| Date | 22 – 25 September 2000 |
|---|---|
| Status | Olympic |
| Location | Olympic Stadium, Olympic Park, Sydney, New South Wales |
| Participants | 49 from 32 countries |
Gabriela Szabo (ROM) was the heavy favorite, having won the 1997 and 1999 World Championships, and most major invitationals in the past year. She only lost once at 5,000 since the 1996 Olympics, that coming in the 1998 European Championship when Sonia O’Sullivan (IRL) won that title, until two weeks before the Sydney Olympics. In early September she had been defeated by Leah Malot of Kenya, but she did not make the Kenyan Olympic team. In the final, the Ethiopians Gete Wami and Ayelech Worku set the early pace, with their third teammates, Werknesh Kidane, took the lead at 4K. But in the penultimate lap, Szabo made her move and took the lead, and O’Sullivan moved to her shoulder. For the last 600 metres, it was a battle between these two as Szabo kept holding off O’Sullivan, finally getting a bit of daylight less than 30 metres from the line.
| Pos | Number | Competitor | NOC | R1 | Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2832 | Gabriela Szabo |  ROU | 15:08.36 (1 h3) | 14:40.79 (1) | Gold | ||
| 2 | 2155 | Sonia O'Sullivan |  IRL | 15:07.91 (1 h1) | 14:41.02 (2) | Silver | ||
| 3 | 1676 | Gete Wami |  ETH | 15:08.92 (3 h1) | 14:42.23 (3) | Bronze | ||
| 4 | 1677 | Ayelech Worku | ETH | 15:13.26 (2 h2) | 14:42.67 (4) | |||
| 5 | 1915 | Irina Mikitenko |  GER | 15:14.76 (4 h2) | 14:43.59 (5) | |||
| 6 | 2398 | Lydia Cheromei |  KEN | 15:09.32 (4 h1) | 14:47.35 (6) | |||
| 7 | 1671 | Werknesh Kidane | ETH | 15:08.62 (2 h3) | 14:47.40 (7) | |||
| 8 | 2985 | Olga Yegorova |  RUS | 15:14.34 (3 h2) | 14:50.31 (8) | |||
| 9 | 2459 | Jeļena Prokopčuka |  LAT | 15:09.45 (4 h3) | 14:55.46 (9) | |||
| 10 | 1296 | Daniela Yordanova |  BUL | 15:10.08 (5 h1) | 14:56.95 (10) | |||
| 11 | 2399 | Rose Cheruiyot | KEN | 15:13.18 (1 h2) | 14:58.07 (11) | |||
| 12 | 1841 | Jo Pavey |  GBR | 15:08.82 (2 h1) | 14:58.27 (12) | |||
| 13 | 2980 | Tatyana Tomashova | RUS | 15:08.92 (3 h3) | 15:01.28 (13) | |||
| 14 | 2400 | Vivian Cheruiyot | KEN | 15:11.11 (5 h3) | 15:33.66 (14) | |||
| AC r2/2 | 3441 | Olivera Jevtić |  SCG | 15:11.25 (6 h3) | – ( | |||
| 5 h2 r1/2 | 1155 | Susanne Pumper |  AUT | 15:16.66 (5 h2) | – | |||
| 6 h1 r1/2 | 1142 | Benita Willis |  AUS | 15:21.37 (6 h1) | – | |||
| 6 h2 r1/2 | 2227 | Roberta Brunet |  ITA | 15:27.32 (6 h2) | – | |||
| 7 h1 r1/2 | 3345 | Elva Dryer |  USA | 15:23.99 (7 h1) | – | |||
| 7 h2 r1/2 | 3374 | Amy Rudolph | USA | 15:28.91 (7 h2) | – | |||
| 7 h3 r1/2 | 2331 | Yoshiko Ichikawa |  JPN | 15:23.41 (7 h3) | – | |||
| 8 h1 r1/2 | 2157 | Rosemary Ryan | IRL | 15:33.05 (8 h1) | – | |||
| 8 h2 r1/2 | 3449 | Sonja Stolić | SCG | 15:38.96 (8 h2) | – | |||
| 8 h3 r1/2 | 1642 | Beatriz Santiago |  ESP | 15:31.94 (8 h3) | – | |||
| 9 h1 r1/2 | 2576 | Nora Rocha |  MEX | 15:38.72 (9 h1) | – | |||
