1,000 metres, Women

The favorite was East German Karin Enke, who already had two medals in 1984 – a gold in the 1,500 and silver in the 500. Enke had won the World Sprints in 1980, 1981, and 1983, and was second in 1982, and at the World Championships, she had won in 1982 and earlier in 1984, placing second in 1981 and 1983. Her biggest challengers were expected to be the defending champion, Soviet Nataliya Petrusyova, who held the world record of 1:19.31, set at Medeo in 1983, and was the 1982 World Sprint champion, and Enke’s East German teammate, Andrea Schöne, who had won the 1983 World Championships and was second to Enke in both 1982 and 1984.

The 500 champion, Christa Rothenburger, started in the first pair and posted an Olympic record 1:23.98. Schöne was in the second pair, and although she started slowly, she was well ahead of Rothenburger at 600 metres, and finished in 1:22.83 to take the lead. Enke was in the next pairing. She had the fastest start of the event and held on to it, crossing the line in 1:21.61, which would win her the gold medal. Petrusyova was in the sixth group but her time of 1:23.21 would be good only for bronze. One other medal favorite was Nataliya Glebova, who started very well, but fell at 150 metres.

A few weeks later, at the 1984 World Sprint Championships, Enke would again win the title, this time dominating by winning all four races. In her career she would win eventually win eight Olympic medals (3 gold, 4 silver, 1 bronze), and 11 World Championships (6 sprint, 5 all-around). The three medalists finished in the exact same order as they had done in the women’s 1,500, four days earlier.