100 metres
200 metres
400 metres
800 metres
1500 metres
5000 metres
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 Atlanta |
 Wang Junxia (CHN) |
 Pauline Konga (KEN) |
 Roberta Brunet (ITA) |
| 2000 Sydney |
 Gabriela Szabo (ROU) |
 Sonia O'Sullivan (IRL) |
 Gete Wami (ETH) |
| 2004 Athens |
Meseret Defar (ETH) |
Isabella Ochichi (KEN) |
Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH) |
| 2008 Beijing |
Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH) |
 Elvan Abeylegesse (TUR) |
Meseret Defar (ETH) |
| 2012 London |
 Meseret Defar (ETH) |
Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN) |
Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH) |
10,000 metres
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 Seoul |
 Olga Bondarenko (URS) |
 Liz McColgan (GBR) |
Yelena Zhupiyeva-Vyazova (URS) |
| 1992 Barcelona |
 Derartu Tulu (ETH) |
 Elana Meyer (RSA) |
 Lynn Jennings (USA) |
| 1996 Atlanta |
 Fernanda Ribeiro (POR) |
Wang Junxia (CHN) |
Gete Wami (ETH) |
| 2000 Sydney |
Derartu Tulu (ETH) |
Gete Wami (ETH) |
Fernanda Ribeiro (POR) |
| 2004 Athens |
Xing Huina (CHN) |
Ejagayehu Dibaba (ETH) |
Derartu Tulu (ETH) |
| 2008 Beijing |
Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH) |
Elvan Abeylegesse (TUR) |
Shalane Flanagan (USA) |
| 2012 London |
Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH) |
Sally Kipyego (KEN) |
Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN) |
Marathon
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 Los Angeles |
Joan Benoit (USA) |
 Grete Waitz (NOR) |
Rosa Mota (POR) |
| 1988 Seoul |
Rosa Mota (POR) |
 Lisa Martin (AUS) |
 Katrin Dörre (GDR) |
| 1992 Barcelona |
 Valentina Yegorova (EUN) |
 Yuko Arimori (JPN) |
 Lorraine Moller (NZL) |
| 1996 Atlanta |
Fatuma Roba (ETH) |
 Valentina Yegorova (RUS) |
Yuko Arimori (JPN) |
| 2000 Sydney |
Naoko Takahashi (JPN) |
Lidia Simon (ROU) |
Joyce Chepchumba (KEN) |
| 2004 Athens |
Mizuki Noguchi (JPN) |
Catherine Ndereba (KEN) |
Deena Kastor (USA) |
| 2008 Beijing |
Constantina Tomescu (ROU) |
Catherine Ndereba (KEN) |
Zhou Chunxiu (CHN) |
| 2012 London |
Tiki Gelana (ETH) |
Priscah Jeptoo (KEN) |
Tatyana Petrova Arkhipova (RUS) |
100 metres hurdles
400 metres hurdles
3000 metres steeplechase
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 Beijing |
Gulnara Samitova-Galkina (RUS) |
Eunice Jepkorir (KEN) |
Yekaterina Volkova (RUS) |
| 2012 London |
Yuliya Zaripova (RUS) |
 Habiba Ghribi (TUN) |
Sofia Assefa (ETH) |
4 x 100 metres relay
4 × 400 metres relay
Note: Marion Jones was stripped of all her Olympic medals in 2008. Crystal Cox was stripped of her Olympic medal in 2010, both being found guilty of doping violations.
