laps on a standard outdoor track, with the race combining a fast start, tactical positioning and a demanding final straight. Kratochvílová was an exceptional 400- and 800-metre runner; she also set a world record in the 400 metres during 1983.

Several celebrated athletes have run close to the mark, which can make the answer confusing. Pamela Jelimo ran 1:54.01 in 2008, while Caster Semenya and Maria Mutola also became major figures in the event without surpassing 1:53.28. The time belongs to Kratochvílová, not to those later champions.