| | Event type

High Jump, Women

Date	1 – 3 August 1996
Status	Olympic
Location	Centennial Olympic Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Participants	32 from 24 countries

Stefka Kostadinova had been the world’s top high jumper since 1986 but had failed badly in both 1988 and 1992 in her attempt to win Olympic gold. She had set three world records, and her mark of 2.09 (6-10¼) from 1987 still stood (and stands thru 2019), and had cleared 2.05 metres (6-8¾) 20 times, a mark cleared only five times by other women. She was World Champion in 1987 and 1995. Thru 2.01 (6-7) metres in the final round, three jumpers survived – Kostadinova, Inha Babakova (UKR), and Greece’s Niki Bakogianni – but Kostadinova and Babakova led as they were perfect to that point. But Babakova went out at 2.03 (6-7¾), while Bakogianni had a surprise clearance at that height on her third attempt. However, Kostadinova still led, and was still perfect. She cemented the gold medal by jumping 2.05 metres (6-8¾).

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Qualifying	Final
1	Stefka Kostadinova	BUL	1.93 (=1)	2.05 (1)	Gold	OR
2	Niki Bakogianni	GRE	1.93 (=1)	2.03 (2)	Silver
3	Inha Babakova	UKR	1.93 (=1)	2.01 (3)	Bronze
4	Yelena Gulyayeva	RUS	1.93 (=1)	1.99 (4)
=5	Alina Astafei	GER	1.93 (=1)	1.96 (=5)
=5	Nelė Savickytė-Žilinskienė	LTU	1.93 (=1)	1.96 (=5)
=5	Tatyana Motkova	RUS	1.93 (=1)	1.96 (=5)
8	Hanne Haugland	NOR	1.93 (=1)	1.96 (8)
=9	Britta Bilač	SLO	1.93 (11)	1.93 (=9)
=9	Tisha Waller	USA	1.93 (=1)	1.93 (=9)
=11	Zuzana Kováčiková	CZE	1.93 (13)	1.93 (=11)
=11	Olga Bolșova	MDA	1.93 (12)	1.93 (=11)
13	Svetlana Zalevskaya	KAZ	1.93 (=1)	1.93 (13)
14 r1/2	Tatsiana Khramava	BLR	1.90 (14)	–
15 r1/2	Kajsa Bergqvist	SWE	1.90 (15)	–
16 r1/2	Lea Haggett	GBR	1.90 (16)	–
17 r1/2	Ioamnet Quintero	CUB	1.90 (17)	–
18 r1/2	Connie Teaberry	USA	1.90 (18)	–
=19 r1/2	Debbie Marti	GBR	1.85 (=19)	–
=19 r1/2	Yuliya Lyakhova	RUS	1.85 (=19)	–
=19 r1/2	Sieglinde Cadusch	SUI	1.85 (=19)	–
=19 r1/2	Vita Stopina	UKR	1.85 (=19)	–
23 r1/2	Inna Gliznuța	MDA	1.85 (23)	–
=24 r1/2	Alica Javadová	SVK	1.85 (=24)	–
=24 r1/2	Amy Acuff	USA	1.85 (=24)	–
26 r1/2	Natasha Alleyne	TTO	1.85 (26)	–
27 r1/2	Juana Rosario Arrendel	DOM	1.80 (27)	–
28 r1/2	Svetlana Munkova	UZB	1.80 (28)	–
=29 r1/2	Venelina Veneva	BUL	1.80 (=29)	–
=29 r1/2	Irène Tiendrébéogo	BUR	1.80 (=29)	–
AC r1/2	Alison Inverarity	AUS	– (NH)	–
DQ	Antonella Bevilacqua	ITA	[1.93] (DQ)	[1.99] (DQ)
DNS	Coralea Cline	IVB	– (DNS)	–
DNS	Sigrid Kirchmann	AUT	– (DNS)	–

Qualifying Round

Date	1 August 1996
Format	Top 12 and ties and all those clearing 1.95 metres advanced to the final.

