Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Women's 1500 metres

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Women's 1500 metres
at the Games of the XX Olympiad
Venue Olympic Stadium, Munich, West Germany
Date4 September 1972 7 & 9 September 1972
Competitors36 from 21 nations
Winning time4:01.36 WR
Medalists
Gold medal icon.svg Lyudmila Bragina
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
Silver medal icon.svg Gunhild Hoffmeister
Flag of East Germany.svg  East Germany
Bronze medal icon.svg Paola Pigni
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy
1976  

These are the official results of the Women's 1500 metres event at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. The competition was held on 4 of September & 9 of September. This was the first time this distance was held for women at the Olympics. [1]

Lyudmila Bragina had just set the world record a month and a half earlier, knocking two and a half seconds off of Karin Burneleit's previous record. Burneleit was in the field, as were previous record holders Jaroslava Jehličková and Paola Pigni. In the first heat, Bragina improved upon her world record by .4. A step behind her, seventeen year old Glenda Reiser set the world junior record, also running faster than the world record at the start of that race. Reiser's time would also qualify as the World Youth Best.

In the first semi final, Reiser was not so lucky, not only did she not run as fast, but she didn't qualify for the final. In the second semi final, Bragina again improved the world record by almost a second and a half, while Jehličková was eliminated.

In the final, Berny Boxem was the early leader, while Bragina languished in dead last place. After the first 600 metres, Bragina decided to change that, moving to the outside and running past the field at a quicker tempo. Only long striding Berny Boxem was able to go with her as Bragina opened up a 10-metre lead on the field. After another 300 metres, Boxem began to fade and was quickly swallowed up by the front of the pack led by Sheila Carey. At the bell Ellen Tittel dropped out, collapsing onto the high jump apron while Bragina continued to expand her lead. Gunhild Hoffmeister moved past Carey into second place but they all were losing ground to Bragina. Several places back, Pigni launched into her kick, passing Burneleit, Keizer, Carey and almost catching Hoffmeister. But Hoffmeister noticed and defended her position, battling to stay ahead. Twice on the home stretch, with her arms flailing, Pigni looked to draw even with Hoffmeister, but each time Hoffmeister edged ahead to take the silver medal. Not only did Bragina set a third consecutive world record, but the next four competitors behind her beat her world record from two days earlier. Even sixth place Keizer was only .06 behind the previous record, at a time when records were only accurate to .1 of a second.

In total, eight women ran times in Munich faster than the pre-Olympic world record.

Heats

The top four runners in each heat (blue) and the next two fastest (pink), advanced to the semifinal round.

Heat one

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Lyudmila Bragina Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union 4:06.47WR
2 Glenda Reiser Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 4:06.71WJR
3 Ilja Keizer Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 4:08.00
4 Jenny Orr Flag of Australia.svg  Australia 4:08.06
5 Jaroslava Jehličková Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg  Czechoslovakia 4:08.39
6 Christa Merten Flag of Germany.svg  West Germany 4:12.60
7 Joan Allison Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain 4:14.89
8 Marijke Moser Civil Ensign of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland 4:24.94
9 Lee Chiu-Hsia Flag of the Republic of China.svg  Republic of China 4:37.15

Heat two

RankAthleteNationTime
1 Paola Pigni Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 4:09.53
2 Vasilena Amzina Flag of Bulgaria (1971-1990).svg  Bulgaria 4:12.85
3 Berny Boxem Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 4:13.83
4 Francie Kraker Flag of the United States.svg  United States 4:14.73
5 Thelma Wright Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 4:15.43
6 Grete Andersen Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 4:16.00
7 Sára Szenteleki-Ligetkuti Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary 4:16.08
8 Gerda Ranz Flag of Germany.svg  West Germany 4:18.60
9 Vera Nikolić Flag of SFR Yugoslavia.svg  Yugoslavia 4:23.36
- Arda Kalpakian Flag of Lebanon (1943-1995).svg  Lebanon DNS

