| 2021 | ||||
| (Tokyo, August 4) | ||||
| 1. | Emmanuel Korir (Kenya) | 1:45.06 | ||
| 2. | Ferguson Rotich (Kenya) | 1:45.23 | ||
| 3. | Patryk Dobek (Poland) | 1:45.39 | ||
| 4. | Peter Bol (Australia) | 1:45.92 | ||
| 5. | Adrian Ben (Spain) | 1:45.96 | ||
| 6. | Amel Tuka (Bosnia) | 1:45.98 | ||
| 7. | Gabriel Tual (France) | 1:46.03 | ||
| 8. | Nijel Amos (Botswana) | 1:46.41 | ||
| 9. | Clayton Murphy (USA) | 1:46.53 | ||
| [Bryce Hoppel (USA) 5th in semi] | ||||
| [Isaiah Jewett (USA) 7th in semi] | ||||
| 2016 | ||||
| (Rio de Janeiro, August 15) | ||||
| 1 | David Rudisha (Kenya) | 1:42.15 | ||
| 2 | Taoufik Makhloufi (Algeria) | 1:42.61 | ||
| 3 | Clayton Murphy (USA) | 1:42.93 | ||
| 4 | Pierre-Ambroise Bosse (France) | 1:43.41 | ||
| 5 | Ferguson Cheruiyot (Kenya) | 1:43.55 | ||
| 6 | Marcin Lewandowski (Poland) | 1:44.20 | ||
| 7 | Alfred Kipketer (Kenya) | 1:46.02 | ||
| 8 | Boris Berian (USA) | 1:46.15 | ||
| [Charles Jock (USA) 6th in heat] | ||||
| 2012 | ||||
| (London, August 9) | ||||
| 1 | David Rudisha (Kenya) | 1:40.91 | WR, OR | |
| 2 | Nijel Amos (Botswana) | 1:41.73 | ||
| 3 | Timothy Kitum (Kenya) | 1:42.53 | ||
| 4 | Duane Solomon (USA) | 1:42.82 | ||
| 5 | Nick Symmonds (USA) | 1:42.95 | ||
| 6 | Mohamed Aman (Ethiopia) | 1:43.20 | ||
| 7 | Abubaker Kaki (Sudan) | 1:43.32 | ||
| 8 | Andrew Osagie (Great Britain) | 1:43.77 | ||
| [Khadevis Robinson (USA) 5th heat I] | ||||
| 2008 | ||||
| 1 | Wilfred Bungei (Kenya) | 1:44.65 | ||
| 2 | Ahmad Ismail (Sudan) | 1:44.70 | ||
| 3 | Alfred Kirwa Yego (Kenya) | 1:44.82 | ||
| 4 | Gary Reed (Canada) | 1:44.94 | ||
| 5 | Youssef Kamel (Bahrain) | 1:44.95 | ||
| 6 | Yeimán López (Cuba) | 1:45.88 | ||
| 7 | Nabil Madi (Algeria) | 1:45.96 | ||
| 8 | Nadim Mansour (Algeria) | 1:47.19 | ||
| [Nick Symmonds (USA) 5th in semi] | ||||
| [Christian Smith (USA) 4th in heat] | ||||
| [Andrew Wheating (USA) 4th in heat] | ||||
| 2004 | ||||
| 1 | Yuriy Borzakovskiy (Russia) | 1:44.45 | ||
| 2 | Mbulaeni Mulaudzi (South Africa) | 1:44.61 | ||
| 3 | Wilson Kipketer (Denmark) | 1:44.65 | ||
| 4 | Mohcine Chehibi (Morocco) | 1:45.16 | ||
| 5 | Wilfred Bungei (Kenya) | 1:45.31 | ||
| 6 | Hezekiel Sepeng (South Africa) | 1:45.53 | ||
| 7 | Djabir Saïd-Guerni (Algeria) | 1:45.61 | ||
| 8 | Ahmad Ismail (Sudan) | 1:52.49 | ||
| [Jonathan Johnson (USA) 8th in semi] | ||||
| [Khadevis Robinson (USA) 3rd in heat] | ||||
| [Derrick Peterson (USA) 4th in heat] | ||||
| 2000 | ||||
| 1 | Nils Schumann (Germany) | 1:45.08 | ||
| 2 | Wilson Kipketer (Denmark) | 1:45.14 | ||
| 3 | Djabir Saïd Guerni (Algeria) | 1:45.16 | ||
| 4 | Hezekiel Sepeng (South Africa) | 1:45.29 | ||
| 5 | André Bucher (Switzerland) | 1:45.40 | ||
| 6 | Yuriy Borzakovskiy (Russia) | 1:45.83 | ||
