Venue: Start 09:00 and finish at the Athens Olympic Stadium.
57 athletes from 35 nations.
World record: Wang Yan (CHN) 1:26:22 Guangzhou, China 19 November 2001
Olympic record: Wang Liping (CHN) 1:29:05 Sydney, Australia 28 September 2000
Qualification
Period: 1st January 2003 to 9th August 2004
Standard A: 1:22:30 up to 3 athletes.
Standard B: 1:38:00 1 athlete.
Int.
Athlete
time
2km
Olimpiada Ivanova
RUS
9:13
4km
Olimpiada Ivanova
RUS
18:18
6km
Olimpiada Ivanova
RUS
27:20
8km
Yelena Nikolayeva
RUS
36:17
10km
Olimpiada Ivanova
RUS
45:16
12km
Olimpiada Ivanova
RUS
54:12
14km
Olimpiada Ivanova
RUS
1:03:03
16km
Olimpiada Ivanova
RUS
1:11:55
18km
Athanasia Tsoumeleka
GRE
1:20:27
race had started with a strong, good-sized bunch of fifty-seven walkers keeping together through the field. As the group left the stadium falling apart, Russia's Olimpiada Ivanova took the front of the pack on the opening 2k laps, followed by several of the anticipated favorites, which included 2000 Olympic champion Wang Liping, the Australian sisters Jane and Natalie Saville, and the Greek duo Athina Papayianni and Athanasia Tsoumeleka. By the half way mark, fourteen walkers were still in close contention with Ivanova maintaining the lead and Belarus' Ryta Turava staying beside her to shorten the gap. As the Belarusian began to lose contact, Ivanova steadily broke away from the group to own the race, until Jane Saville set the pace much faster to chase her on the succeeding lap. With just 2k left to go, home favorite Tsoumeleka zoomed past the two remaining chasers Ivanova and Saville on a late charge to quickly build up a seemingly insurmountable lead. Entering the Olympic Stadium with a rapturous welcome from the partisan crowd, Tsoumeleka walked jubilantly into the final stretch to deliver the Greeks their first ever Olympic track and field gold medal at these Games. Saville had finally erased her setback of being disqualified at the Sydney Olympics four years earlier to successfully claim the bronze, holding Turava off the podium to fourth.<@>#`