# Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metres

The women's 100 metres at the 2004 Summer Olympics as part of the athletics program were held at the Athens Olympic Stadium from August 20 to 21.
In the first round, the first three runners from each of the eight heats, together with the eight next fastest overall runners (8×3+8=32), automatically qualified for the second round. In the second round, these thirty-two runners competed in four heats, with the first three from each heat and the four next fastest overall (4×3+4=16) advancing to the semifinals. In the semifinals, only the first four runners from each of the two heats move on to the final (2×4=8).
With some of the world's most promising sprinters, including 2000 Olympic champion Marion Jones and home favorite Ekaterini Thanou, absent, the race had become widely open in the final. The start was notably uneven as Bulgaria's Ivet Lalova and Jamaica's Sherone Simpson jumped into upright running positions quickly from the blocks, while Simpson's Jamaican teammates Aleen Bailey and Veronica Campbell and American favorite Lauryn Williams got out behind. Campbell further seemed to stumble while Williams powerfully overstride from last into the lead in the middle of the track by the halfway mark. Simpson faded quickly from her fast start being overtaken by Belarusian sprinter Yulia Nestsiarenka, who attempted to find her stride with just 30 metres into the race on the outside. While Williams and Campbell found their stride to maintain a commanding lead towards the 60-metre mark, Nestsiarenka held off a late charge to continue her march past the field and produce a storming finish with a Belarusian record of 10.93 seconds, making her the nation's first Olympic champion in this event. Following an unexpected victory from Nestsiarenka, Williams edged the fast closing Campbell for a silver medal by a hundredth of a second, finishing at 10.96.

## Records

Prior to the competition, the existing World record, Olympic record, and world leading time were as follows:
| World record | Florence Griffith-Joyner (USA) | 10.49 s | Indianapolis, United States | 16 July 1988 |
| Olympic record | Florence Griffith-Joyner (USA) | 10.62 s | Seoul, South Korea | 24 September 1988 |
| World Leading | Ivet Lalova-Collio (BUL) | 10.77 | Plovdiv, Bulgaria | 19 June 2004 |
No new records were set during the competition.

## Qualification

The qualification period for Athletics was 1 January 2003 to 9 August 2004. For the women's 200 metres, each National Olympic Committee was permitted to enter up to three athletes that had run the race in 11.30 seconds or faster during the qualification period. If an NOC had no athletes that qualified under that standard, one athlete that had run the race in 11.40 seconds or faster could be entered.

## Schedule

All times are Eastern European Summer Time (UTC+3)
| Date | Time | Round |
| Friday, 20 August 2004 | 10:50 20:10 | Round 1 Quarterfinals |
| Saturday, 21 August 2004 | 20:20 22:55 | Semifinals Final |

## Results
### Round 1

Qualification rule: The first three finishers in each heat (Q) plus the next eight fastest overall runners (q) qualified for the next round.

#### Heat 1

Wind: +0.5 m/s
| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Reaction | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 2 | Aleen Bailey | Jamaica | 0.232 | 11.20 | Q |
| 2 | 3 | Véronique Mang | France | 0.186 | 11.24 | Q, PB |
| 3 | 8 | Debbie Ferguson | Bahamas | 0.189 | 11.30 | Q |
| 4 | 7 | Mercy Nku | Nigeria | 0.164 | 11.37 | q |
| 5 | 5 | Liliana Allen | Mexico | 0.154 | 11.42 | q, SB |
| 6 | 1 | Geraldine Pillay | South Africa | 0.178 | 11.44 | |
| 7 | 6 | Tit Linda Sou | Cambodia | 0.235 | 13.47 | PB |
| 8 | 4 | Katura Marae | Vanuatu | | 13.49 | SB |

#### Heat 2

Wind: +0.9 m/s
| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Reaction | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 3 | Yulia Nestsiarenka | Belarus | 0.240 | 10.94 | Q, NR |
| 2 | 4 | Merlene Ottey | Slovenia | 0.195 | 11.14 | Q |
| 3 | 2 | Larisa Kruglova | Russia | 0.207 | 11.23 | Q, =PB |
| 4 | 6 | Guzel Khubbieva | Uzbekistan | 0.153 | 11.31 | q |
| 5 | 5 | Rakia Al-Gassra | Bahrain | 0.250 | 11.49 | NR |
| 6 | 7 | Winneth Dube | Zimbabwe | 0.211 | 11.56 | |
| 7 | 1 | Evangeleen Ikelap | Federated States of Micronesia | 0.221 | 13.50 | =PB |
| 8 | 8 | Danah Al-Nasrallah | Kuwait | | 13.92 | NR |

#### Heat 3

Wind: −0.7 m/s
| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Reaction | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 7 | Lauryn Williams | United States | 0.247 | 11.16 | Q |
| 2 | 1 | Irina Khabarova | Russia | 0.154 | 11.32 | Q |
| 3 | 4 | Fana Ashby | Trinidad and Tobago | 0.177 | 11.43 | Q |
| 4 | 8 | Affoué Amandine Allou | Ivory Coast | 0.182 | 11.46 | |
| 5 | 2 | Melisa Murillo | Colombia | 0.185 | 11.67 | |
| 6 | 6 | Elena Bobrovskaya | Kyrgyzstan | 0.180 | 11.76 | |
| 7 | 5 | Ngerak Florencio | Palau | 0.222 | 12.76 | PB |
| 8 | 3 | Aminata Kamissoko | Mauritania | 0.179 | 13.49 | |