| 7 | Glody Dube (Botswana) | 1:46.24 | ||
| DQ[obstruction]—[6]Andrea Longo (Italy) [1:45.66] | ||||
| [Rich Kenah (USA) 6th in heat] | ||||
| [Bryan Woodward (USA) 5th in heat] | ||||
| [Mark Everett (USA) 5th in heat] | ||||
| 1996 | ||||
| 1 | Vebjørn Rodal (Norway) | 1:42.58 | ||
| 2 | Hezekiel Sepeng (South Africa) | 1:42.74 | ||
| 3 | Fred Onyancha (Kenya) | 1:42.79 | ||
| 4 | Norberto Tellez (Cuba) | 1:42.85 | ||
| 5 | Nico Motchebon (Germany) | 1:43.91 | ||
| 6 | David Kiptoo (Kenya) | 1:44.19 | ||
| 7 | Johnny Gray (USA) | 1:44.21 | ||
| 8 | Benyounés Lahlou (Morocco) | 1:45.52 | ||
| [Jose Parrilla (USA) 6th in heat] | ||||
| [Brandon Rock (USA) 4th in heat] | ||||
| [Rodal 1:42.58 OR] | ||||
| 1992 | ||||
| 1 | William Tanui (Kenya) | 1:43.66 | ||
| 2 | Nixon Kiprotich (Kenya) | 1:43.70 | ||
| 3 | Johnny Gray (USA) | 1:43.97 | ||
| 4 | José Luiz Barbosa (Brazil) | 1:45.06 | ||
| 5 | Andrea Benvenuti (Italy) | 1:45.23 | ||
| 6 | Curtis Robb (Great Britain) | 1:45.57 | ||
| 7 | Reda Abdenouz (Algeria) | 1:48.34 | ||
| DNF—Mark Everett (USA) | ||||
| [Jose Parrilla (USA) 4th in heat] | ||||
| 1988 | ||||
| 1 | Paul Ereng (Kenya) | 1:43.45 | ||
| 2 | Joaquim Cruz (Brazil) | 1:43.90 | ||
| 3 | Saïd Aouita (Morocco) | 1:44.06 | ||
| 4 | Peter Elliott (Great Britain) | 1:44.12 | ||
| 5 | Johnny Gray (USA) | 1:44.80 | ||
| 6 | José Luiz Barbosa (Brazil) | 1:46.39 | ||
| 7 | Donato Sabia (Italy) | 1:48.03 | ||
| 8 | Nixon Kiprotich (Kenya) | 1:49.55 | ||
| [Mark Everett (USA) 4th in heat] | ||||
| [Tracy Baskin (USA) 4th in heat] | ||||
| 1984 | ||||
| 1 | Joaquim Cruz (Brazil) | 1:43.00 | ||
| 2 | Seb Coe (Great Britain) | 1:43.64 | ||
| 3 | Earl Jones (USA) | 1:43.83 | ||
| 4 | Billy Konchellah (Kenya) | 1:44.03 | ||
| 5 | Donato Sabia (Italy) | 1:44.53 | ||
| 6 | Edwin Koech (Kenya) | 1:44.86 | ||
| 7 | Johnny Gray (USA) | 1:47.89 | ||
| 8 | Steve Ovett (Great Britain) | 1:52.28 | ||
| [John Marshall (USA) 5th in quarter] | ||||
| [Cruz 1:43.00 OR] | ||||
| 1980 | ||||
| 1 | Steve Ovett (Great Britain) | 1:45.40 | ||
| 2 | Seb Coe (Great Britain) | 1:45.85 | ||
| 3 | Nikolay Kirov (Soviet Union) | 1:45.94 | ||
| 4 | Agberto Guymaraes (Brazil) | 1:46.20 | ||
| 5 | Andreas Busse (East Germany) | 1:46.81 | ||
| 6 | Detlef Wagenknecht (East Germany) | 1:46.91 | ||
| 7 | José Marajo (France) | 1:47.26 | ||
| 8 | Dave Warren (Great Britain) | 1:49.25 | ||
| 1976 | ||||
| 1 | Alberto Juantorena (Cuba) | 1:43.50 | ||
| 2 | Ivo Van Damme (Belgium) | 1:43.86 | ||
| 3 | Rick Wohlhuter (USA) | 1:44.12 | ||
| 4 | Willi Wülbeck (West Germany) | 1:45.26 | ||
| 5 | Steve Ovett (Great Britain) | 1:45.44 | ||
| 6 | Luciano Susanj (Yugoslavia) | 1:45.75 | ||
| 7 | Sri Ram Singh (India) | 1:45.77 | ||
| 8 | Carlo Grippo (Italy) | 1:48.39 | ||