Heat three

RankAthleteNationTime
1 Tamara Pangelova Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union 4:10.75
2 Karin Burneleit Flag of East Germany.svg  East Germany 4:10.83
3 Francie Larrieu Flag of the United States.svg  United States 4:11.18
4 Joyce Smith Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain 4:11.27
5 Inger Knutsson Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 4:11.32
6 Mary Tracey Flag of Ireland (3-2).svg  Ireland 4:16.43
7 Sinikka Tyynelä Flag of Finland.svg  Finland 4:21.40
8 Emesia Chizunga Flag of Malawi.svg  Malawi 4:41.47
- Magdolna Kulcsár Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary DNF

Heat four

RankAthleteNationTime
1 Ellen Tittel Flag of Germany.svg  West Germany 4:12.12
2 Gunhild Hoffmeister Flag of East Germany.svg  East Germany 4:12.80
3 Sheila Carey Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain 4:13.01
4 Wenche Sørum Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 4:14.10
5 Tonka Petrova Flag of Bulgaria (1971-1990).svg  Bulgaria 4:14.95
6 Anne-Marie Nenzell Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 4:16.67
7 Margrit Hess Civil Ensign of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland 4:19.67
8 Tamara Kazachkova Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union 4:20.15
9 Chereno Maiyo Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya 4:20.9
- Doris Brown Flag of the United States.svg  United States DNS

Semifinals

The top four runners in each heat (blue) and the next two fastest (pink), advanced to the final round.

Heat one

RankAthleteNationTime
1 Tamara Pangelova Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union 4:07.66
2 Paola Pigni Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 4:07.83
3 Gunhild Hoffmeister Flag of East Germany.svg  East Germany 4:07.94
4 Ilja Keizer Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 4:08.25
5 Vasilena Amzina Flag of Bulgaria (1971-1990).svg  Bulgaria 4:09.12
6 Joyce Smith Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain 4:09.37
7 Glenda Reiser Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 4:09.51
8 Francie Kraker Flag of the United States.svg  United States 4:12.76
9 Inger Knutsson Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 4:14.97

Heat two

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
1 Lyudmila Bragina Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union 4:05.07WR
2 Karin Burneleit Flag of East Germany.svg  East Germany 4:05.78
3 Ellen Tittel Flag of Germany.svg  West Germany 4:06.65
4 Sheila Carey Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain 4:07.41
5 Berny Boxem Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 4:08.81
6 Jenny Orr Flag of Australia.svg  Australia 4:08.86
7 Wenche Sørum Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 4:09.70
8 Francie Larrieu Flag of the United States.svg  United States 4:15.26
9 Jaroslava Jehličková Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg  Czechoslovakia 4:18.16

Final

Nine participants of the 1500 final. Bragina is leading and is not seen in the image. She is followed by Keizer, Carey and Hoffmeister. 1500 m final 1972 Olympics women 2.jpg
Nine participants of the 1500 final. Bragina is leading and is not seen in the image. She is followed by Keizer, Carey and Hoffmeister.
RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
Gold medal icon.svg Lyudmila Bragina Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union 4:01.38WR
Silver medal icon.svg Gunhild Hoffmeister Flag of East Germany.svg  East Germany 4:02.83
Bronze medal icon.svg Paola Pigni Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 4:02.85
4 Karin Burneleit Flag of East Germany.svg  East Germany 4:04.11
5 Sheila Carey Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain 4:04.81
6 Ilja Keizer Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 4:05.13
7 Tamara Pangelova Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union 4:06.45
8 Jenny Orr Flag of Australia.svg  Australia 4:12.15
9 Berny Boxem Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 4:13.10
- Ellen Tittel Flag of Germany.svg  West Germany DNF

Key: WR = world record; OR = Olympic record; DNS = did not start; DNF = did not finish

References

  1. "Athletics at the 1972 Munich Games: Women's 1500 metres". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2017.