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

Event:	Women's 1500 metres
Games:	2000 Summer
Venue:	Stadium Australia
Date:	27 September 2000 (heats) 29 September 2000 (semi-finals) 30 September 2000 (final)
Competitors:	42
Nations:	28
Win Value:	4:05.10
Longnames:	yes
Gold:	Nouria Mérah-Benida
Goldnoc:	ALG
Silver:	Violeta Szekely
Silvernoc:	ROM
Bronze:	Gabriela Szabo
Bronzenoc:	ROM
Prev:	1996
Next:	2004

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

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	Athlete	Nation	Lane	Time	Qual.	Record
1	1	Suzy Favor Hamilton		15	4:08.08	Q
2	2	Anna Jakubczak		1	4:08.13	Q
3	3	Gabriela Szabo		14	4:08.33	Q
4	4	Süreyya Ayhan		5	4:08.37	Q
5	5	Carla Sacramento		12	4:08.41	Q
6	6	Helen Pattinson		7	4:08:80	Q
7	7	Margaret Crowley		13	4:08.85	q
8	8	Anita Weyermann		6	4:09.28	q
9	9	Lyudmila Rogachova		9	4:09.81	q
10	12	Mardrea Hyman		4	4:10.21	q
11	33	Abebech Negussie		2	4:15.52
12	35	Julia Sakara		3	4:21.94
13	36	Tetyana Kryvobok		11	4:22.11
14	40	Shazia Hidayat		8	5:07.17
		Leah Pells		10	DNF

Heat 2 of 3 Date: Wednesday 27 September 2000
Place		Athlete	Nation	Lane	Time	Qual.	Record
Heat	Overall	Athlete	Nation	Lane	Time	Qual.	Record
1	11	Violeta Szekely		11	4:10.18	Q
2	14	Lidia Chojecka		10	4:10.34	Q
3	15	Kelly Holmes		6	4:10.38	Q
4	17	Veerle Dejaeghere		2	4:10.68	Q
5	18	Sabine Fischer		13	4:10.78	Q
6	19			8	4:10:82	Q
7	20	Marla Runyan		3	4:10.83	q
8	24	Georgie Clarke		1	4:11.74	q
9	28	Toni Hodgkinson		9	4:12.59
10	31	Naomi Mugo		7	4:13.18
11	32	Hareg Sidelil		5	4:14.05
12	37	Natalia Rodriguez		4	4:22.82
13	38	Daniela Kuleska		14	4:33.50
		Svetlana Masterkova		12	DNF

Heat 3 of 3 Date: Wednesday 27 September 2000
Place		Athlete	Nation	Lane	Time	Qual.	Record
Heat	Overall	Athlete	Nation	Lane	Time	Qual.	Record
1	10	Kutre Dulecha		4	4:09.88	Q
2	13	Nouria Mérah-Benida		1	4:10.24	Q
3	16	Hayley Tullett		5	4:10.58	Q
4	21	Elena Iagăr		8	4:11.35	Q
5	22			13	4:11.46	Q
6	23			6	4:11:57	Q
7	25	Sinead Delahunty		14	4:11.75
8	26	Fatma Lanouar		11	4:11.87
9	27	Shayne Culpepper		12	4:12.52
10	29	Natalya Gorelova		9	4:12.84
11	30			3	4:12.90
12	34	Helena Javornik		10	4:18.18
13	39	Silvia Felipo		2	4:45.32
		Hasna Benhassi		7	DNS