| 9 h2 r1/2 | 2339 | Megumi Tanaka | JPN | 15:39.83 (9 h2) | – | |||
| 9 h3 r1/2 | 1131 | Kate Richardson | AUS | 15:45.34 (9 h3) | – | |||
| 10 h1 r1/2 | 2336 | Michiko Shimizu | JPN | 15:48.20 (10 h1) | – | |||
| 10 h2 r1/2 | 1622 | Marta Domínguez | ESP | 15:45.07 (10 h2) | – | |||
| 10 h3 r1/2 | 2493 | Inga Juodeškienė |  LTU | 15:46.37 (10 h3) | – | |||
| 11 h1 r1/2 | 2577 | Dulce María Rodríguez | MEX | 15:54.17 (11 h1) | – | |||
| 11 h2 r1/2 | 1993 | Chrysostomia Iakovou |  GRE | 15:46.48 (11 h2) | – | |||
| 11 h3 r1/2 | 3360 | Anne Marie Lauck | USA | 15:47.78 (11 h3) | – | |||
| 12 h1 r1/2 | 1751 | Yamna Belkacem |  FRA | 16:08.49 (12 h1) | – | |||
| 12 h2 r1/2 | 3460 | Samukeliso Moyo |  ZIM | 15:47.76 (12 h2) | – | |||
| 12 h3 r1/2 | 3184 | Ebru Kavaklioğlu |  TUR | 15:49.15 (12 h3) | – | |||
| 13 h1 r1/2 | 3034 | Helena Javornik |  SLO | 16:09.60 (13 h1) | – | |||
| 13 h2 r1/2 | 2534 | Zhor El-Kamch |  MAR | 16:02.50 (13 h2) | – | |||
| 13 h3 r1/2 | 2148 | Breda Dennehy-Willis | IRL | 15:49.58 (13 h3) | – | |||
| 14 h1 r1/2 | 1040 | Elisa Cobañea |  ARG | 16:16.58 (14 h1) | – | |||
| 14 h2 r1/2 | 1105 | Anne Cross | AUS | 16:07.18 (14 h2) | – | |||
| 14 h3 r1/2 | 1201 | Diane Nukuri |  BDI | 16:38.30 (14 h3) | – | |||
| 15 h1 r1/2 | 1560 | Nebiat Habtemariam |  ERI | 16:30.41 (15 h1) | – | |||
| 15 h2 r1/2 | 1847 | Andrea Whitcombe | GBR | 16:15.82 (15 h2) | – | |||
| 15 h3 r1/2 | 2541 | Catherine Chikwakwa |  MAW | 16:39.82 (15 h3) | – | |||
| 16 h1 r1/2 | 2162 | Maysa Hussain Matrood |  IRQ | 17:17.58 (16 h1) | – | |||
| 16 h2 r1/2 | 2037 | Maggie Chan |  HKG | 16:20.43 (16 h2) | – | |||
| 16 h3 r1/2 | 3116 | Priscilla Mamba |  SWZ | 17:30.04 (16 h3) | – | |||
| 17 h3 r1/2 | 2580 | Baatarkhüügiin Battsetseg |  MGL | 18:22.98 (17 h3) | – | |||
| 3122 | Restituta Joseph |  TAN | – (DNS h1) | – |
| Date | 22 September 2000 |
|---|---|
| Format | Top 4 in each heat and next three fastest advanced to the final. |
| Time | 18:00 |
|---|
| Pos | Start Order | Competitor | NOC | Time (Automatic) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Sonia O'Sullivan | IRL | 15:07.91 | ||
| 2 | 6 | Jo Pavey | GBR | 15:08.82 | ||
| 3 | 2 | Gete Wami | ETH | 15:08.92 | ||
| 4 | 8 | Lydia Cheromei | KEN | 15:09.32 | ||
| 5 | 3 | Daniela Yordanova | BUL | 15:10.08 | ||
| 6 | 13 | Benita Willis | AUS | 15:21.37 | ||
| 7 | 9 | Elva Dryer | USA | 15:23.99 | ||
| 8 | 17 | Rosemary Ryan | IRL | 15:33.05 | ||
| 9 | 5 | Nora Rocha | MEX | 15:38.72 | ||
| 10 | 16 | Michiko Shimizu | JPN | 15:48.20 | ||
| 11 | 15 | Dulce María Rodríguez | MEX | 15:54.17 | ||
| 12 | 11 | Yamna Belkacem | FRA | 16:08.49 | ||
| 13 | 7 | Helena Javornik | SLO | 16:09.60 | ||
| 14 | 14 | Elisa Cobañea | ARG | 16:16.58 | ||
| 15 | 4 | Nebiat Habtemariam | ERI | 16:30.41 | ||
| 16 | 1 | Maysa Hussain Matrood | IRQ | 17:17.58 | ||
| 10 | Restituta Joseph | TAN | – |
| Time | 18:25 |
|---|
