1,500 metres, Women
| Date | 4 – 9 September 1972 |
|---|---|
| Status | Olympic |
| Location | Olympiastadion, Olympiapark, München |
| Participants | 36 from 21 countries |
At the Olympics, women had not been allowed to compete over any distance past 200 metres from 1928 until the 800 was restored in 1960. Thus adding the 1,500 was another step forward for women. Women had competed over 1,500 metres in the 1969 and 1971 European Championships, with Jaroslava Jehličková (TCH) and Karin Burneleit (GDR) winning those titles, respectively. They had both set world records in winning those races, but Soviet Lyudmila Bragina had bettered the world record in July 1972 at the USSR Championships. In München she broke her own world record in the first round (4:06.47) and then bettered that in the semi-final (4:05.07). In the final Berny Boxem-Lenferink (NED) led the first lap, but Bragina then took over, and increased the pace dramatically. She had a 10-metre gap at the bell and held it throughout the final circuit, finishing in a world record 4:01.38. The first five finishers also broke Bragina’s world record from the semi-final and in all there were 12 marks ahead of the pre-München world record.
| Pos | Nr | Athlete | NOC | R1 | SF | Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 335 | Lyudmila Bragina |  URS | 4:06.47 (1 h1) | 4:05.07 (1 h2) | 4:01.38 (1) | Gold | ||
| 2 | 132 | Gunhild Hoffmeister |  GDR | 4:12.80 (2 h4) | 4:07.94 (3 h1) | 4:02.83 (2) | Silver | ||
| 3 | 218 | Paola Cacchi |  ITA | 4:09.53 (1 h2) | 4:07.83 (2 h1) | 4:02.85 (3) | Bronze | ||
| 4 | 124 | Karin Burneleit | GDR | 4:10.83 (2 h3) | 4:05.78 (2 h2) | 4:04.11 (4) | |||
| 5 | 96 | Sheila Carey |  GBR | 4:13.01 (3 h4) | 4:07.41 (4 h2) | 4:04.81 (5) | |||
| 6 | 189 | Ilja Laman |  NED | 4:08.00 (3 h1) | 4:08.25 (4 h1) | 4:05.13 (6) | |||
| 7 | 355 | Tamara Pangelova | URS | 4:10.75 (1 h3) | 4:07.66 (1 h1) | 4:06.45 (7) | |||
| 8 | 7 | Jenny Orr |  AUS | 4:08.06 (4 h1) | 4:08.86 (6 h2) | 4:12.15 (8) | |||
| 9 | 188 | Berny Boxem-Lenferink | NED | 4:13.83 (3 h2) | 4:08.81 (5 h2) | 4:13.10 (9) | |||
| 5 h1 r2/3 | 30 | Vasilena Amzina |  BUL | 4:12.85 (2 h2) | 4:09.12 (5 h1) | – | |||
| 6 h1 r2/3 | 115 | Joyce Smith | GBR | 4:11.27 (4 h3) | 4:09.37 (6 h1) | – | |||
| 7 h1 r2/3 | 54 | Glenda Reiser |  CAN | 4:06.71 (2 h1) | 4:09.51 (7 h1) | – | |||
| 7 h2 r2/3 | 256 | Wenche Sørum |  NOR | 4:14.10 (4 h4) | 4:09.70 (7 h2) | – | |||
| 8 h1 r2/3 | 384 | Francie Kraker |  USA | 4:14.73 (4 h2) | 4:12.76 (8 h1) | – | |||
| 8 h2 r2/3 | 385 | Francie Larrieu | USA | 4:11.18 (3 h3) | 4:15.26 (8 h2) | – | |||
| 9 h1 r2/3 | 313 | Inger Knutsson |  SWE | 4:11.32 (5 h3) | 4:14.97 (9 h1) | – | |||
| 9 h2 r2/3 | 326 | Jaroslava Jehličková |  TCH | 4:08.39 (5 h1) | 4:18.16 (9 h2) | – | |||
| 1 h4 r1/3 | 178 | Ellen Tittel |  FRG | 4:12.12 (1 h4) | 4:06.65 (3 h2) | – ( | |||
| 5 h2 r1/3 | 57 | Thelma Wright | CAN | 4:15.43 (5 h2) | – | – | |||
