| 2022 | ||||
| (Eugene, Oregon, July 24) | ||||
| 1. | Athing Mu (USA) | 1:56.30 | ||
| 2. | Keely Hodgkinson (Great Britain) | 1:56.38 | ||
| 3. | Mary Moraa (Kenya) | 1:56.71 | ||
| 4. | Diribe Welteji (Ethiopia) | 1:57.02 | ||
| 5. | Natoya Goule (Jamaica) | 1:57.90 | ||
| 6. | Raevyn Rogers (USA) | 1:58.26 | ||
| 7. | Anita Horvat (Slovenia) | 1:59.83 | ||
| 8. | Ajee’ Wilson (USA) | 2:00.19 | ||
| 2019 | ||||
| (Doha, Qatar, September 30) | ||||
| 1. | Halimah Nakaayi (Uganda) | 1:58.04 | ||
| 2. | Raevyn Rogers (USA) | 1:58.18 | ||
| 3. | Ajee’ Wilson (USA) | 1:58.84 | ||
| 4. | Winnie Nanyondo (Uganda) | 1:59.18 | ||
| 5. | Eunice Sum (Kenya) | 1:59.71 | ||
| 6. | Natoya Goule (Jamaica) | 2:00.11 | ||
| 7. | Rababe Arafi (Morocco) | 2:00.48 | ||
| 8. | Ce’Aira Brown (USA) | 2:02.97 | ||
| [Hanna Green (USA) 7th heat] | ||||
| 2017 | ||||
| (London, August 13) | ||||
| 1 | Caster Semenya (South Africa) | 1:55.16 | ||
| 2 | Francine Niyonsaba (Burundi) | 1:55.92 | ||
| 3 | Ajee’ Wilson (US) | 1:56.65 | ||
| 4 | Margaret Wambui (Kenya) | 1:57.54 | ||
| 5 | Melissa Bishop (Canada) | 1:57.68 | ||
| 6 | Angelika Cichocka (Poland) | 1:58.41 | ||
| 7 | Charlene Lipsey (US) | 1:58.73 | ||
| 8 | Lynsey Sharp (Great Britain) | 1:58.98 | ||
| [Brenda Martinez (US) 3rd in semi] | ||||
| 2015 | ||||
| (Beijing, China, August 29) | ||||
| 1 | Maryna Arzamasova (Belarus) | 1:58.03 | ||
| 2 | Melissa Bishop (Canada) | 1:58.12 | ||
| 3 | Eunice Sum (Kenya) | 1:58.18 | ||
| 4 | Rabab Arrafi (Morocco) | 1:58.90 | ||
| 5 | Shelayna Oskan-Clarke (Great Britain) | 1:58.99 | ||
| 6 | Nataliya Lupu (Ukraine) | 1:58.99 | ||
| 7 | Joanna Jóźwik (Poland) | 1:59.09 | ||
| 8 | Renelle Lamote (France) | 1:59.70 | ||
| [Molly Ludlow (US) 7th in semi] | ||||
| [Brenda Martinez (US) 6th in semi] | ||||
| [Alysia Montaño (US) 7th in heat] | ||||
| 2013 | ||||
| (Moscow, Russia, August 18) | ||||
| 1 | Eunice Sum (Kenya) | 1:57.38 | ||
| 2 | Mariya Savinova (Russia) | 1:57.80 | ||
| 3 | Brenda Martinez (US) | 1:57.91 | ||
| 4 | Alysia Montaño (US) | 1:57.95 | ||
| 5 | Yekaterina Poistogova (Russia) | 1:58.05 | ||
| 6 | Ajee’ Wilson (US) | 1:58.21 | ||
| 7 | Nataliya Lupu (Ukraine) | 1:59.79 | ||
| 8 | Lenka Masná (Czech Republic) | 2:00.59 | ||
| 2011 | ||||
| 1 | Mariya Savinova (Russia) | 1:55.87 | ||
| 2 | Caster Semenya (South Africa) | 1:56.35 | ||
| 3 | Janeth Jepkosgei (Kenya) | 1:57.42 | ||
| 4 | Alysia Montaño (US) | 1:57.48 | ||
| 5 | Katya Kostetskaya (Russia) | 1:57.82 | ||
| 6 | Maggie Vessey (US) | 1:58.50 | ||
| 7 | Kenia Sinclair (Jamaica) | 1:58.66 | ||
| 8 | Yuliya Rusanova (Russia) | 1:59.74 | ||
| [Alice Schmidt (US) 5th in semi] | ||||
| 2009 | ||||
| 1 | Caster Semenya (South Africa) | 1:55.45 | ||
| 2 | Janeth Jepkosgei (Kenya) | 1:57.90 | ||
| 3 | Jenny Meadows (Great Britain) | 1:57.93 | ||
| 4 | Yuliya Krevsun (Ukraine) | 1:58.00 | ||