| Pos | Start Order | Competitor | NOC | Time (Automatic) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Rose Cheruiyot | KEN | 15:13.18 | ||
| 2 | 4 | Ayelech Worku | ETH | 15:13.26 | ||
| 3 | 10 | Olga Yegorova | RUS | 15:14.34 | ||
| 4 | 5 | Irina Mikitenko | GER | 15:14.76 | ||
| 5 | 2 | Susanne Pumper | AUT | 15:16.66 | ||
| 6 | 16 | Roberta Brunet | ITA | 15:27.32 | ||
| 7 | 12 | Amy Rudolph | USA | 15:28.91 | ||
| 8 | 13 | Sonja Stolić | SCG | 15:38.96 | ||
| 9 | 15 | Megumi Tanaka | JPN | 15:39.83 | ||
| 10 | 3 | Marta Domínguez | ESP | 15:45.07 | ||
| 11 | 6 | Chrysostomia Iakovou | GRE | 15:46.48 | ||
| 12 | 14 | Samukeliso Moyo | ZIM | 15:47.76 | ||
| 13 | 8 | Zhor El-Kamch | MAR | 16:02.50 | ||
| 14 | 1 | Anne Cross | AUS | 16:07.18 | ||
| 15 | 9 | Andrea Whitcombe | GBR | 16:15.82 | ||
| 16 | 11 | Maggie Chan | HKG | 16:20.43 |
| Time | 18:50 |
|---|
| Pos | Start Order | Competitor | NOC | Time (Automatic) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 | Gabriela Szabo | ROU | 15:08.36 | ||
| 2 | 4 | Werknesh Kidane | ETH | 15:08.62 | ||
| 3 | 15 | Tatyana Tomashova | RUS | 15:08.92 | ||
| 4 | 11 | Jeļena Prokopčuka | LAT | 15:09.45 | ||
| 5 | 9 | Vivian Cheruiyot | KEN | 15:11.11 | ||
| 6 | 17 | Olivera Jevtić | SCG | 15:11.25 | ||
| 7 | 10 | Yoshiko Ichikawa | JPN | 15:23.41 | ||
| 8 | 3 | Beatriz Santiago | ESP | 15:31.94 | ||
| 9 | 1 | Kate Richardson | AUS | 15:45.34 | ||
| 10 | 12 | Inga Juodeškienė | LTU | 15:46.37 | ||
| 11 | 6 | Anne Marie Lauck | USA | 15:47.78 | ||
| 12 | 16 | Ebru Kavaklioğlu | TUR | 15:49.15 | ||
| 13 | 8 | Breda Dennehy-Willis | IRL | 15:49.58 | ||
| 14 | 2 | Diane Nukuri | BDI | 16:38.30 | ||
| 15 | 5 | Catherine Chikwakwa | MAW | 16:39.82 | ||
| 16 | 7 | Priscilla Mamba | SWZ | 17:30.04 | ||
| 17 | 13 | Baatarkhüügiin Battsetseg | MGL | 18:22.98 |
| Date | 25 September 2000 — 20:55 |
|---|
| Pos | Start Order | Competitor | NOC | Time (Automatic) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | Gabriela Szabo | ROU | 14:40.79 | ||
| 2 | 7 | Sonia O'Sullivan | IRL | 14:41.02 | ||
| 3 | 11 | Gete Wami | ETH | 14:42.23 | ||
| 4 | 14 | Ayelech Worku | ETH | 14:42.67 | ||
| 5 | 1 | Irina Mikitenko | GER | 14:43.59 | ||
| 6 | 15 | Lydia Cheromei | KEN | 14:47.35 | ||
| 7 | 2 | Werknesh Kidane | ETH | 14:47.40 | ||
| 8 | 12 | Olga Yegorova | RUS | 14:50.31 | ||
| 9 | 6 | Jeļena Prokopčuka | LAT | 14:55.46 | ||
| 10 | 5 | Daniela Yordanova | BUL | 14:56.95 | ||
| 11 | 13 | Rose Cheruiyot | KEN | 14:58.07 | ||
| 12 | 3 | Jo Pavey | GBR | 14:58.27 | ||
| 13 | 4 | Tatyana Tomashova | RUS | 15:01.28 | ||
| 14 | 8 | Vivian Cheruiyot | KEN | 15:33.66 | ||
| 9 | Olivera Jevtić | SCG | – |
| Time | Athlete(s) | NOC | Result | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 m | Gabriela Szabo | | 3:03.84 | ||
| 2000 m | Gete Wami | | 5:57.33 | ||
| 3000 m | Gete Wami | | 8:58.33 | ||
| 4000 m | Werknesh Kidane | | 11:53.60 |
