Athletics at the 1984 Summer Olympics – Women's 3000 metres

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Women's 3000 metres
at the Games of the XXIII Olympiad
1984 Olympics---women's 3000 meter.jpg
Mary Decker (right) leading the pack, next to her Zola Budd
Venue Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Dates8 August 1984 (heats)
10 August 1984 (final)
Competitors30 from 22 nations
Winning time8:35.96 OR
Medalists
Gold medal icon.svg Maricica Puică
Flag of Romania (1965-1989).svg  Romania
Silver medal icon.svg Wendy Sly
Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain
Bronze medal icon.svg Lynn Williams
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
1988  

These are the official results of the Women's 3000 metres event at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. The final, held on August 10, 1984, was won by Maricica Puică of Romania. This was the first ever 3000 meters race for women at the Olympics. The race is still remembered because of the fall of world champion Mary Decker after a collision with Zola Budd. [1]

The winning margin was 3.51 seconds. This was the only time the women's 3,000 metres was won by more than one second at the Olympics.

Mary Decker won the first heat to claim the new Olympic record. Maricica Puică improved upon the record in the third heat.

South African teenager Zola Budd had obtained British citizenship controversially fast (through an agreement between her father, Frank Budd, and the London Daily Mail ) in order to enter the Olympics. The Apartheid government of South Africa had been banned from worldwide competition. Budd, who intentionally ran barefoot, was essentially an unknown athlete on the world stage. Decker also was largely untested in domestic races and had relatively little experience running competitively in a crowd. In addition to being the favorite in the race, this was a hometown Olympics for Decker, having grown up barely 50 km (33 miles) from the Coliseum.

From the gun, Decker went to the front, with Puică a metre back. Starting slower, Budd ran through the field to assume her position on Decker's shoulder 200 metres into the race. They ran in the same formation for three laps. With four laps to go, Wendy Sly moved forward to challenge for the lead next to Budd. Coming off the turn, Budd moved toward the curb. Decker stepped on her back kick, then shortly after, collided with the British runner and fell spectacularly to the curb, injuring her hip. As a result, Mary Decker did not finish the race. Decker was carried off the track in tears by her boyfriend (and later, husband), British discus thrower Richard Slaney. [2] Puică rushed around Budd into the lead, with Sly on her shoulder as the bewildered Budd lost ground for a moment. But Budd ran around Puică and Sly to again take the lead. Deeper in the pack, somehow Brigitte Kraus also fell into the infield and out of the race. With a lap and a half to go, Sly again edged her way around Budd and into the lead. While Sly and Budd wore the same uniform, they were essentially strangers and there was no effort to cooperate tactically. Puică followed Sly around Budd and with 500 metres to go. [3] Sly took the bell with Puică on her shoulder. With 250 metres to go, Puică passed Sly and went into her finishing kick, separating from Sly. Lynn Williams caught Budd and moved into third position. Budd continued to fall back through the field as the other athletes were launching their finishing kicks. Puică extended her lead over Sly, Williams even further back in third. Budd fizzled into seventh place. Out of 12 starters, 4 had fallen during the race, with two not finishing. As Puică crossed the finishing line, with Sly some 15 meters behind, she clearly appeared to have had more to give, if it had been necessary.

Medalists

Gold Maricica Puică
Flag of Romania (1965-1989).svg Romania
Silver Wendy Sly
Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg Great Britain
Bronze Lynn Williams
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada

Abbreviations

Qautomatic qualification
qqualification by rank
DNSdid not start
NMno mark
ORolympic record
WRworld record
ARarea record
NRnational record
PBpersonal best
SBseason best

Final

RANKFINALTIME
Med 1.png Flag of Romania (1965-1989).svg  Maricica Puică  (ROU)8:35.96OR
Med 2.png Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Wendy Sly  (GBR)8:39.47
Med 3.png Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Lynn Williams  (CAN)8:42.14
4.Flag of the United States.svg  Cindy Bremser  (USA)8:42.78
5.Civil Ensign of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Cornelia Bürki  (SUI)8:45.20
6.Flag of Portugal.svg  Aurora Cunha  (POR)8:46.37
7.Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Zola Budd  (GBR)8:48.80
8.Flag of the United States.svg  Joan Hansen  (USA)8:51.53
9.Flag of New Zealand.svg  Dianne Rodger  (NZL)8.56.43
10.Flag of Italy.svg  Agnese Possamai  (ITA)9:10.82
Flag of Germany.svg  Brigitte Kraus  (FRG)DNF
Flag of the United States.svg  Mary Decker  (USA)DNF

Qualifying heats

RANKHEAT 1TIME
1.Flag of the United States.svg  Mary Decker  (USA)8:44.38OR
2.Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Lynn Williams  (CAN)8:45.77
3.Flag of Italy.svg  Agnese Possamai  (ITA)8:45.84
4.Flag of Portugal.svg  Aurora Cunha  (POR)8:46.38
5.Flag of New Zealand.svg  Dianne Rodger  (NZL)8:47.90
6.Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Jane Furniss  (GBR)8:48.00
7.Flag of Kenya.svg  Hellen Kimaiyo  (KEN)8:57.21
8.Flag of Ireland (3-2).svg  Roisin Smyth  (IRL)9:01.69
9.Flag of Jordan (3-2).svg  Raida Abdallah  (JOR)10:48.00
Flag of Liechtenstein.svg  Helen Ritter  (LIE)DNS


RANKHEAT 2TIME
1.Flag of Germany.svg  Brigitte Kraus  (FRG)8:57.53
2.Flag of the United States.svg  Joan Hansen  (USA)8:58.64
3.Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Wendy Sly  (GBR)8:58.66
4.Flag of Portugal.svg  Maria Machado  (POR)9:01.77
5.Flag of Australia.svg  Donna Gould  (AUS)9:05.56
6.Flag of Sweden.svg  Eva Ernström  (SWE)9:06.54
7.Flag of France.svg  Annette Sergent  (FRA)9:15.82
8.Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Sue French  (CAN)9:24.66
9.Flag of Argentina (1861-2010).svg  Liliana Gongora  (ARG)9:41.14
10.Flag of Tanzania.svg  Hwinga Mwanjala  (TAN)9:42.66


RANKHEAT 3TIME
1.Flag of Romania (1965-1989).svg  Maricica Puică  (ROU)8:43.32OR
2.Flag of the United States.svg  Cindy Bremser  (USA)8:43.97
3.Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Zola Budd  (GBR)8:44.62
4.Civil Ensign of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Cornelia Bürki  (SUI)8:45.82
5.Flag of Ireland (3-2).svg  Monica Joyce  (IRL)8:54.34
6.Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Geri Fitch  (CAN)9:07.18
7.Flag of Rwanda (1962-2001).svg  Marie-Jane Mukamurenzi  (RWA)9:27.08
8.Flag of India.svg  Geeta Zutshi  (IND)9:40.63
9.Flag of El Salvador.svg  Kriscia Lorena García  (ESA)9:42.28NR
Flag of Chile.svg  Monica Regonesi  (CHI)DNF
Flag of Portugal.svg  Rosa Mota  (POR)DNF

See also

References

  1. "Athletics at the 1984 Los Angeles Games: Women's 3000 metres". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  2. Galford, Ellen (1996). The XXIII Olympiad . Los Angeles: World Sport Research & Publications Inc. p.  184. ISBN   1-888383-21-6.
  3. Sky Documentary "Decker-Budd", aired on Danish DR2 2 August 2018 23:30 CEST