20 kilometres race walk
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 Sydney |
Wang Liping (CHN) |
Kjersti Plätzer (NOR) |
 María Vasco (ESP) |
| 2004 Athens |
 Athanasia Tsoumeleka (GRE) |
Olimpiada Ivanova (RUS) |
Jane Saville (AUS) |
| 2008 Beijing |
Olga Kaniskina (RUS) |
Kjersti Plätzer (NOR) |
Elisa Rigaudo (ITA) |
| 2012 London |
Elena Lashmanova (RUS) |
Olga Kaniskina (RUS) |
Qieyang Shenjie (CHN) |
High jump
Pole vault
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 Sydney |
Stacy Dragila (USA) |
Tatiana Grigorieva (AUS) |
 Vala Flosadóttir (ISL) |
| 2004 Athens |
Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS) |
Svetlana Feofanova (RUS) |
 Anna Rogowska (POL) |
| 2008 Beijing[2] |
Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS) |
Jennifer Stuczynski (USA) |
Svetlana Feofanova (RUS) |
| 2012 London |
Jenn Suhr (USA) |
 Yarisley Silva (CUB) |
Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS) |
Long jump
Triple jump
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 Atlanta |
 Inessa Kravets (UKR) |
Inna Lasovskaya (RUS) |
 Šárka Kašpárková (CZE) |
| 2000 Sydney |
 Tereza Marinova (BUL) |
Tatyana Lebedeva (RUS) |
Olena Hovorova (UKR) |
| 2004 Athens |
 Françoise Mbango Etone (CMR) |
Hrysopiyí Devetzí (GRE) |
Tatyana Lebedeva (RUS) |
| 2008 Beijing |
Françoise Mbango Etone (CMR) |
Tatyana Lebedeva (RUS) |
Hrysopiyí Devetzí (GRE) |
| 2012 London |
 Olga Rypakova (KAZ) |
 Caterine Ibargüen (COL) |
Olha Saladukha (UKR) |
Shot put
Discus throw
Hammer throw
| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 Sydney |
Kamila Skolimowska (POL) |
Olga Kuzenkova (RUS) |
 Kirsten Münchow (GER) |
| 2004 Athens |
Olga Kuzenkova (RUS) |
Yipsi Moreno (CUB) |
Yunaika Crawford (CUB) |
| 2008 Beijing |
 Aksana Miankova (BLR) |
Yipsi Moreno (CUB) |
Zhang Wenxiu (CHN) |
| 2012 London |
Tatyana Lysenko (RUS) |
Anita Włodarczyk (POL) |
Betty Heidler (GER) |
Javelin throw
Heptathlon
Discontinued events
3000 metres
The 3000 meter run was replaced by the 5000 meter run in 1996 and henceforth.| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 Los Angeles |
 Maricica Puică (ROU) |
Wendy Smith-Sly (GBR) |
 Lynn Williams (CAN) |
| 1988 Seoul |
Tetyana Samolenko (URS) |
Paula Ivan (ROU) |
Yvonne Murray (GBR) |
| 1992 Barcelona |
Yelena Romanova (EUN) |
Tetyana Dorovskikh (EUN) |
Angela Chalmers (CAN) |
80 meter hurdles
This event was replaced by the 100 meter hurdles from 1972 onwards.
Pentathlon
In 1984 and henceforth, the pentathlon (five events over two days) was replaced by the heptathlon (seven events over two days), so "discontinued" is not precisely correct. The heptathlon consists of the 200 meter and 800 meter runs, the 100 meter hurdles, the shot put, the javelin throw, the high jump, and the long jump in track and field: three track events and four field events.| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 Tokyo |
 Irina Press (URS) |
Mary Rand (GBR) |
Galina Bystrova (URS) |
| 1968 Mexico City |
 Ingrid Becker (FRG) |
 Liese Prokop (AUT) |
 Annamária Tóth (HUN) |
| 1972 Munich |
Mary Peters (GBR) |
Heide Rosendahl (FRG) |
Burglinde Pollak (GDR) |
| 1976 Montreal |
Siegrun Siegl (GDR) |
Christine Laser (GDR) |
Burglinde Pollak (GDR) |
| 1980 Moscow |
Nadezhda Tkachenko (URS) |
Olga Rukavishnikova (URS) |
Olga Kuragina (URS) |
10 kilometers race walk
In the year 2000 and henceforth, the distance was doubled to 20 kilometers| Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 Barcelona |
Chen Yueling (CHN) |
Yelena Nikolayeva (EUN) |
Li Chunxiu (CHN) |
| 1996 Atlanta |
Yelena Nikolayeva (RUS) |
Elisabetta Perrone (ITA) |
Wang Yan (CHN) |
Conversions of distances
| meters | yards | kilo- meters |
miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 | 87.5 | ||
| 100 | 109.4 | ||
| 110 | 120.3 | ||
| 200 | 219 | ||
| 400 | 437 | 0.4 | 0.25 |
| 800 | 875 | 0.8 | 0.50 |
| 1,500 | 1,640 | 1.5 | 0.93 |
| 3,000 | 3,281 | 3.0 | 1.86 |
| 5,000 | 5,468 | 5.0 | 3.11 |
| 10,000 | 10,936 | 10.0 | 6.21 |
| 20,000 | 21,872 | 20.0 | 12.43 |
| 42,750 | 46,752 | 42.75 | 26.56 |
