| | Event type

High Jump, Women

Date	29 – 30 September 1988
Status	Olympic
Location	Ol-lim-pik Ju-gyeong-gi-jang, Seoul Sports Complex, Seoul
Participants	24 from 15 countries

By 1988 the dominant high jumper in the world was Bulgaria’s Stefka Kostadinova. She had won the 1986 European Championships and the 1987 World Championships, and had set three world records in 1986-87. The last in August 1987 was 2.09 (6-10¼) metres, a mark which lasted through 2008 as the world record. Also considered was Tamara Bykova (URS), the 1983 World Champion and a three-time world record setter, but she was not expected to beat Kostadinova. Bykova cleared 1.99 metres (6-6¼) on her third attempt but went out at 2.01 (6-7). Only Kostadinova and American Louise Ritter would clear that height, and both were perfect to that point. Neither succeeded at 2.03 metres (6-7¾), so they began a jump-off, returning to 2.03. At that height Ritter went over on her first attempt, Kostadinova missed, and Louise Ritter won a huge upset gold medal. The jump also equaled her American record.

Pos	Nr	Athlete	NOC	Qualifying Round	Final Round
1	594	Louise Ritter	USA	1.92 (=11)	2.01 (1)	Gold	OR
2	50	Stefka Kostadinova	BUL	1.92 (=8)	2.01 (2)	Silver
3	618	Tamara Bykova	URS	1.92 (=1)	1.99 (3)	Bronze
4	212	Olga Turchak	URS	1.92 (=4)	1.96 (4)
=5	43	Lyudmila Andonova	BUL	1.92 (=8)	1.93 (=5)
=5	463	Galina Astafei	ROU	1.92 (=4)	1.93 (=5)
7	20	Chris Stanton	AUS	1.92 (=11)	1.93 (7)
=8	215	Diana Davies	GBR	1.92 (=8)	1.90 (=8)
=8	392	Kim Hui-Seon	KOR	1.92 (=1)	1.90 (=8)
10	170	Maryse Éwanjé-Épée	FRA	1.92 (7)	1.90 (10)
11	380	Megumi Sato	JPN	1.92 (=1)	1.90 (11)
12	619	Janet Boyle	GBR	1.92 (=4)	1.90 (12)
13 r1/2	195	Heike Redetzky	FRG	1.90 (13)	–
14 r1/2	10	Vanessa Browne	AUS	1.90 (14)	–
15 r1/2	92	Jin Ling	CHN	1.90 (15)	–
16 r1/2	226	Jo Jennings	GBR	1.90 (16)	–
17 r1/2	510	Liudmyla Avdieienko	URS	1.87 (17)	–
18 r1/2	598	Coleen Sommer	USA	1.87 (18)	–
19 r1/2	579	Trish King	USA	1.84 (19)	–
20 r1/2	160	Madely Beaugendre	FRA	1.84 (20)	–
21 r1/2	416	Cristina Fink-Sisniega	MEX	1.84 (21)	–
22 r1/2	660	Biljana Petrović	YUG	1.80 (22)	–
23 r1/2	499	Su Chun-Yueh	TPE	1.80 (23)	–
24 r1/2	114	Lucienne N'Da	CIV	1.75 (24)	–

Qualifying Round (29 September 1988 — 9:15)

Top 12 and ties and all those clearing 1.92 metres advanced to the final.

Pos	Athlete	NOC	Height	Misses	Total Misses
=1	Megumi Sato	JPN	1.92	0	0	Q
=1	Kim Hui-Seon	KOR	1.92	0	0	Q
=1	Tamara Bykova	URS	1.92	0	0	Q
=4	Janet Boyle	GBR	1.92	0	1	Q
=4	Galina Astafei	ROU	1.92	0	1	Q
=4	Olga Turchak	URS	1.92	0	1	Q
7	Maryse Éwanjé-Épée	FRA	1.92	0	3	Q
=8	Lyudmila Andonova	BUL	1.92	1	1	Q
=8	Stefka Kostadinova	BUL	1.92	1	1	Q
=8	Diana Davies	GBR	1.92	1	1	Q
=11	Chris Stanton	AUS	1.92	2	3	Q
=11	Louise Ritter	USA	1.92	2	3	Q
13	Heike Redetzky	FRG	1.90	0	0
14	Vanessa Browne	AUS	1.90	1	4
15	Jin Ling	CHN	1.90	2	2
16	Jo Jennings	GBR	1.90	2	4
17	Liudmyla Avdieienko	URS	1.87	0	0
18	Coleen Sommer	USA	1.87	1	1
19	Trish King	USA	1.84	0	0
20	Madely Beaugendre	FRA	1.84	0	1
21	Cristina Fink-Sisniega	MEX	1.84	2	2
22	Biljana Petrović	YUG	1.80	0	1
23	Su Chun-Yueh	TPE	1.80	1	1
24	Lucienne N'Da	CIV	1.75	2	2