| 5 h4 r1/3 | 38 | Tonka Petrova | BUL | 4:14.95 (5 h4) | – | – | |||
| 6 h1 r1/3 | 167 | Christa Merten | FRG | 4:12.60 (6 h1) | – | – | |||
| 6 h2 r1/3 | 254 | Grete Andersen | NOR | 4:16.00 (6 h2) | – | – | |||
| 6 h3 r1/3 | 208 | Mary Tracey |  IRL | 4:16.43 (6 h3) | – | – | |||
| 6 h4 r1/3 | 318 | Anne-Marie Nenzell | SWE | 4:16.67 (6 h4) | – | – | |||
| 7 h1 r1/3 | 94 | Joan Allison | GBR | 4:14.89 (7 h1) | – | – | |||
| 7 h2 r1/3 | 199 | Sára Szenteleki-Ligetkuti |  HUN | 4:16.08 (7 h2) | – | – | |||
| 7 h3 r1/3 | 82 | Sinikka Tyynelä |  FIN | 4:21.40 (7 h3) | – | – | |||
| 7 h4 r1/3 | 306 | Margrit Hess |  SUI | 4:19.67 (7 h4) | – | – | |||
| 8 h1 r1/3 | 309 | Marijke Moser | SUI | 4:24.94 (8 h1) | – | – | |||
| 8 h2 r1/3 | 171 | Gerda Ranz | FRG | 4:18.60 (8 h2) | – | – | |||
| 8 h3 r1/3 | 243 | Emesia Chizunga |  MAW | 4:41.47 (8 h3) | – | – | |||
| 8 h4 r1/3 | 346 | Tamara Kazachkova | URS | 4:20.15 (8 h4) | – | – | |||
| 9 h1 r1/3 | 288 | Lee Chiu-Hsia |  TPE | 4:37.15 (9 h1) | – | – | |||
| 9 h2 r1/3 | 404 | Vera Nikolić |  YUG | 4:23.36 (9 h2) | – | – | |||
| 9 h4 r1/3 | 236 | Chereno Maiyo |  KEN | 4:20.9 (9 h4) | – | – | |||
| AC h3 r1/3 | 198 | Magdolna Kulcsár | HUN | – (DNF h3) | – | – | |||
| 238 | Arda Kalpakian |  LBN | – (DNS h2) | – | – | ||||
| 366 | Doris Brown | USA | – (DNS h4) | – | – |
Round One (4 September 1972 — 15:45)
Top four in each heat and next two fastest advanced to the final.
Heat One
| Pos | Nr | Athlete | NOC | Time (A) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 335 | Lyudmila Bragina | URS | 4:06.47 | |||
| 2 | 54 | Glenda Reiser | CAN | 4:06.71 | |||
| 3 | 189 | Ilja Laman | NED | 4:08.00 | |||
| 4 | 7 | Jenny Orr | AUS | 4:08.06 | |||
| 5 | 326 | Jaroslava Jehličková | TCH | 4:08.39 | |||
| 6 | 167 | Christa Merten | FRG | 4:12.60 | |||
| 7 | 94 | Joan Allison | GBR | 4:14.89 | |||
| 8 | 309 | Marijke Moser | SUI | 4:24.94 | |||
| 9 | 288 | Lee Chiu-Hsia | TPE | 4:37.15 |
Splits
| 400 m | 1:03.1 | – |  |
| 800 m | 2:09.6 | – | |
| 1000 m | 2:43.6 | – | |
| 1200 m | 3:16.9 | – | |
Heat Two
| Pos | Nr | Athlete | NOC | Time (A) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 218 | Paola Cacchi | ITA | 4:09.53 | |||
| 2 | 30 | Vasilena Amzina | BUL | 4:12.85 | |||
| 3 | 188 | Berny Boxem-Lenferink | NED | 4:13.83 | |||
| 4 | 384 | Francie Kraker | USA | 4:14.73 | |||
| 5 | 57 | Thelma Wright | CAN | 4:15.43 | |||
| 6 | 254 | Grete Andersen | NOR | 4:16.00 | |||
| 7 | 199 | Sára Szenteleki-Ligetkuti | HUN | 4:16.08 | |||
| 8 | 171 | Gerda Ranz | FRG | 4:18.60 | |||
| 9 | 404 | Vera Nikolić | YUG | 4:23.36 | |||
| 238 | Arda Kalpakian | LBN | – |
Splits
| 400 m | 1:06.4 | – | |
| 800 m | 2:15.6 | – | |
Heat Three
| Pos | Nr | Athlete | NOC | Time (A) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 355 | Tamara Pangelova | URS | 4:10.75 | |||
| 2 | 124 | Karin Burneleit | GDR | 4:10.83 | |||
| 3 | 385 | Francie Larrieu | USA | 4:11.18 | |||
