1,500 metres, Women

This was the first women’s event, and as with every women’s event in 1984, the favorite was East German Karin Enke. 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. In December 1983 she had seemingly broken the world record with 2:03.40 but the ISU did not recognize the record as it had not received advance notice about the meet. Her biggest challengers were expected to be Andrea Schöne, who had won the 1983 World Championships and was second to Enke in both 1982 and 1984, and the Soviet skater Nataliya Petrusyova, the world record holder with 2:04.04 set at Medeo in 1983. Schöne started in the first pair, and set a challenge, breaking the Olympic record by over five seconds, finishing in 2:05.29. Petrusyova was in the third pair and started quickly, leading Schöne’s times at 300 and 700 metres, but she could not finish strongly, and crossed in 2:05.78. Enke started in the fifth pair and her pace was ahead of both at every checkpoint, and she finished better than either of her rivals, to easily win the gold medal in 2:03.42, a world record time. This one the ISU did recognize. In the final results, the medals were won by the three favorites. Four days later, in the 1,000, they would finish in precisely the same positions.