| 5 | Mariya Savinova (Russia) | 1:58.68 | ||
| 6 | Elisa Cusma (Italy) | 1:58.81 | ||
| 7 | Mayte Martínez (Spain) | 1:58.81 | ||
| 8 | Marilyn Okoro (Great Britain) | 2:00.32 | ||
| [Hazel Clark (US) 4th in semi] | ||||
| [Geena Gall (US) 6th in semi] | ||||
| [Maggie Vessey (US) 7th in semi] | ||||
| 2007 | ||||
| 1 | Janeth Jepkosgei (Kenya) | 1:56.04 | ||
| 2 | Hasna Benhassi (Morocco) | 1:56.99 | ||
| 3 | Mayte Martínez (Spain) | 1:57.62 | ||
| 4 | Olga Kotlyarova (Russia) | 1:58.22 | ||
| 5 | Brigita Langerholc (Slovenia) | 1:58.52 | ||
| 6 | Svetlana Usovich (Belarus) | 1:58.92 | ||
| 7 | Svetlana Klyuka (Russia) | 2:00.90 | ||
| dnf | Maria Mutola (Mozambique) | |||
| [Hazel Clark (US) 8th in semi] | ||||
| [Alysia Montaño (US) 4th in heat] | ||||
| [Alice Schmidt (US) 5th in heat] | ||||
| 2005 | ||||
| 1 | Zulia Calatayud (Cuba) | 1:58.82 | ||
| 2 | Hasna Benhassi (Morocco) | 1:59.42 | ||
| 3 | Tatyana Andrianova (Russia) | 1:59.60 | ||
| 4 | Maria Mutola (Mozambique) | 1:59.71 | ||
| 5 | Mayte Martínez (Spain) | 1:59.99 | ||
| 6 | Larisa Chzhao (Russia) | 2:00.25 | ||
| 7 | Svetlana Cherkasova (Russia) | 2:00.71 | ||
| 8 | Hazel Clark (US) | 2:01.52 | ||
| [Alice Schmidt (US) 6th in semi] | ||||
| [Kameisha Bennett (US) dnf in semi] | ||||
| 2003 | ||||
| 1 | Maria Mutola (Mozambique) | 1:59.89 | ||
| 2 | Kelly Holmes (Great Britain) | 2:00.18 | ||
| 3 | Natalya Khruschelyova (Russia) | 2:00.29 | ||
| 4 | Amina Aït Hammou (Morocco) | 2:01.09 | ||
| 5 | Claudia Gesell (Germany) | 2:01.84 | ||
| 6 | Diane Cummins (Canada) | 2:02.48 | ||
| 7 | Akosua Serwah (Ghana) | 2:03.24 | ||
| dnc | Stephanie Graf (Austria) | |||
| [Jen Toomey (US) 7th in semi] | ||||
| [Jearl Miles Clark (US) 4th in heat] | ||||
| [Nicole Teter (US) injured, dnc] | ||||
| 2001 | ||||
| 1 | Maria Mutola (Mozambique) | 1:57.17 | ||
| 2 | Stephanie Graf (Austria) | 1:57.20 | ||
| 3 | Letitia Vriesde (Suriname) | 1:57.35 | ||
| 4 | Faith Macharia (Kenya) | 1:58.98 | ||
| 5 | Diane Cummins (Canada) | 1:59.49 | ||
| 6 | Kelly Holmes (Great Britain) | 1:59.76 | ||
| 7 | Mayte Martínez (Spain) | 2:00.09 | ||
| 8 | Ivonne Teichmann (Germany) | 2:04.33 | ||
| [Hazel Clark (US) dnf semi—only U.S. entrant] | ||||
| 1999 | ||||
| 1 | Ludmila Formanová (Czech Republic) | 1:56.68 | ||
| 2 | Maria Mutola (Mozambique) | 1:56.72 | ||
| 3 | Svetlana Masterkova (Russia) | 1:56.93 | ||
| 4 | Jearl Miles Clark (US) | 1:57.40 | ||
| 5 | Natalya Tsyganova (Russia) | 1:57.81 | ||
| 6 | Natalya Gorelova (Russia) | 1:57.90 | ||
| 7 | Stephanie Graf (Austria) | 1:57.92 | ||
| 8 | Natalya Dukhnova (Belarus) | 1:58.69 | ||
| [Meredith Valmon (US) 3rd in heat] | ||||
| [Kathy Rounds (US) injured, dnc] | ||||
| 1997 | ||||
| 1 | Ana Quirós (Cuba) | 1:57.14 | ||
| 2 | Yelena Afanasyeva (Russia) | 1:57.56 | ||
| 3 | Maria Mutola (Mozambique) | 1:57.59 | ||
| 4 | Letitia Vriesde (Suriname) | 1:58.12 | ||