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Best Height Cleared	Misses at Best Height Cleared	Total Misses thru Best Height Cleared
=1	Stefka Kostadinova	BUL	1.93	0	0	q
=1	Alina Astafei	GER	1.93	0	0	q
=1	Niki Bakogianni	GRE	1.93	0	0	q
=1	Svetlana Zalevskaya	KAZ	1.93	0	0	q
=1	Nelė Savickytė-Žilinskienė	LTU	1.93	0	0	q
=1	Hanne Haugland	NOR	1.93	0	0	q
=1	Yelena Gulyayeva	RUS	1.93	0	0	q
=1	Tatyana Motkova	RUS	1.93	0	0	q
=1	Inha Babakova	UKR	1.93	0	0	q
=1	Tisha Waller	USA	1.93	0	0	q
11	Britta Bilač	SLO	1.93	1	1	q
12	Olga Bolșova	MDA	1.93	1	2	q
13	Zuzana Kováčiková	CZE	1.93	2	4	q
14	Tatsiana Khramava	BLR	1.90	0	0
15	Kajsa Bergqvist	SWE	1.90	0	1
16	Lea Haggett	GBR	1.90	1	2
17	Ioamnet Quintero	CUB	1.90	2	2
18	Connie Teaberry	USA	1.90	2	3
=19	Debbie Marti	GBR	1.85	0	0
=19	Yuliya Lyakhova	RUS	1.85	0	0
=19	Sieglinde Cadusch	SUI	1.85	0	0
=19	Vita Stopina	UKR	1.85	0	0
23	Inna Gliznuța	MDA	1.85	0	1
=24	Alica Javadová	SVK	1.85	1	1
=24	Amy Acuff	USA	1.85	1	1
26	Natasha Alleyne	TTO	1.85	2	3
27	Juana Rosario Arrendel	DOM	1.80	0	0
28	Svetlana Munkova	UZB	1.80	2	2
=29	Venelina Veneva	BUL	1.80	2	4
=29	Irène Tiendrébéogo	BUR	1.80	2	4
NH	Alison Inverarity	AUS	–	–	–
DQ	Antonella Bevilacqua	ITA	[1.93]	[0]	[0]	Q
DNS	Coralea Cline	IVB	–	–	–
DNS	Sigrid Kirchmann	AUT	–	–	–

Group A

Date	1 August 1996 — 9:30

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Best Height Cleared	Misses at Best Height Cleared	Total Misses thru Best Height Cleared	Attempts at 1.75 m	Attempts at 1.80 m	Attempts at 1.85 m	Attempts at 1.90 m	Attempts at 1.93 m
=1	Stefka Kostadinova	BUL	1.93	0	0	-	o	o	o	o
=1	Niki Bakogianni	GRE	1.93	0	0	-	o	o	o	o
=1	Svetlana Zalevskaya	KAZ	1.93	0	0	-	o	o	o	o
=1	Yelena Gulyayeva	RUS	1.93	0	0	-	o	o	o	o
=1	Inha Babakova	UKR	1.93	0	0	-	-	o	o	o
=1	Tisha Waller	USA	1.93	0	0	o	o	o	o	o
7	Olga Bolșova	MDA	1.93	1	2	-	o	xo	o	xo
8	Connie Teaberry	USA	1.90	2	3	o	xo	o	xxo	xxx
=9	Debbie Marti	GBR	1.85	0	0	o	o	o	xxx	–
=9	Sieglinde Cadusch	SUI	1.85	0	0	o	o	o	xxx	–
11	Natasha Alleyne	TTO	1.85	2	3	o	xo	xxo	xxx	–
12	Juana Rosario Arrendel	DOM	1.80	0	0	o	o	xxx	–	–
13	Svetlana Munkova	UZB	1.80	2	2	o	xxo	xxx	–	–
14	Irène Tiendrébéogo	BUR	1.80	2	4	xxo	xxo	xxx	–	–
DQ	Antonella Bevilacqua	ITA	[1.93]	[0]	[0]	[-]	[o]	[o]	[o]	[o]
DNS	Coralea Cline	IVB	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
DNS	Sigrid Kirchmann	AUT	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