| [James Robinson (USA) 5th in semi] | ||||
| [Mark Enyeart (USA) 3rd in heat] | ||||
| [Juantorena 1:43.50 WR, OR] | ||||
| 1972 | ||||
| 1 | Dave Wottle (USA) | 1:45.86 | ||
| 2 | Yevgeniy Arzhanov (Soviet Union) | 1:45.89 | ||
| 3 | Mike Boit (Kenya) | 1:46.01 | ||
| 4 | Franz-Josef Kemper (West Germany) | 1:46.50 | ||
| 5 | Robert Ouko (Kenya) | 1:46.53 | ||
| 6 | Andy Carter (Great Britain) | 1:46.55 | ||
| 7 | Andrzej Kupczyk (Poland) | 1:47.10 | ||
| 8 | Dieter Fromm (East Germany) | 1:47.96 | ||
| [Ken Swenson (USA) DNF in semi] | ||||
| [Rick Wohlhuter (USA) 4th in heat (fell)] | ||||
| 1968 | ||||
| (high altitude) | ||||
| 1 | Ralph Doubell (Australia) | 1:44.3 (1:44.40) | ||
| 2 | Wilson Kiprugut (Kenya) | 1:44.5 (1:44.57) | ||
| 3 | Tom Farrell (USA) | 1:45.4 (1:45.46) | ||
| 4 | Walter Adams (West Germany) | 1:45.8 (1:45.83) | ||
| 5 | Josef Plachy (Czechoslovakia) | 1:45.9 (1:45.99) | ||
| 6 | Dieter Fromm (East Germany) | 1:46.2 (1:46.30) | ||
| 7 | Thomas Saisi (Kenya) | 1:47.5 (1:47.59) | ||
| 8 | Benedict Cayenne (Trinidad) | 1:54.3 (1:54.40) | ||
| [Ron Kutschinski (USA) 5th in semi] | ||||
| [Wade Bell (USA) 5th in heat] | ||||
| [Doubell 1:44.3 {1:44.40} WR, OR] | ||||
| 1964 | ||||
| 1 | Peter Snell (New Zealand) | 1:45.1 | ||
| 2 | Bill Crothers (Canada) | 1:45.6 | ||
| 3 | Wilson Kiprugut (Kenya) | 1:45.9 | ||
| 4 | George Kerr (Jamaica) | 1:45.9 | ||
| 5 | Tom Farrell (USA) | 1:46.6 | ||
| 6 | Jerry Siebert (USA) | 1:47.0 | ||
| 7 | Dieter Bogatzki (West Germany) | 1:47.2 | ||
| 8 | Jacques Pennewaert (Belgium) | 1:50.5 | ||
| [Morgan Groth (USA) 6th in heat] | ||||
| [Kerr 1:46.1 OR {semi}; Kiprugut 1:46.1 =OR {semi}; Snell | ||||
| 1:45.1 OR] | ||||
| 1960 | ||||
| 1 | Peter Snell (New Zealand) | 1:46.3 (1:46.48) | ||
| 2 | Roger Moens (Belgium) | 1:46.5 (1:46.55) | ||
| 3 | George Kerr (Jamaica) | 1:47.1 (1:47.25) | ||
| 4 | Paul Schmidt (West Germany) | 1:47.6 (1:47.82) | ||
| 5 | Christian Wägli (Switzerland) | 1:48.1 (1:48.19) | ||
| 6 | Manfred Matuschewski (East Germany) | 1:52.0 (1:52.21) | ||
| [Tom Murphy (USA) 6th in semi] | ||||
| [Jerry Siebert (USA) 4th in semi] | ||||
| [Ernie Cunliffe (USA) 6th in semi] | ||||
| [Kerr 1:47.1 (1:47.26) OR {semi}; Snell 1:46.3 OR] | ||||
| 1956 | ||||
| 1 | Tom Courtney (USA) | 1:47.7 (1:47.75) | ||
| 2 | Derek Johnson (Great Britain) | 1:47.8 (1:47.88) | ||
| 3 | Audun Boysen (Norway) | 1:48.1 (1:48.25) | ||
| 4 | Arnie Sowell (USA) | 1:48.3 (1:48.41) | ||
| 5 | Mike Farrell (Great Britain) | 1:49.2 (1:49.29) | ||
| 6 | Lon Spurrier (USA) | 1:49.3 (1:49.38) | ||
| 7 | Emile Leva (Belgium) | c1:51.8 (1:51.75) | ||
| 8 | Bill Butchart (Australia) | c1:52.5 | ||
| [Courtney 1:47.7 OR] | ||||
| 1952 | ||||
