Triple World Champion Wilson Kipketer leads the pack into the final straight in the 1997 final in Athene, and no one will be able to challenge him for victory. Not Marko Koers or Vebjørn Rodal, who were to finish sixth and fifth respectively. Not Rich Kenah or Patrick Konchellah, who fought out a ferocious duel for the bronze, the latter missing out by just 0.01 of a second. And not even Norberto Téllez, trying to go with Wilson, but eventually delighted with the silver medal. Around the bend Mark Everett can be seen, off the pace at this stage.

World Championships 800 m Roll of Honors
Year	City	Gold			Silver			Bronze
2009	Berlin	Mbulaeni Mulaudzi	RSA	1:45.29	Alfred Kirwa Yego	KEN	1:45.35	Yusuf Saad Kamel	BRN	1:45.35
2007	Osaka	Alfred Kirwa Yego	KEN	1.47.09	Gary Reed	CAN	1:47.10	Yuriy Borzakovskiy	RUS	1:47.39
2005	Helsinki	Rashid Ramzi	BRN	1.44.24	Yuriy Borzakovskiy	RUS	1.44.51	William Yiampoy	KEN	1.44.55
2003	Paris	Djabir Saïd-Guerni	ALG	1.44.81	Yuriy Borzakovskiy	RUS	1.44.84	Mbulaeni Mulaudzi	RSA	1.44.90
2001	Edmonton	André Bucher	SUI	1.43.70	Wilfred Bungei	KEN	1.44.55	Pawel Czapiewski	POL	1.44.63
1999	Sevilla	Wilson Kipketer	DEN	1.43.30	Hezekiél Sepeng	RSA	1.43.32	Djabir Saïd-Guerni	ALG	1.44.18
1997	Athene	Wilson Kipketer	DEN	1.43.38	Norberto Téllez	CUB	1.44.00	Rich Kenah	USA	1.44.25
1995	Göteborg	Wilson Kipketer	DEN	1.45.08	Arthémon Hatungimana	BDI	1.45.64	Vebjørn Rodal	NOR	1.45.68
1993	Stuttgart	Paul Ruto	KEN	1.44.71	Giuseppe d'Urso	ITA	1.44.86	Billy Konchellah	KEN	1.44.89
1991	Tokyo	Billy Konchellah	KEN	1.43.99	José Luiz Barbosa	BRA	1.44.24	Mark Everett	USA	1.44.67
1987	Roma	Billy Konchellah	KEN	1.43.06	Peter Elliott	GBR	1.43.41	José Luiz Barbosa	BRA	1.43.76
1983	Helsinki	Willi Wülbeck	FRG	1.43.65	Rob Druppers	NED	1.44.20	Joaquim Cruz	BRA	1.44.27