1,000 metres, Women

As in the 500, the three favorites were Americans Sheila Young and Leah Poulos, and Soviet sprinter Tatyana Averina. Young was better in the 500 but was still probably a slight favorite, as she had won the 1973 and 1975 World Sprints, with Poulos winning in 1974, when Young had fallen during one race. But Averina held the world record with 1:23.46, the last of three world records set in 1975 at Medeo. It was expected to be a close race. In the first pair, the defending champion Monika Holzner posted 1:29.54 to set the mark to chase. That held up until the fifth pair, when Poulos was the first favorite to start, finishing in 1:28.57. In the next pair, Averina moved ahead, crossing the line in 1:28.43. Young started in the ninth pair and at 600 metres was ahead of both their paces, but she faded on the final lap, finishing in 1:29.14, and dropped down to the bronze medal, with Averina winning gold and Poulos the silver. Young’s bronze gave her a full set in Innsbruck, with gold in the 500, followed by a silver in the 1,500. A few weeks later at the 1976 World Sprints, Young would dominate, winning the title and all four races.