Group B

Date	1 August 1996 — 9:30

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Best Height Cleared	Misses at Best Height Cleared	Total Misses thru Best Height Cleared	Attempts at 1.75 m	Attempts at 1.80 m	Attempts at 1.85 m	Attempts at 1.90 m	Attempts at 1.93 m
=1	Alina Astafei	GER	1.93	0	0	-	o	o	o	o
=1	Nelė Savickytė-Žilinskienė	LTU	1.93	0	0	-	o	o	o	o
=1	Hanne Haugland	NOR	1.93	0	0	-	o	o	o	o
=1	Tatyana Motkova	RUS	1.93	0	0	o	o	o	o	o
5	Britta Bilač	SLO	1.93	1	1	-	o	o	o	xo
6	Zuzana Kováčiková	CZE	1.93	2	4	o	o	xo	xo	xxo
7	Tatsiana Khramava	BLR	1.90	0	0	-	o	o	o	xxx
8	Kajsa Bergqvist	SWE	1.90	0	1	o	o	xo	o	xxx
9	Lea Haggett	GBR	1.90	1	2	-	xo	o	xo	xxx
10	Ioamnet Quintero	CUB	1.90	2	2	-	o	o	xxo	xxx
=11	Yuliya Lyakhova	RUS	1.85	0	0	-	o	o	xxx	–
=11	Vita Stopina	UKR	1.85	0	0	-	o	o	xxx	–
13	Inna Gliznuța	MDA	1.85	0	1	o	xo	o	xxx	–
=14	Alica Javadová	SVK	1.85	1	1	-	o	xo	xxx	–
=14	Amy Acuff	USA	1.85	1	1	o	o	xo	xxx	–
16	Venelina Veneva	BUL	1.80	2	4	xxo	xxo	xxx	–	–
NH	Alison Inverarity	AUS	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

Final Round

Date	3 August 1996 — 18:30

Pos	Competitor	NOC	Best Height Cleared	Misses at Best Height Cleared	Total Misses thru Best Height Cleared	Attempts at 1.80 m	Attempts at 1.85 m	Attempts at 1.90 m	Attempts at 1.93 m	Attempts at 1.96 m	Attempts at 1.99 m	Attempts at 2.01 m	Attempts at 2.03 m	Attempts at 2.05 m	Attempts at 2.10 m
1	Stefka Kostadinova	BUL	2.05	1	1	-	o	o	o	o	o	o	o	xo	xxx	OR
2	Niki Bakogianni	GRE	2.03	2	5	o	o	xo	o	o	xo	xo	xxo	xxx	–	=OR
3	Inha Babakova	UKR	2.01	0	0	-	o	o	o	o	o	o	xxx	–	–
4	Yelena Gulyayeva	RUS	1.99	1	2	-	o	o	o	xo	xo	xxx	–	–	–
=5	Alina Astafei	GER	1.96	0	0	-	o	o	o	o	x-	xx-	–	–	–
=5	Nelė Savickytė-Žilinskienė	LTU	1.96	0	0	o	o	o	o	o	xxx	–	–	–	–
=5	Tatyana Motkova	RUS	1.96	0	0	-	o	o	o	o	x-	xx-	–	–	–
8	Hanne Haugland	NOR	1.96	0	3	-	o	xxo	xo	o	xxx	–	–	–	–
=9	Britta Bilač	SLO	1.93	0	0	o	o	o	o	xxx	–	–	–	–	–
=9	Tisha Waller	USA	1.93	0	0	o	o	o	o	xxx	–	–	–	–	–
=11	Zuzana Kováčiková	CZE	1.93	1	2	o	xo	o	xo	xxx	–	–	–	–	–
=11	Olga Bolșova	MDA	1.93	1	2	o	o	xo	xo	xxx	–	–	–	–	–
13	Svetlana Zalevskaya	KAZ	1.93	2	3	o	o	xo	xxo	xxx	–	–	–	–	–
DQ	Antonella Bevilacqua	ITA	[1.99]	[0]	[0]	[o]	[o]	[o]	[o]	[o]	[o]	[xxx]	–	–	–