Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Women's 1500 metres

Women's 1500 metres
at the Games of the XXVII Olympiad
VenueStadium Australia
Date27 September 2000 (heats)
29 September 2000 (semi-finals)
30 September 2000 (final)
Competitors42 from 28 nations
Winning time4:05.10
Medalists
1st place, gold medalist(s) Nouria Mérah-Benida
 Algeria
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Violeta Szekely
 Romania
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Gabriela Szabo
 Romania
← 1996
2004 →

Athletics at the
2000 Summer Olympics
Track events
100 mmenwomen
200 mmenwomen
400 mmenwomen
800 mmenwomen
1500 mmenwomen
5000 mmenwomen
10,000 mmenwomen
Sprint hurdlesmenwomen
400 m hurdlesmenwomen
3000 m
steeplechase		men
4 × 100 m relaymenwomen
4 × 400 m relaymenwomen
Road events
Marathonmenwomen
20 km walkmenwomen
50 km walkmen
Field events
Long jumpmenwomen
Triple jumpmenwomen
High jumpmenwomen
Pole vaultmenwomen
Shot putmenwomen
Discus throwmenwomen
Javelin throwmenwomen
Hammer throwmenwomen
Combined events
Combinedmenwomen

The Women's 1500 metres at the 2000 Summer Olympics as part of the athletics programme was held at Stadium Australia on Wednesday 27 September, Thursday 28 September, and Saturday 30 September 2000. There were a total number of 43 participating athletes.[1]

The winning margin was 0.05 seconds which as of 2023 remains the only time the women's Olympic 1500 metres has been won by less than 0.1 seconds.

The top six runners in each of the initial three heats automatically qualified for the semi-final. The next six fastest runners from across the heats also qualified for the semi-final. The top five runners in each semi-final automatically qualified for the final. The next two fastest runners from across the heats also qualified for the final.

The last lap was the battleground for this final. Going into this lap, Portugal's Carla Sacramento held the lead, with Poland's Lidia Chojecka on the outside and America's Suzy Favor-Hamilton edging ahead on the inside. Over the next 200 metres, Favor-Hamilton edged ahead of Sacramento while a pack of six formed behind, led by Algeria's Nouria Mérah-Benida. Favor-Hamilton held the lead around the turn as Mérah-Benida moved to her shoulder. As the final straightaway neared, Favor-Hamilton looked at her feet expecting her usual final acceleration. It was not there, as first Mérah-Benida went by, followed by the other Polish runner, Anna Jakubczak, and then Chojecka and Romania's Violeta Szekely. After a small gap, Ethiopia's Kutre Dulecha went by Favor-Hamilton, who then crashed to the track untouched. Years later, Favor-Hamilton admitted that the fall was deliberate, as she realised that she was not going to win.[2] As a result, she finished in last place.

At the head of the straightaway, Mérah-Benida opened up a clear lead over the two Polish runners. Moving out to lane 3, Szekely ran around Jakubczak and Chojecka, with Dulecha following in her wake. With speed, suddenly Mérah-Benida's lead started to shrink. The Algerian runner was tiring fast, but she managed to hold off Szekely's furious charge, crossing the line 0.05 seconds ahead. All the way down the straightaway, Dulecha looked like she would hold on for the bronze – but from last place with 200 metres to go, Gabriela Szabo came sprinting down the outside to take the medal, meaning that there were two Romanians on the podium. Only 0.23 seconds separated the first four runners – but none of them were directly battling the others, each taking a different pace and path to the tight finish.

Records

World Record 3:50.46 Yunxia Qu China Beijing, China 11 September 1993
Olympic Record 3:53.96 Paula Ivan Romania Seoul, South Korea 1 October 1988

Medals

Gold: Silver: Bronze:
Nouria Mérah-Benida,  Algeria Violeta Szekely,  Romania Gabriela Szabo,  Romania

Results

All times shown are in seconds.