Qualifying Round, Group A (29 September 1988)

Pos	Athlete	NOC	Height	Misses	Total Misses	1.70 m	1.75 m	1.80 m	1.84 m	1.87 m	1.90 m	1.92 m
1	Kim Hui-Seon	KOR	1.92	0	0	-	o	o	o	o	o	o
=2	Janet Boyle	GBR	1.92	0	1	-	o	o	o	xo	o	o
=2	Olga Turchak	URS	1.92	0	1	-	-	o	o	o	xo	o
4	Maryse Éwanjé-Épée	FRA	1.92	0	3	-	o	o	xo	xo	xo	o
5	Stefka Kostadinova	BUL	1.92	1	1	-	-	o	o	-	o	xo
6	Heike Redetzky	FRG	1.90	0	0	-	-	o	-	o	o	xxx
7	Vanessa Browne	AUS	1.90	1	4	-	o	o	xo	xxo	xo	xxx
8	Jin Ling	CHN	1.90	2	2	-	o	o	o	o	xxo	xxx
9	Trish King	USA	1.84	0	0	-	o	o	o	xxx	–	–
10	Cristina Fink-Sisniega	MEX	1.84	2	2	-	o	o	xxo	xxx	–	–
11	Biljana Petrović	YUG	1.80	0	1	o	xo	o	xxx	–	–	–
12	Lucienne N'Da	CIV	1.75	2	2	o	xxo	xxx	–	–	–	–

Qualifying Round, Group B (29 September 1988)

Pos	Athlete	NOC	Height	Misses	Total Misses	1.70 m	1.75 m	1.80 m	1.84 m	1.87 m	1.90 m	1.92 m
=1	Megumi Sato	JPN	1.92	0	0	-	-	o	o	o	o	o
=1	Tamara Bykova	URS	1.92	0	0	o	o	o	o	o	o	o
3	Galina Astafei	ROU	1.92	0	1	-	o	o	xo	o	o	o
=4	Lyudmila Andonova	BUL	1.92	1	1	-	-	o	o	o	o	xo
=4	Diana Davies	GBR	1.92	1	1	-	-	o	o	o	o	xo
=6	Chris Stanton	AUS	1.92	2	3	-	-	xo	o	o	o	xxo
=6	Louise Ritter	USA	1.92	2	3	-	-	-	o	xo	o	xxo
8	Jo Jennings	GBR	1.90	2	4	-	o	o	xo	xo	xxo	xxx
9	Liudmyla Avdieienko	URS	1.87	0	0	-	-	o	o	o	xxx	–
10	Coleen Sommer	USA	1.87	1	1	-	-	o	o	xo	xxx	–
11	Madely Beaugendre	FRA	1.84	0	1	-	o	xo	o	xxx	–	–
12	Su Chun-Yueh	TPE	1.80	1	1	o	o	xo	xxx	–	–	–

Final Round (30 September 1988 — 13:00)

Pos	Athlete	NOC	Height	Misses	Total Misses	1.75 m	1.80 m	1.85 m	1.90 m	1.93 m	1.96 m	1.99 m	2.01 m	2.03 m	2.03 m
1	Louise Ritter	USA	2.01	0	0	-	o	o	o	o	o	o	o	xxx	xxx	OR
2	Stefka Kostadinova	BUL	2.01	0	0	-	o	o	o	o	o	o	o	xxx	xxx
3	Tamara Bykova	URS	1.99	2	3	-	o	o	o	o	xo	xxo	xxx	–	–
4	Olga Turchak	URS	1.96	0	1	-	o	o	xo	o	o	xxx	–	–	–
=5	Lyudmila Andonova	BUL	1.93	0	0	-	o	o	o	o	xxx	–	–	–	–
=5	Galina Astafei	ROU	1.93	0	0	o	o	o	o	o	xxx	–	–	–	–
7	Chris Stanton	AUS	1.93	1	1	-	o	o	o	xo	xxx	–	–	–	–
=8	Diana Davies	GBR	1.90	0	0	-	o	o	o	xxx	–	–	–	–	–
=8	Kim Hui-Seon	KOR	1.90	0	0	-	o	o	o	xxx	–	–	–	–	–
10	Maryse Éwanjé-Épée	FRA	1.90	1	1	-	o	o	xo	xxx	–	–	–	–	–
11	Megumi Sato	JPN	1.90	2	2	-	o	o	xxo	xxx	–	–	–	–	–
12	Janet Boyle	GBR	1.90	2	3	-	o	xo	xxo	xxx	–	–	–	–	–