| 1 | Mal Whitfield (USA) | 1:49.2 (1:49.34) | ||
| 2 | Arthur Wint (Jamaica) | 1:49.4 (1:49.63) | ||
| 3 | Heinz Ulzheimer (West Germany) | 1:49.7 (1:49.78) | ||
| 4 | Gunnar Nielsen (Denmark) | 1:49.7 (1:49.84) | ||
| 5 | Albert Webster (Great Britain) | 1:50.2 (1:50.47) | ||
| 6 | Günther Steines (West Germany) | 1:50.6 (1:50.81) | ||
| 7 | Reggie Pearman (USA) | 1:52.1 (1:52.31) | ||
| 8 | Lars-Eric Wolfbrandt (Sweden) | 1:52.1 (1:52.38) | ||
| [John Barnes (USA) 4th in semi] | ||||
| [Whitfield 1:49.2 =OR] | ||||
| 1948 | ||||
| 1 | Mal Whitfield (USA) | 1:49.2 | ||
| 2 | Arthur Wint (Jamaica) | 1:49.5 (0.28 behind) | ||
| 3 | Marcel Hansenne (France) | 1:49.8 (0.78) | ||
| 4 | Herb Barten (USA) | 1:50.1 (1.04) | ||
| 5 | Ingvar Bengtsson (Sweden) | 1:50.5 (1.56) | ||
| 6 | Bob Chambers (USA) | 1:52.1 (2.82) | ||
| 7 | Robert Chef-d’Hôtel (France) | c1:54.1 (4.89) | ||
| 8 | John Parlett (Great Britain) | c1:56.0 (6.97) | ||
| [Whitfield 1:49.2 OR] | ||||
| 1936 | ||||
| 1 | John Woodruff (USA) | 1:52.9 | ||
| 2 | Mario Lanzi (Italy) | 1:53.3 | ||
| 3 | Phil Edwards (Canada) | 1:53.6 | ||
| 4 | Kazimierz Kucharski (Poland) | 1:53.8 | ||
| 5 | Chuck Hornbostel (USA) | 1:54.6 | ||
| 6 | Harry Williamson (USA) | 1:55.8 | ||
| 7 | Juan Carlos Andersen (Argentina) | nt | ||
| 8 | Gerald Backhouse (Australia) | nt | ||
| 1932 | ||||
| 1 | Tom Hampson (Great Britain) | 1:49.7 (1:49.70) | ||
| 2 | Alex Wilson (Canada) | 1:49.9 | ||
| 3 | Phil Edwards (Canada) | 1:51.5 | ||
| 4 | Eddie Genung (USA) | 1:51.7 | ||
| 5 | Edwin Turner (USA) | 1:52.5 | ||
| 6 | Chuck Hornbostel (USA) | 1:52.7 | ||
| 7 | John Powell (Great Britain) | 1:53.0 | ||
| 8 | Séra Martin (France) | 1:53.6 | ||
| [Hampson 1:49.8 WR, OR] | ||||
| 1928 | ||||
| 1 | Douglas Lowe (Great Britain) | 1:51.8 | ||
| 2 | Erik Byléhn (Sweden) | 1:52.8 | ||
| 3 | Hermann Engelhard (Germany) | 1:53.2 | ||
| 4 | Phil Edwards (Canada) | 1:54.0 | ||
| 5 | Lloyd Hahn (USA) | 1:54.2 | ||
| 6 | Séra Martin (France) | 1:54.6 | ||
| 7 | Earl Fuller (USA) | 1:55.0 | ||
| 8 | Jean Keller (France) | nt | ||
| [9 | Ray Watson (USA) nt] | |||
| [John Sittig (USA) 5th in semi] | ||||
| [Lowe 1:51.8 OR] | ||||
| 1924 | ||||
| 1 | Douglas Lowe (Great Britain) | 1:52.4 | ||
| 2 | Paul Martin (Switzerland) | 1:52.6 | ||
| 3 | Schuyler Enck (USA) | 1:52.9 | ||
| 4 | Henry Stallard (Great Britain) | 1:53.0 | ||
| 5 | William Richardson (USA) | 1:53.8 | ||
| 6 | Ray Dodge (USA) | 1:54.2 | ||
| 7 | John Watters (USA) | nt | ||
| 8 | Charles Hoff (Norway) | nt | ||
| 1920 | ||||
| 1 | Albert Hill (Great Britain) | 1:53.4 | ||
| 2 | Earl Eby (USA) | c1:53.7 | ||
| 3 | Bevil Rudd (South Africa) | c1:53.8 | ||
| 4 | Edgar Mountain (Great Britain) | c1:54.0 | ||
| 5 | Donald Scott (USA) | c1:55.3 | ||