Overall Results Round 1

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

Semi-finals

Heat 1 of 2 Date: Thursday 28 September 2000
Place		Athlete	Nation	Lane	Time	Qual.	Record
Heat	Overall	Athlete	Nation	Lane	Time	Qual.	Record
1	1	Nouria Mérah-Benida		6	4:05.24	Q
2	2	Suzy Favor Hamilton		2	4:05.25	Q
3	3	Hayley Tullett		1	4:05.34	Q
4	4	Kelly Holmes		10	4:05.35	Q	SB
5	5	Lidia Chojecka		12	4:05.78	Q
6	6	Marla Runyan		1	4:06:14	q	SB
7	8	Sabine Fischer		4	4:06.67	q
8	15	Margaret Crowley		3	4:09.16
9	16	Lyudmila Rogachova		5	4:09.18
10	19			9	4:10.92
11	22			8	4:14.57
12	23	Elena Iagăr		3	4:21.94

Heat 2 of 2 Date: Thursday 28 September 2000
Place		Athlete	Nation	Lane	Time	Qual.	Record
Heat	Overall	Athlete	Nation	Lane	Time	Qual.	Record
1	7	Violeta Szekely		8	4:06.60	Q
2	9	Kutre Dulecha		3	4:06.78	Q
3	10	Anna Jakubczak		11	4:07.03	Q	SB
4	11	Gabriela Szabo		12	4:07.38	Q
5	12	Carla Sacramento		7	4:07.65	Q
6	13	Veerle Dejaeghere		2	4:07:87
7	14			6	4:09.11
8	17	Süreyya Ayhan		10	4:09.42
9	18	Helen Pattinson		4	4:09.60
10	20	Georgie Clarke		1	4:10.99
11	21	Mardrea Hyman		5	4:14.20
12	24	Anita Weyermann		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		1	6	1	4:05.24	Q
2	Suzy Favor Hamilton		1	2	2	4:05.25	Q
3	Hayley Tullett		1	1	3	4:05.34	Q
4	Kelly Holmes		1	10	4	4:05.35	Q	SB
5	Lidia Chojecka		1	12	5	4:05.78	Q
6	Marla Runyan		1	11	6	4:16.14	q	SB
7	Violeta Szekely		2	8	1	4:06.60	Q
8	Sabine Fischer		1	4	7	4:06.67	q
9	Kutre Dulecha		2	3	2	4:06.78	Q
10	Anna Jakubczak		2	11	3	4:07.03	Q	SB
11	Gabriela Szabo		2	12	4	4:07.38	Q
12	Carla Sacramento		2	7	5	4:07.65	Q
13	Veerle Dejaeghere		2	2	6	4:07.87
14			2	6	7	4:09.11
15	Margaret Crowley		1	3	8	4:09.16
16	Lyudmila Rogachova		1	5	9	4:09.18
17	Süreyya Ayhan		2	10	8	4:09.42
18	Helen Pattinson		2	4	9	4:09.60
19			1	9	10	4:10.92
20	Georgie Clarke		2	1	10	4:10.99
21	Mardrea Hyman		2	5	11	4:14.20
22			1	11	8	4:14.57
23	Elena Iagăr		1	7	12	4:14.75
24	Anita Weyermann		2	9	12	4:30.80

Final

Date: Saturday 30 September 2000
Place	Athlete	Nation	Lane	Time	Record
	Nouria Mérah-Benida		8	4:05.10
	Violeta Szekely		4	4:05.15
	Gabriela Szabo		11	4:05.27
4	Kutre Dulecha		5	4:05.33
5	Lidia Chojecka		2	4:06.42
6	Anna Jakubczak		9	4:06.49	SB
7	Kelly Holmes		12	4:08.02
8	Marla Runyan		10	4:08.30
9	Sabine Fischer		7	4:08.84
10	Carla Sacramento		1	4:11.15
11	Hayley Tullett		6	4:22.29
12	Suzy Favor Hamilton		3	4:23.05

External links

Notes and References

Web site: Athletics at the 2000 Sydney Games: Women's 1500 metres . https://web.archive.org/web/20200417174055/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/2000/ATH/womens-1500-metres.html . dead . 17 April 2020 . 3 November 2017 . sports-reference.com.
Web site: Hegarty . Stephanie . Should athletes prepare for defeat? . . 30 July 2012 . 20 December 2012.