1,000 metres, Women

The second pair matched Leah Poulos-Mueller, the 1979 World Sprint champion, and Nataliya Petrusyova, the 1980 World Champion. At 200 metres they were almost equal, Poulos-Mueller marginally ahead. By 600 metres, Petrusyova has a .29 second lead, but over the final lap, she was too strong, finishing 1.31 seconds ahead of Poulos-Mueller, in 1:24.10, an Olympic record. In the next pair East Germany’s Sylvia Albrecht, who had been fourth at the 1979 World Sprints, skated steadily throughout to finish in 1:26.46. She was over a second behind Poulos-Mueller, but it would be good enough for the bronze medal, and after three pairs, the medals were decided. The sixth pair matched 500 champion Karin Enke and Beth Heiden, but they would finish fourth and fifth. Petrusyova would compete thru 1985, becoming one of the top skaters of the early 80s, winning the 1980 and 1981 World Championships, the 1982 World Sprints, and the 1981-82 European Championships. Later in 1980, she would break Tatyana Barabash’s world record, recording 1:23.01 at Medeo in March.