1,000 metres, Women

The favorites were Lyudmila Titova, who had been the best sprinter in the world for several years, and America’s Anne Henning, who had begun to surpass her in 1971, although she was better at the 500 metres. Titova had set two world records in 1971, but Henning had broken the mark with 1:27.3 in Davos in January 1972. The defending champion was Carry Geijssen, who retired after the 1971 season. In the third pair, 17-year-old West German Monika Pflug came through in 1:31.40. Henning and Titova were together in the next pair, and Henning later said that her legs still felt the effect of taking two runs in the 500 the day before, after she had been interfered with on her first run. But she still narrowly defeated Titova, 1:31.62 to 1:31.85, but did not catch Pflug. Both were also beaten by Atje Keulen-Deelstra, skating in the next pair, who finished in 1:31.61, which would hold up for the silver medal, Henning getting bronze. The gold medal went to Pflug in a major upset. Her win was especially impressive because she had jump started twice, and started very slowly to avoid disqualification on the third gun. Her 200 split was only 13th fastest, but she was second at the 600 split, and finished strongly. She would have a very long career, competing thru 1988, five Winter Olympics, and three names, eventually as Monika Gawenus-Holzner-Pflug, but this would be her only Olympic medal.