| 5 | Ludmila Formanová (Czech Republic) | 1:59.52 | ||
| 6 | Toni Hodgkinson (New Zealand) | 2:00.40 | ||
| 7 | Joetta Clark (US) | 2:02.05 | ||
| 8 | Stella Jongmans (Holland) | 2:05.50 | ||
| [Jill McMullen (US) 4th in heat] | ||||
| [Kathy Rounds (US) 5th in heat] | ||||
| 1995 | ||||
| 1 | Ana Quirós (Cuba) | 1:56.11 | ||
| 2 | Letitia Vriesde (Suriname) | 1:56.68 | ||
| 3 | Kelly Holmes (Great Britain) | 1:59.65 | ||
| 4 | Patricia Djaté (France) | 1:57.04 | ||
| 5 | Meredith Valmon (US) | 1:58.20 | ||
| 6 | Ellen van Langen (Holland) | 1:58.98 | ||
| 7 | Lyubov Gurina (Russia) | 1:59.16 | ||
| 8 | Tatyana Grigoryeva (Russia) | 2:05.55 | ||
| [defending champ Mutola lane DQ in semis] | ||||
| [Joetta Clark (US) 4th in heat] | ||||
| [Amy Wickus (US) 4th in heat] | ||||
| 1993 | ||||
| 1 | Maria Mutola (Mozambique) | 1:55.43 | ||
| 2 | Lyubov Gurina (Russia) | 1:57.10 | ||
| 3 | Ella Kovacs (Romania) | 1:57.92 | ||
| 4 | Diane Modahl (Great Britain) | 1:59.42 | ||
| 5 | Meredith Valmon (US) | 1:59.57 | ||
| 6 | Liu Li (China) | 2:04.45 | ||
| 7 | Tina Paulino (Mozambique) | 3:19.89 | ||
| retroactive doping dq–[7] Lilia Nurutdinova (Russia) [3:19.18] | ||||
| [Amy Wickus (US) 6th in semi] | ||||
| [Joetta Clark (US) 3rd in heat] | ||||
| 1991 | ||||
| 1 | Lilia Nurutdinova (Soviet Union) | 1:57.50 | ||
| 2 | Ana Quirós (Cuba) | 1:57.55 | ||
| 3 | Ella Kovacs (Romania) | 1:57.58 | ||
| 4 | Maria Mutola (Mozambique) | 1:57.63 | WJR | |
| 5 | Letitia Vriesde (Suriname) | 1:58.25 | ||
| 6 | Christine Wachtel (Germany) | 1:58.90 | ||
| 7 | Ann Williams (Great Britain) | 2:01.01 | ||
| 8 | Svetlana Masterkova (Soviet Union) | 2:02.92 | ||
| [Joetta Clark (US) 7th in semi] | ||||
| [Delisa Floyd (US) 8th in semi] | ||||
| [Meredith Valmon (US) 3rd in heat] | ||||
| 1987 | ||||
| 1 | Sigrun Grau (East Germany) | 1:55.26 | ||
| 2 | Christine Wachtel (East Germany) | 1:55.32 | ||
| 3 | Lyubov Gurina (Soviet Union) | 1:55.56 | ||
| 4 | Ana Quirós (Cuba) | 1:55.84 | ||
| 5 | Jarmila Kratochvílová (Czechoslovakia) | 1:57.81 | ||
| 6 | Mitica Junghiatu (Romania) | 1:59.66 | ||
| 7 | Nadezhda Olizarenko (Soviet Union) | 2:00.28 | ||
| 8 | Slobodanka Čolović (Yugoslavia) | 2:02.09 | ||
| [Delisa Floyd (US) 5th in semi] | ||||
| [Essie Washington (US) 7th in semi] | ||||
| [Joetta Clark (US) 8th in semi] | ||||
| 1983 | ||||
| 1 | Jarmila Kratochvílová (Czechoslovakia) | 1:54.68 | WCR | |
| 2 | Lyubov Gurina (Soviet Union) | 1:56.11 | ||
| 3 | Yekaterina Podkopayeva (Soviet Union) | 1:57.58 | ||
| 4 | Margrit Klinger (West Germany) | 1:58.11 | ||
| 5 | Robin Campbell (US) | 2:00.03 | ||
| 6 | Doina Melinte (Romania) | 2:00.13 | ||
| 7 | Milena Matejkovičová (Czechoslovakia) | 2:01.72 | ||
| 8 | Antje Schröder (East Germany) | 2:02.13 | ||
| [only one U.S. entrant] | ||||
| [Klinger 2:02.08 WCR {heat}; Podkopayeva 1:59.55 WCR {semi}; Gurina 1:59.33 WCR {semi}] | ||||