  • Q denotes qualification by place in heat.
  • q denotes qualification by overall place.
  • DNS denotes did not start.
  • DNF denotes did not finish.
  • DQ denotes disqualification.
  • NR denotes national record.
  • OR denotes Olympic record.
  • WR denotes world record.
  • PB denotes personal best.
  • SB denotes season best.

Qualifying heats

Round 1

Heat 1 of 3
Date: Wednesday 27 September 2000
Place Athlete Nation Lane Time Qual. Record
Heat Overall
1 1 Suzy Favor Hamilton  United States 15 4:08.08 Q
2 2 Anna Jakubczak  Poland 1 4:08.13 Q
3 3 Gabriela Szabo  Romania 14 4:08.33 Q
4 4 Süreyya Ayhan  Turkey 5 4:08.37 Q
5 5 Carla Sacramento  Portugal 12 4:08.41 Q
6 6 Helen Pattinson  Great Britain 7 4:08:80 Q
7 7 Margaret Crowley  Australia 13 4:08.85 q
8 8 Anita Weyermann  Switzerland 6 4:09.28 q
9 9 Lyudmila Rogachova  Russia 9 4:09.81 q
10 12 Mardrea Hyman  Jamaica 4 4:10.21 q
11 33 Abebech Negussie  Ethiopia 2 4:15.52
12 35 Julia Sakara  Zimbabwe 3 4:21.94
13 36 Tetyana Kryvobok  Ukraine 11 4:22.11
14 40 Shazia Hidayat  Pakistan 8 5:07.17
Leah Pells  Canada 10 DNF
Heat 2 of 3
Date: Wednesday 27 September 2000
Place Athlete Nation Lane Time Qual. Record
Heat Overall
1 11 Violeta Szekely  Romania 11 4:10.18 Q
2 14 Lidia Chojecka  Poland 10 4:10.34 Q
3 15 Kelly Holmes  Great Britain 6 4:10.38 Q
4 17 Veerle Dejaeghere  Belgium 2 4:10.68 Q
5 18 Sabine Fischer  Switzerland 13 4:10.78 Q
6 19 Seloua Ouaziz  Morocco 8 4:10:82 Q
7 20 Marla Runyan  United States 3 4:10.83 q
8 24 Georgie Clarke  Australia 1 4:11.74 q
9 28 Toni Hodgkinson  New Zealand 9 4:12.59
10 31 Naomi Mugo  Kenya 7 4:13.18
11 32 Hareg Sidelil  Ethiopia 5 4:14.05
12 37 Natalia Rodriguez  Spain 4 4:22.82
13 38 Daniela Kuleska  Macedonia 14 4:33.50
Svetlana Masterkova  Russia 12 DNF
Heat 3 of 3
Date: Wednesday 27 September 2000
Place Athlete Nation Lane Time Qual. Record
Heat Overall
1 10 Kutre Dulecha  Ethiopia 4 4:09.88 Q
2 13 Nouria Mérah-Benida  Algeria 1 4:10.24 Q
3 16 Hayley Tullett  Great Britain 5 4:10.58 Q
4 21 Elena Iagăr  Romania 8 4:11.35 Q
5 22 Nuria Fernandez  Spain 13 4:11.46 Q
6 23 Irina Krakoviak  Lithuania 6 4:11:57 Q
7 25 Sinead Delahunty  Ireland 14 4:11.75
8 26 Fatma Lanouar  Tunisia 11 4:11.87
9 27 Shayne Culpepper  United States 12 4:12.52
10 29 Natalya Gorelova  Russia 9 4:12.84
11 30 Sarah Jamieson  Australia 3 4:12.90
12 34 Helena Javornik  Slovenia 10 4:18.18
13 39 Silvia Felipo  Andorra 2 4:45.32
Hasna Benhassi  Morocco 7 DNS