| 4 | 115 | Joyce Smith | GBR | 4:11.27 | |||
| 5 | 313 | Inger Knutsson | SWE | 4:11.32 | |||
| 6 | 208 | Mary Tracey | IRL | 4:16.43 | |||
| 7 | 82 | Sinikka Tyynelä | FIN | 4:21.40 | |||
| 8 | 243 | Emesia Chizunga | MAW | 4:41.47 | |||
| 198 | Magdolna Kulcsár | HUN | – |
Splits
| 400 m | 1:06.0 | – | |
| 800 m | 2:14.7 | – | |
Heat Four
| Pos | Nr | Athlete | NOC | Time (A) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 178 | Ellen Tittel | FRG | 4:12.12 | |||
| 2 | 132 | Gunhild Hoffmeister | GDR | 4:12.80 | |||
| 3 | 96 | Sheila Carey | GBR | 4:13.01 | |||
| 4 | 256 | Wenche Sørum | NOR | 4:14.10 | |||
| 5 | 38 | Tonka Petrova | BUL | 4:14.95 | |||
| 6 | 318 | Anne-Marie Nenzell | SWE | 4:16.67 | |||
| 7 | 306 | Margrit Hess | SUI | 4:19.67 | |||
| 8 | 346 | Tamara Kazachkova | URS | 4:20.15 | |||
| 9 | 236 | Chereno Maiyo | KEN | 4:20.9 | |||
| 366 | Doris Brown | USA | – |
Splits
| 400 m | 1:05.4 | – | |
| 800 m | 2:15.7 | – | |
Semi-Finals (7 September 1972 — 15:40)
Top four in each heat and next two fastest advanced to the final.
Heat One
| Pos | Nr | Athlete | NOC | Time (A) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 355 | Tamara Pangelova | URS | 4:07.66 | |||
| 2 | 218 | Paola Cacchi | ITA | 4:07.83 | |||
| 3 | 132 | Gunhild Hoffmeister | GDR | 4:07.94 | |||
| 4 | 189 | Ilja Laman | NED | 4:08.25 | |||
| 5 | 30 | Vasilena Amzina | BUL | 4:09.12 | |||
| 6 | 115 | Joyce Smith | GBR | 4:09.37 | |||
| 7 | 54 | Glenda Reiser | CAN | 4:09.51 | |||
| 8 | 384 | Francie Kraker | USA | 4:12.76 | |||
| 9 | 313 | Inger Knutsson | SWE | 4:14.97 |
Splits
| 400 m | 1:07.4 | – | |
| 800 m | 2:17.4 | – | |
Heat Two
| Pos | Nr | Athlete | NOC | Time (A) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 335 | Lyudmila Bragina | URS | 4:05.07 | |||
| 2 | 124 | Karin Burneleit | GDR | 4:05.78 | |||
| 3 | 178 | Ellen Tittel | FRG | 4:06.65 | |||
| 4 | 96 | Sheila Carey | GBR | 4:07.41 | |||
| 5 | 188 | Berny Boxem-Lenferink | NED | 4:08.81 | |||
| 6 | 7 | Jenny Orr | AUS | 4:08.86 | |||
| 7 | 256 | Wenche Sørum | NOR | 4:09.70 | |||
| 8 | 385 | Francie Larrieu | USA | 4:15.26 | |||
| 9 | 326 | Jaroslava Jehličková | TCH | 4:18.16 |
Splits
| 400 m | 1:03.1 | – | |
| 800 m | 2:09.1 | – | |
| 1200 m | 3:16.6 | – | |
Final (9 September 1972 — 15:35)
| Pos | Nr | Athlete | NOC | Time (A) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 335 | Lyudmila Bragina | URS | 4:01.38 | |||
| 2 | 132 | Gunhild Hoffmeister | GDR | 4:02.83 | |||
| 3 | 218 | Paola Cacchi | ITA | 4:02.85 | |||
| 4 | 124 | Karin Burneleit | GDR | 4:04.11 | |||
| 5 | 96 | Sheila Carey | GBR | 4:04.81 | |||
| 6 | 189 | Ilja Laman | NED | 4:05.13 | |||
| 7 | 355 | Tamara Pangelova | URS | 4:06.45 | |||
| 8 | 7 | Jenny Orr | AUS | 4:12.15 | |||
| 9 | 188 | Berny Boxem-Lenferink | NED | 4:13.10 | |||
| 178 | Ellen Tittel | FRG | – |
Splits
| 400 m | 1:02.5 | – | |
| 800 m | 2:10.0 | – | |
| 1000 m | 2:42.5 | – | |
| 1200 m | 3:14.6 | – | |