20 kilometres Race Walk, Women

The women’s walk distance was moved up to 20 kilometers in 2000. The favorite was 1999 World Champion Liu Hongyu of China. She led the race thru 15 km., but was then disqualified. The silver medalist from 1996 in the 10 km., Elisabetta Perrone (ITA) then went ahead, but also received a red flag. This left Australia’s Jane Saville in the lead, which she held to the stadium track but there, she too, was disqualified. This left Wang Liping in first place on the track and she won by almost 30 seconds.