Overall Results Round 1

Round 1
Overall Results
Place Athlete Nation Heat Lane Place Time Qual. Record
1 Suzy Favor Hamilton  United States 1 15 1 4:08.08 Q
2 Anna Jakubczak  Poland 1 1 2 4:08.13 Q
3 Gabriela Szabo  Romania 1 14 3 4:08.33 Q
4 Süreyya Ayhan  Turkey 1 5 4 4:08.37 Q
5 Carla Sacramento  Portugal 1 12 5 4:08.41 Q
6 Helen Pattinson  Great Britain 1 7 6 4:08.80 Q
7 Margaret Crowley  Australia 1 13 7 4:08.85 q
8 Anita Weyermann  Switzerland 1 6 8 4:09.28 q
9 Lyudmila Rogachova  Russia 1 9 9 4:09.81 q
10 Kutre Dulecha  Ethiopia 3 4 1 4:09.88 Q
11 Violeta Szekely  Romania 2 11 1 4:10.18 Q
12 Mardrea Hyman  Jamaica 1 4 10 4:10.21 q
13 Nouria Mérah-Benida  Algeria 3 1 2 4:10.24 Q
14 Lidia Chojecka  Poland 2 10 2 4:10.34 Q
15 Kelly Holmes  Great Britain 2 6 3 4:10.38 Q
16 Hayley Tullett  Great Britain 3 5 3 4:10.58 Q
17 Veerle Dejaeghere  Belgium 2 2 4 4:10.68 Q
18 Sabine Fischer  Switzerland 2 13 5 4:10.78 Q
19 Seloua Ouaziz  Morocco 2 8 6 4:10.82 Q
20 Marla Runyan  United States 2 3 7 4:10.83 q
21 Elena Iagăr  Romania 3 8 4 4:11.35 Q
22 Nuria Fernandez  Spain 3 13 5 4:11.46 Q
23 Irina Krakoviak  Lithuania 3 6 6 4:11.57 Q
24 Georgie Clarke  Australia 2 1 8 4:11.74 q
25 Sinead Delahunty  Ireland 3 14 7 4:11.75
26 Fatma Lanouar  Tunisia 3 11 8 4:11.87
27 Shayne Culpepper  United States 3 12 9 4:12.62
28 Toni Hodgkinson  New Zealand 2 9 9 4:12.59
29 Natalya Gorelova  Russia 3 9 10 4:12.84
30 Sarah Jamieson  Australia 3 3 11 4:12.90
31 Naomi Mugo  Kenya 2 7 10 4:13.18
32 Hareg Sidelil  Ethiopia 2 5 11 4:14.05
33 Abebech Negussie  Ethiopia 1 2 11 4:15.52
34 Helena Javornik  Slovenia 3 10 12 4:18:18
35 Julia Sakara  Zimbabwe 1 3 12 4:21.94
36 Tetyana Kryvobok  Ukraine 1 11 13 4:22.11
37 Natalia Rodriguez  Spain 2 4 12 4:22.82
38 Daniela Kuleska  Macedonia 2 14 13 4:33.50
39 Silvia Felipo  Andorra 3 2 13 4:45.32
40 Shazia Hidayat  Pakistan 1 8 14 5:07.17
Svetlana Masterkova  Russia 2 12 DNF
Leah Pells  Canada 1 10 DNF
Hasna Benhassi  Morocco 3 7 DNS

Semi-finals

Heat 1 of 2
Date: Thursday 28 September 2000
Place Athlete Nation Lane Time Qual. Record
Heat Overall
1 1 Nouria Mérah-Benida  Algeria 6 4:05.24 Q
2 2 Suzy Favor Hamilton  United States 2 4:05.25 Q
3 3 Hayley Tullett  Great Britain 1 4:05.34 Q
4 4 Kelly Holmes  Great Britain 10 4:05.35 Q SB
5 5 Lidia Chojecka  Poland 12 4:05.78 Q
6 6 Marla Runyan  United States 1 4:06:14 q SB
7 8 Sabine Fischer  Switzerland 4 4:06.67 q
8 15 Margaret Crowley  Australia 3 4:09.16
9 16 Lyudmila Rogachova  Russia 5 4:09.18
10 19 Nuria Fernandez  Spain 9 4:10.92
11 22 Irina Krakoviak  Lithuania 8 4:14.57
12 23 Elena Iagăr  Romania 3 4:21.94
Heat 2 of 2
Date: Thursday 28 September 2000
Place Athlete Nation Lane Time Qual. Record
Heat Overall
1 7 Violeta Szekely  Romania 8 4:06.60 Q
2 9 Kutre Dulecha  Ethiopia 3 4:06.78 Q
3 10 Anna Jakubczak  Poland 11 4:07.03 Q SB
4 11 Gabriela Szabo  Romania 12 4:07.38 Q
5 12 Carla Sacramento  Portugal 7 4:07.65 Q
6 13 Veerle Dejaeghere  Belgium 2 4:07:87
7 14 Seloua Ouaziz  Morocco 6 4:09.11
8 17 Süreyya Ayhan  Turkey 10 4:09.42
9 18 Helen Pattinson  Great Britain 4 4:09.60
10 20 Georgie Clarke  Australia 1 4:10.99
11 21 Mardrea Hyman  Jamaica 5 4:14.20
12 24 Anita Weyermann  Switzerland 9 4:30.80

