1,500 metres, Women

The woman to beat in this event was Anni Friesinger. In late 2001, she had first broken the world record before winning the event at the World Single Distance Championships (repeating her 1998 victory). In the Olympic season, she had dominated the distance, winning all five World Cup races and taking the distance at the European Championships. Of the opposition, American Jennifer Rodriguez had been the most consistent, placing runner-up to Friesinger at three World Cups.

The Olympic competition then pretty much proceeded as expected. The first of the favorites on the start list, Friesinger quickly made clear that she, and nobody else, would take home the gold. The splits of her world record of 1:54.02 left little room for the others. Even fellow German Sabine Völker, a sprinter and winner of two medals earlier in the Games, was unable to follow the pace, and lost nearly a second with her time of 1:54.97. She would hold on to silver, with the final medalist coming from the final pair, in which Jennifer Rodriguez held off former ice hockey player Cindy Klassen.