#### Heat 4

Wind: −0.1 m/s
| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Reaction | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 8 | Yuliya Tabakova | Russia | 0.217 | 11.22 | Q |
| 2 | 5 | Sherone Simpson | Jamaica | 0.173 | 11.27 | Q |
| 3 | 2 | Chandra Sturrup | Bahamas | 0.138 | 11.37 | Q, SB |
| 4 | 6 | Bettina Müller | Austria | 0.162 | 11.39 | q |
| 5 | 1 | Johanna Manninen | Finland | 0.157 | 11.45 | |
| 6 | 7 | Sina Schielke | Germany | 0.194 | 11.46 | |
| 7 | 4 | Kaitinano Mwemweata | Kiribati | 0.257 | 13.07 | PB |
| 8 | 3 | Philaylack Sackpraseuth | Laos | | 13.42 | |

#### Heat 5

Wind: −0.8 m/s
| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Reaction | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 1 | LaTasha Colander | United States | 0.178 | 11.31 | Q |
| 2 | 7 | Endurance Ojokolo | Nigeria | 0.203 | 11.36 | Q |
| 3 | 2 | Natasha Mayers | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 0.158 | 11.45 | Q |
| 4 | 4 | Tetyana Tkalich | Ukraine | 0.210 | 11.58 | |
| 5 | 6 | Basma Al-Eshosh | Jordan | 0.199 | 12.09 | NR |
| 6 | 8 | Aleksandra Vojnevska | Macedonia | 0.193 | 12.15 | |
| 7 | 3 | Li Xuemei | China | 0.190 | 12.21 | |
| 8 | 5 | Jenny Keni | Solomon Islands | | 12.76 | |

#### Heat 6

Wind: −0.3 m/s
| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Reaction | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 1 | Veronica Campbell | Jamaica | 0.166 | 11.17 | Q |
| 2 | 4 | Zhanna Block | Ukraine | 0.186 | 11.27 | Q |
| 3 | 6 | Gail Devers | United States | 0.215 | 11.29 | Q |
| 4 | 7 | La Verne Jones | Virgin Islands | 0.246 | 11.38 | q |
| 5 | 3 | Agnė Eggerth | Lithuania | 0.177 | 11.44 | |
| 6 | 8 | Heather Samuel | Antigua and Barbuda | 0.158 | 12.05 | |
| 7 | 2 | Robina Muqim Yaar | Afghanistan | 0.241 | 14.14 | NR |
| 8 | 5 | Fartun Abukar Omar | Somalia | | 14.29 | PB |

#### Heat 7

Wind: 0.0 m/s
| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Reaction | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 6 | Vida Anim | Ghana | 0.174 | 11.14 | Q, NR |
| 1 | 2 | Christine Arron | France | 0.172 | 11.14 | Q |
| 3 | 1 | Kim Gevaert | Belgium | 0.148 | 11.18 | Q |
| 4 | 4 | Karin Mayr-Krifka | Austria | 0.165 | 11.40 | q |
| 5 | 7 | Rosemar Coelho Neto | Brazil | 0.237 | 11.43 | q |
| 6 | 3 | Mae Koime | Papua New Guinea | 0.195 | 12.00 | NR |
| 7 | 8 | Hawanatu Bangura | Sierra Leone | 0.176 | 12.11 | |
| 8 | 5 | Alaa Jassim | Iraq | | 12.70 | |

#### Heat 8

Wind: −0.3 m/s
| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Reaction | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 4 | Ivet Lalova | Bulgaria | 0.159 | 11.16 | Q |
| 2 | 3 | Abi Oyepitan | Great Britain | 0.181 | 11.23 | Q |
| 3 | 8 | Lyubov Perepelova | Uzbekistan | 0.208 | 11.30 | Q |
| 4 | 2 | Delphine Atangana | Cameroon | 0.166 | 11.40 | q |
| 5 | 7 | Viktoriya Koviyreva | Kazakhstan | 0.207 | 11.62 | |
| 6 | 5 | Marine Ghazaryan | Armenia | 0.177 | 12.29 | |
| 7 | 6 | Carol Mokola | Zambia | 0.210 | 12.35 | |

### Quarterfinals

Qualification rule: The first three finishers in each heat (Q) plus the next four fastest overall runners (q) advance to the semifinals.

