Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's 1500 metres

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Women's 1500 metres
at the Games of the XXIV Olympiad
Venue Olympic Stadium
Dates28 September 1988 (heats)
1 October 1988 (final)
Competitors28 from 19 nations
Winning time3:53.96 OR
Medalists
Gold medal icon.svg Paula Ivan
Flag of Romania (1965-1989).svg  Romania
Silver medal icon.svg Laimutė Baikauskaitė
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
Bronze medal icon.svg Tetyana Samolenko
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
  1984
1992  

The women's 1500 metres at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea had an entry list of 28 competitors, with two qualifying heats (28) before the final (12) took place on Saturday October 1, 1988. [1]

The winning margin was an astonishing 6.28 seconds which as of 2023 remains the only time the women's Olympic 1500 metres was won by more than two seconds.

From the gun in the final, Paula Ivan wanted the lead. Mary Slaney and Ivan's teammate Doina Melinte did not want to let her get away. The field behind her looked bunched but the 1:02.52 first lap showed she was serious. This was world record pace, rare for a championship race that usually breaks down into a strategic battle. After the first lap, a small gap began to open. Melinte was the last to maintain contact, perhaps having seen this strategy previously in domestic competition. The second lap was completed in 1:03.26, a ten-metre gap had opened, with Tetyana Samolenko edging past Melinte in chase. 2:52.66 at the bell and a fifteen-metre gap, Ivan began a last lap kick, trying to run the 60 second last lap to get the world record. Because of the acceleration, the third lap was the fastest of them all at 1:02.46. The battle was for the medals behind Ivan, Andrea Hahmann passing Samolenko, who had Christina Cahill on her shoulder with Lynn Williams in chase. Melinte faded back to Slaney but behind all of them, Laimutė Baikauskaitė was charging. Onto the home stretch the chase pack was tightening, some 30 metres behind Ivan. Baikauskaitė moved into lane 3 to find some running room. Ivan was unable to find a 60-second lap, but 61.5 was enough to set the Olympic record out of sight with a dominant gold medal performance. Hahmann faded and Samolenko was leading down the stretch with Cahill in close pursuit. Making up ten metres on the final straight, Baikauskaitė passed Cahill and Hahmann in the final 15 metres and leaned past Samolenko at the line to take the silver.

Medalists

Gold Paula Ivan
Flag of Romania (1965-1989).svg Romania
Silver Laimutė Baikauskaitė
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union
Bronze Tetyana Samolenko
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union

Records

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in minutes) prior to the 1988 Summer Olympics.

World Record3:52.47 Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Tatyana Kazankina Zürich (SUI)August 13, 1980
Olympic Record3:56.56 Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Tatyana Kazankina Moscow (URS)August 1, 1980

The following Olympic record (in minutes) was set during this competition.

DateAthleteTimeORWR
September 26, 1988 Paula Ivan Flag of Romania (1965-1989).svg  Romania 3:53.96OR

Final

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
Gold medal icon.svg Paula Ivan Flag of Romania (1965-1989).svg  Romania 3:53.96OR
Silver medal icon.svg Laimutė Baikauskaitė Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union 4:00.24
Bronze medal icon.svg Tetyana Samolenko Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union 4:00.30
4 Christina Cahill Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain 4:00.64
5 Lynn Williams Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 4:00.86
6 Andrea Hahmann Flag of East Germany.svg  East Germany 4:00.96
7 Shireen Bailey Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain 4:02.32
8 Mary Slaney Flag of the United States.svg  United States 4:02.49
9 Doina Melinte Flag of Romania (1965-1989).svg  Romania 4:02.89
10. Fatima Aouam Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco 4:08.00
11. Kim Gallagher Flag of the United States.svg  United States 4:16.25
12. Debbie Bowker Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 4:17.95

Non-Qualifiers

RankAthleteNationTimeNotes
13. Elly van Hulst Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 4:07.40
14. Hassiba Boulmerka Flag of Algeria.svg  Algeria 4:08.33
15. Kirsty Wade Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain 4:08.37
16. Lyubov Gurina Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union 4:08.59
17. Angela Chalmers Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 4:08.64
18. Vera Michallek Flag of Germany.svg  West Germany 4:10.05
19. Susan Sirma Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya 4:10.13
20. Cornelia Bürki Civil Ensign of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland 4:10.89
21. Regina Jacobs Flag of the United States.svg  United States 4:18.09
22. Letitia Vriesde Flag of Suriname.svg  Suriname 4:19.58
23. Khin Khin Htwe Flag of Myanmar (1974-2010).svg  Burma 4:20.92
24. No Hye-sun Flag of South Korea (1984-1997).svg  South Korea 4:26.05
25. Daphrose Nyiramutuzo Flag of Rwanda (1962-2001).svg  Rwanda 4:32.31
26. Laverne Bryan Flag of Antigua and Barbuda.svg  Antigua and Barbuda 4:39.73
27. Poloni Avek Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg  Papua New Guinea 4:46.49
28.Rachel ThompsonFlag of Sierra Leone.svg  Sierra Leone 5:31.42

See also

References

  1. "Athletics at the 1988 Seoul Games: Women's 1500 metres". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2017.