Double glory! Wilson Kipketer and André Bucher were visibly happy with their first and second places at the 2002 European Championships in München.
After being plagued for several seasons by illness and injury and finishing second at the 2000 Olympics Kipketer, who started as favourite, was celebrating his first major title in three years.
Bucher on the other hand, although reigning world champion, was just returning from an injury. After struggling through the semis he started with little hope in the final, but the slower pace suited him just fine and he outdid himself overtaking Schumann in the final straight.

European Championships 800 m Roll of Honors
Year City Gold Silver Bronze
2010 Barcelona
2006 Göteborg Bram Som NED 1.46.56 David Fiegen LAT 1.46.59 Sam Ellis GBR 1.46.64
2002 München Wilson Kipketer DEN 1.47.25 André Bucher SUI 1.47.43 Nils Schumann GER 1.47.60
1998 Budapest Nils Schumann GER 1.44.89 André Bucher SUI 1.45.04 Lukas Vydra CZE 1.45.23
1994 Helsinki Andrea Benvenuti ITA 1.46.12 Vebjørn Rodal NOR 1.46.53 Tomas de Teresa ESP 1.46.56
1990 Split Tom McKean GBR 1.44.76 David Sharpe GBR 1.45.59 Piotr Piekarski POL 1.45.76
1986 Stuttgart Sebastian Coe GBR 1.44.50 Tom McKean GBR 1.44.61 Steve Cram GBR 1.44.84
1982 Athene Hans-Peter Ferner FRG 1.46.33 Sebastian Coe GBR 1.46.68 Jorma Harkönen FIN 1.46.90
1978 Praha Olaf Beyer GDR 1.43.84 Steve Ovett GBR 1.44.09 Sebastian Coe GBR 1.44.76
1974 Roma Luciano Sušanj YUG 1.44.1 Steve Ovett GBR 1.45.8 Markku Taskinen FIN 1.45.9
1971 Helsinki Yevgeni Arzhanov USR 1.45.6 Dieter Fromm GDR 1.46.0 Andrew Carter GBR 1.46.2
1969 Athene Dieter Fromm GDR 1.45.9 Jozef Plachy TCH 1.46.2 Manfred Matuschewski GDR 1.46.8
1966 Budapest Manfred Matuschewski GDR 1.45.9 Franz-Josef Kemper FRG 1.46.0 Bodo Tümmler FRG 1.46.3
1962 Beograd Manfred Matuschewski GDR 1.50.5 Valery Bulyshev USR 1.51.2 Paul Schmidt FRG 1.51.2
1958 Stockholm Mike Rawson GBR 1.47.8 Audun Boysen NOR 1.47.9 Paul Schmidt FRG 1.47.9
1954 Bern Lajos Szentgáli HUN 1.47.1 Lucien De Muynck BEL 1.47.3 Audun Boysen NOR 1.47.4
1950 Bruxelles John Parlett GBR 1.50.5 Marcel Hansenne FRA 1.50.7 Roger Bannister GBR 1.50.7
1946 Oslo Rune Gustafsson SWE 1.51.0 Nils Holst Sørensen DEN 1.51.1 Marcel Hansenne FRA 1.51.2
1938 Paris Rudolf Harbig GER 1.50.6 Jacques Levêque FRA 1.51.8 Mario Lanzi ITA 1.52.0
1934 Torino Miklós Szabó HUN 1.52.0 Mario Lanzi ITA 1.52.0 Wolfgang Dessecker GER 1.52.2