| | Event type

1,500 metres, Women

Date	23 February 1988
Status	Olympic (non-medal)
Location	Max Bell Arena, Calgary
Participants	31 from 11 countries

At the World Championships in St. Louis (USA), held barely two weeks before the Olympics, Canada’s Sylvie Daigle had claimed the overall title, along with victories in three of the four races (all except the 500 m). But in the preliminary races, attention went to China’s Li Yan, who bettered the world record to 2:34.85. In the final, Daigle and Li battled closely with Monique Velzeboer, winner of the 500 m. The three all ended up on the podium, with Daigle edging out Monique Velzeboer and Li. Sylvie Daigle is one of the all-time stars of short-track speed skating, having won five overall world titles (1979, 1983, 1988-1990).

Pos	Competitor(s)	NOC	FP	SP	Best Time
1	Sylvie Daigle	CAN	A	2:37.61	–
2	Monique Velzeboer	NED	A	2:37.77	–
3	Li Yan	CHN	A	2:37.92	–
4	Eiko Shishii	JPN	A	2:38.19	–
5	Yumiko Yamada	JPN	A	2:39.49	–
6	Nathalie Lambert	CAN	A	2:44.77	–
7	Maria Rosa Candido	ITA	B	2:43.64	–
8	Maryse Perreault	CAN	B	2:43.91	–
9	Li Jinyan	CHN	B	2:44.04	–
10	Yoo Boo-Won	KOR	B	2:44.28	–
11	Qiao Jing	CHN	B	2:48.89	–
12	Lee Yoon-Sook	KOR	B	DNF	–
13	Nobuko Yamada	JPN	5	39	2:44.06
14	Zhang Yanmei	CHN	5	18	2:43.16
15	Barbara Mussio	ITA	5	18	2:45.22
16	Cristina Sciolla	ITA	6	24	2:51.52
17	Marina Pylayeva	URS	6	16	2:45.59
18	Priscilla Ernst	NED	6	16	2:50.06
19	Bea Pintens	BEL	4	8	2:46.10
20	Viktoriya Taranina	URS	4	8	2:46.20
21	Hong Ho-Kyung	KOR	4	8	2:50.10
22	Amy Peterson	USA	4	8	2:52.27
23	Joëlle van Koetsveld-van Ankeren	NED	4	8	2:53.29
24	Karen Gardiner	AUS	4	8	3:09.49
25	Valérie Barizza	FRA	5	5	2:50.90
26	Tricia Stennes	USA	5	5	2:51.38
27	Becky Mane Sanfelippo	USA	5	5	2:53.25
28	Tara Laszlo	USA	5	5	2:54.03
29	Eden Donatelli	CAN	5	5	3:04.89
30	Hiromi Takeuchi	JPN	5	5	3:14.63
31	Gabriella Monteduro	ITA	6	3	3:23.48

Round One (23 February 1988 — 10:00)

Heat One

Pos	Competitor(s)	NOC	Time
1	Maria Rosa Candido	ITA	2:44.73	Q
2	Li Yan	CHN	2:44.98	Q
3	Nathalie Lambert	CAN	2:45.09	Q
4	Viktoriya Taranina	URS	2:46.20
5	Becky Mane Sanfelippo	USA	2:53.25

Heat Two

Pos	Competitor(s)	NOC	Time
1	Sylvie Daigle	CAN	2:47.30	Q
2	Li Jinyan	CHN	2:47.40	Q
3	Priscilla Ernst	NED	2:50.06	Q
4	Hong Ho-Kyung	KOR	2:50.10
5	Valérie Barizza	FRA	2:50.90
6	Gabriella Monteduro	ITA	3:23.48

Heat Three

Pos	Competitor(s)	NOC	Time
1	Monique Velzeboer	NED	2:47.71	Q
2	Cristina Sciolla	ITA	2:51.52	Q
3	Zhang Yanmei	CHN	2:52.22	Q
4	Karen Gardiner	AUS	3:09.49
5	Hiromi Takeuchi	JPN	3:14.63

Heat Four

Pos	Competitor(s)	NOC	Time
1	Nobuko Yamada	JPN	2:44.06	Q
2	Yoo Boo-Won	KOR	2:44.14	Q
3	Marina Pylayeva	URS	2:45.59	Q
4	Amy Peterson	USA	2:52.27
5	Eden Donatelli	CAN	3:04.89

Heat Five

Pos	Competitor(s)	NOC	Time
1	Yumiko Yamada	JPN	2:51.19	Q
2	Maryse Perreault	CAN	2:51.27	Q
3	Barbara Mussio	ITA	2:52.31	Q
4	Joëlle van Koetsveld-van Ankeren	NED	2:53.29
5	Tara Laszlo	USA	2:54.03

Heat Six

Pos	Competitor(s)	NOC	Time
1	Eiko Shishii	JPN	2:45.27	Q
2	Qiao Jing	CHN	2:45.88	Q
3	Lee Yoon-Sook	KOR	2:46.02	Q
4	Bea Pintens	BEL	2:46.10
5	Tricia Stennes	USA	2:51.38

Semi-Finals (23 February 1988)

Heat One

Pos	Competitor(s)	NOC	Time
1	Li Yan	CHN	2:34.85	QAWR
2	Yumiko Yamada	JPN	2:34.97	QA
3	Maria Rosa Candido	ITA	2:35.03	QB
4	Maryse Perreault	CAN	2:37.29	QB
5	Zhang Yanmei	CHN	2:43.16
6	Priscilla Ernst	NED	2:50.32

Heat Two

Pos	Competitor(s)	NOC	Time
1	Eiko Shishii	JPN	2:41.35	QA
2	Li Jinyan	CHN	2:42.27	QB
3	Sylvie Daigle	CAN	2:43.28	QA
4	Yoo Boo-Won	KOR	2:43.40	QB
5	Barbara Mussio	ITA	2:45.22
6	Marina Pylayeva	URS	2:52.41

Heat Three

Pos	Competitor(s)	NOC	Time
1	Monique Velzeboer	NED	2:40.91	QA
2	Nathalie Lambert	CAN	2:40.94	QA
3	Qiao Jing	CHN	2:41.08	QB
4	Lee Yoon-Sook	KOR	2:43.20	QB
5	Nobuko Yamada	JPN	2:46.55
6	Cristina Sciolla	ITA	3:13.07

Final Round (23 February 1988 — 12:27)

A Final

Pos	Competitor(s)	NOC	Time
1	Sylvie Daigle	CAN	2:37.61
2	Monique Velzeboer	NED	2:37.77
3	Li Yan	CHN	2:37.92
4	Eiko Shishii	JPN	2:38.19
5	Yumiko Yamada	JPN	2:39.49
6	Nathalie Lambert	CAN	2:44.77

B Final

Pos	Competitor(s)	NOC	Time
1	Maria Rosa Candido	ITA	2:43.64
2	Maryse Perreault	CAN	2:43.91
3	Li Jinyan	CHN	2:44.04
4	Yoo Boo-Won	KOR	2:44.28
5	Qiao Jing	CHN	2:48.89
DNF	Lee Yoon-Sook	KOR	–