10,000 metres, Women

Portugal’s Fernanda Ribeiro had won the 1994 European Championship and the 1995 World Championship in this event. The world record holder was China’s Wang Junxia, who had won the 5K earlier in the Games, and in 1993, had run 29:31.78 at the Chinese National Games. The mark destroyed the world record but raised many eyebrows concerning its legality and her chemical profile. However, she never tested positive in any doping control and was in Atlanta. The defending champion, Derartu Tulu, was also back. In the final, Ribeiro led at the halfway point, but a pack of 10 was together at that point. With two laps left, the medals were to be decided from among Ribeiro, Wang, Tulu, and Ethiopia’s Gete Wami. Wang took the lead with 600 metres remaining, and held it until the homestretch, as Wami and Tulu could not keep with them. Ribeiro appeared in trouble with 80 metres left when she darted by Wang on the inside and pulled away to win by one second.