Overall Results Semi-finals

Round 1
Overall Results
Place Athlete Nation Heat Lane Place Time Qual. Record
1 Nouria Mérah-Benida  Algeria 1 6 1 4:05.24 Q
2 Suzy Favor Hamilton  United States 1 2 2 4:05.25 Q
3 Hayley Tullett  Great Britain 1 1 3 4:05.34 Q
4 Kelly Holmes  Great Britain 1 10 4 4:05.35 Q SB
5 Lidia Chojecka  Poland 1 12 5 4:05.78 Q
6 Marla Runyan  United States 1 11 6 4:16.14 q SB
7 Violeta Szekely  Romania 2 8 1 4:06.60 Q
8 Sabine Fischer  Switzerland 1 4 7 4:06.67 q
9 Kutre Dulecha  Ethiopia 2 3 2 4:06.78 Q
10 Anna Jakubczak  Poland 2 11 3 4:07.03 Q SB
11 Gabriela Szabo  Romania 2 12 4 4:07.38 Q
12 Carla Sacramento  Portugal 2 7 5 4:07.65 Q
13 Veerle Dejaeghere  Belgium 2 2 6 4:07.87
14 Seloua Ouaziz  Morocco 2 6 7 4:09.11
15 Margaret Crowley  Australia 1 3 8 4:09.16
16 Lyudmila Rogachova  Russia 1 5 9 4:09.18
17 Süreyya Ayhan  Turkey 2 10 8 4:09.42
18 Helen Pattinson  Great Britain 2 4 9 4:09.60
19 Nuria Fernandez  Spain 1 9 10 4:10.92
20 Georgie Clarke  Australia 2 1 10 4:10.99
21 Mardrea Hyman  Jamaica 2 5 11 4:14.20
22 Irina Krakoviak  Lithuania 1 11 8 4:14.57
23 Elena Iagăr  Romania 1 7 12 4:14.75
24 Anita Weyermann  Switzerland 2 9 12 4:30.80

Final

Date: Saturday 30 September 2000
Place Athlete Nation Lane Time Record
1st place, gold medalist(s) Nouria Mérah-Benida  Algeria 8 4:05.10
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Violeta Szekely  Romania 4 4:05.15
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Gabriela Szabo  Romania 11 4:05.27
4 Kutre Dulecha  Ethiopia 5 4:05.33
5 Lidia Chojecka  Poland 2 4:06.42
6 Anna Jakubczak  Poland 9 4:06.49 SB
7 Kelly Holmes  Great Britain 12 4:08.02
8 Marla Runyan  United States 10 4:08.30
9 Sabine Fischer  Switzerland 7 4:08.84
10 Carla Sacramento  Portugal 1 4:11.15
11 Hayley Tullett  Great Britain 6 4:22.29
12 Suzy Favor Hamilton  United States 3 4:23.05

References

  1. ^ "Athletics at the 2000 Sydney Games: Women's 1500 metres". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  2. ^ Hegarty, Stephanie (30 July 2012). "Should athletes prepare for defeat?". BBC News. Retrieved 20 December 2012.