| 6 | Albert Sprott (USA) | c1:56.4 | ||
| 7 | Adriaan Paulen (Holland) | c1:56.4 | ||
| 8 | Jean Esparbes (France) | c1:58.0 | ||
| DNF—Thomas Campbell (USA) | ||||
| 1912 | ||||
| 1 | Ted Meredith (USA) | 1:51.9 | ||
| 2 | Mel Sheppard (USA) | 1:52.0 | ||
| 3 | Ira Davenport (USA) | 1:52.0 | ||
| 4 | Melville Brock (Canada) | 1:52.7 | ||
| 5 | Daniel Caldwell (USA) | 1:52.8 | ||
| 6 | Hanns Braun (Germany) | 1:53.1 | ||
| 7 | Hec Edmundson (USA) | nt | ||
| 8 | Herbert Putnam (USA) | nt | ||
| [John Paul Jones (USA) DNF in semi] | ||||
| [Harland Holden (USA) 6th in semi] | ||||
| [Walter McClure (USA) 4th in heat] | ||||
| [Tom Halpin (USA) 4th in heat] | ||||
| [Meredith 1:51.9 WR, OR] | ||||
| 1908 | ||||
| 1 | Mel Sheppard (USA) | 1:52.8 | ||
| 2 | Emilio Lunghi (Italy) | 1:54.2 | ||
| 3 | Hanns Braun (Germany) | 1:55.2 | ||
| 4 | Odön Bodor (Hungary) | 1:55.4 | ||
| 5 | Theodore Just (Great Britain) | c1:56.4 | ||
| 6 | John Halstead (USA) | nt | ||
| DNF—Clarke Beard (USA) | ||||
| DNF—Ian Fairbairn-Crawford (Great Britain) | ||||
| [James Lightbody (USA) 4th in heat] | ||||
| [Harry Coe (USA) 2nd in heat] | ||||
| [Lloyd Jones (USA) 3rd in heat] | ||||
| [Charles French (USA) DNF in heat] | ||||
| [Joseph Bromilow (USA) 2nd in heat] | ||||
| [Horace Ramey (USA) DNF in heat] | ||||
| [Frank Sheehan (USA) 3rd in heat] | ||||
| [Sheppard 1:52.8 WR, OR] | ||||
| 1904 | ||||
| 1 | James Lightbody (USA) | 1:56.0 | ||
| 2 | Howard Valentine (USA) | 1:56.3 | ||
| 3 | Emil Breitkreutz (USA) | 1:56.4 | ||
| 4 | George Underwood (USA) | nt | ||
| 5 | Johannes Runge (Germany) | nt | ||
| 6 | Frank Verner (USA) | nt | ||
| [George Bonhag (USA) also ran] | ||||
| [Harvey Cohn (USA) also ran] | ||||
| [Lacey Hearn (USA) also ran] | ||||
| [John Joyce (USA) also ran] | ||||
| [Paul Pilgrim (USA) also ran] | ||||
| [Lightbody 1:56.0 OR] | ||||
| 1900 | ||||
| 1 | Alfred Tysoe (Great Britain) | 2:01.2 | ||
| 2 | John Cregan (USA) | c2:01.8 | ||
| 3 | David Hall (USA) | c2:05.0 | ||
| 4 | Henri Deloge (France) | nt | ||
| 5 | Zoltán Speidl (Hungary) | nt | ||
| 6 | John Bray (USA) | nt | ||
| [Howard Hayes (USA) 3rd in heat] | ||||
| [Alexander Grant (USA) 6th or 7th in heat] | ||||
| [Walter Drumheller (USA) 6th or 7th in heat] | ||||
| [Justus Scrafford (USA) 3rd in heat] | ||||
| [Edward Bushnell (USA) 4th, 5th or 6th in heat] | ||||
| [Harrison Smith (USA) 4th, 5th or 6th in heat] | ||||
| [Harvey Lord (USA) 3rd in heat] | ||||
| [Edward Mechling (USA) 4th or 5th in heat] | ||||
| [Hall 1:59.0 OR {heat}] | ||||
| 1896 | ||||
| 1 | Edwin Flack (Australia) | 2:11.0 | ||
| 2 | Nándor Dáni (Hungary) | 2:11.8 | ||
| 3 | Dimitrios Golemis (Greece) | nt | ||
| [no U.S. entrants] | ||||
| [Flack 2:10.0 OR {heat}] | ||||