Kayak Singles, 500 metres, Women

Lyudmila Pinayeva was the reigning two-time Olympic and three-time World Champion in the K-1 500, but she elected to compete in the K-2 500 at the 1972 Summer Olympics, which left Yuliya Riabchynska, a 1971 World Champion in the K-4 500, with the task of defending the Soviet Union’s title in this event. Also in contention were Mieke Jaapies of the Netherlands, who had been runner-up to Pinayeva at the last two World Championships, and Marcia Jones Smoke of the United States, the 1964 Olympic bronze medalist. Riabchynska and Jaapies were victorious in their heats in the opening round, while Jones Smoke set an Olympic record as she won her heat in the repêchage. Riabchynska and Jaapies again took their heats in the semi-finals, setting consecutive Olympic records 0.03 seconds apart in the process, while Jones Smoke came in second behind Hungary’s Anna Pfeffer, a 1968 Olympic runner-up in the K-2 500. In the final, Riabchynska set the fourth Olympic record of the event as she took gold, while Jaapies captured silver nearly a second later. Pfeffer was nearly two seconds behind the Dutch competitor, but managed to claim bronze, while Smoke Jones struggled and finished ninth and last.