#### Quarterfinal 1

Wind: +0.2 m/s
| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Reaction | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 6 | Christine Arron | France | 0.192 | 11.10 | Q |
| 2 | 4 | Veronica Campbell | Jamaica | 0.212 | 11.18 | Q |
| 3 | 3 | Abi Oyepitan | Great Britain | 0.198 | 11.28 | Q |
| 4 | 7 | Gail Devers | United States | 0.207 | 11.31 | q |
| 5 | 5 | Irina Khabarova | Russia | 0.189 | 11.32 | |
| 6 | 2 | La Verne Jones | Virgin Islands | 0.249 | 11.44 | |
| 7 | 1 | Chandra Sturrup | Bahamas | 0.185 | 11.46 | |
| 8 | 8 | Delphine Atangana | Cameroon | 0.189 | 11.60 | |

#### Quarterfinal 2

Wind: 0.0 m/s
| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Reaction | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 5 | Lauryn Williams | United States | 0.214 | 11.03 | Q |
| 2 | 6 | Ivet Lalova | Bulgaria | 0.162 | 11.09 | Q |
| 3 | 8 | Debbie Ferguson | Bahamas | 0.188 | 11.16 | Q |
| 4 | 2 | Lyubov Perepelova | Uzbekistan | 0.212 | 11.26 | q |
| 5 | 4 | Zhanna Block | Ukraine | 0.186 | 11.27 | q |
| 6 | 3 | Véronique Mang | France | 0.190 | 11.39 | |
| 7 | 7 | Bettina Müller | Austria | 0.196 | 11.50 | |
| 8 | 1 | Karin Mayr-Krifka | Austria | 0.203 | 11.55 | |

#### Quarterfinal 3

Wind: −0.1 m/s
| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Reaction | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 4 | Sherone Simpson | Jamaica | 0.157 | 11.09 | Q |
| 2 | 6 | Aleen Bailey | Jamaica | 0.220 | 11.12 | Q |
| 3 | 5 | Merlene Ottey | Slovenia | 0.179 | 11.24 | Q |
| 4 | 8 | Larisa Kruglova | Russia | 0.196 | 11.36 | |
| 5 | 1 | Mercy Nku | Nigeria | 0.154 | 11.39 | |
| 6 | 7 | Liliana Allen | Mexico | 0.175 | 11.52 | |
| 7 | 2 | Fana Ashby | Trinidad and Tobago | 0.178 | 11.54 | |
| — | 3 | Vida Anim | Ghana | 0.175 | DNF | |

#### Quarterfinal 4

Wind: +0.3 m/s
| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Reaction | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 4 | Yulia Nestsiarenka | Belarus | 0.206 | 10.99 | Q |
| 2 | 2 | Kim Gevaert | Belgium | 0.155 | 11.17 | Q |
| 3 | 3 | LaTasha Colander | United States | 0.176 | 11.20 | Q |
| 4 | 5 | Yuliya Tabakova | Russia | 0.204 | 11.25 | q |
| 5 | 6 | Endurance Ojokolo | Nigeria | 0.171 | 11.35 | |
| 6 | 8 | Guzel Khubbieva | Uzbekistan | 0.147 | 11.35 | |
| 7 | 1 | Rosemar Coelho Neto | Brazil | 0.194 | 11.45 | |
| — | 7 | Natasha Mayers | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | | DNS | |

### Semifinals

Qualification rule: The first four runners in each semifinal heat (Q) moves on to the final.

#### Semifinal 1

Wind: +0.1 m/s
| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Reaction | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 5 | Yulia Nestsiarenka | Belarus | 0.167 | 10.92 | Q, NR |
| 2 | 6 | Veronica Campbell | Jamaica | 0.165 | 10.93 | Q, PB |
| 3 | 3 | Ivet Lalova | Bulgaria | 0.155 | 11.04 | Q |
| 4 | 7 | Debbie Ferguson | Bahamas | 0.168 | 11.04 | Q, SB |
| 5 | 1 | Abi Oyepitan | Great Britain | 0.140 | 11.18 | |
| 6 | 4 | Christine Arron | France | 0.175 | 11.21 | |
| 7 | 2 | Gail Devers | United States | 0.165 | 11.22 | |
| 8 | 8 | Yuliya Tabakova | Russia | 0.179 | 11.25 | |

#### Semifinal 2

Wind: −0.1 m/s
| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Reaction | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 6 | Lauryn Williams | United States | 0.205 | 11.01 | Q |
| 2 | 4 | Sherone Simpson | Jamaica | 0.154 | 11.03 | Q |
| 3 | 5 | Aleen Bailey | Jamaica | 0.206 | 11.13 | Q |
| 4 | 7 | LaTasha Colander | United States | 0.181 | 11.18 | Q |
| 5 | 1 | Merlene Ottey | Slovenia | 0.165 | 11.21 | |
| 6 | 2 | Zhanna Block | Ukraine | 0.159 | 11.23 | SB |
| 7 | 3 | Kim Gevaert | Belgium | 0.200 | 11.40 | |
| 8 | 8 | Lyubov Perepelova | Uzbekistan | 0.158 | 11.40 | |

### Final

Wind: −0.1 m/s
| Rank | Lane | Athlete | Nation | Reaction | Time | Notes |
| | 6 | Yulia Nestsiarenka | Belarus | 0.186 | 10.93 | |
| | 4 | Lauryn Williams | United States | 0.212 | 10.96 | PB |
| | 3 | Veronica Campbell | Jamaica | 0.199 | 10.97 | |
| 4 | 1 | Ivet Lalova | Bulgaria | 0.154 | 11.00 | |
| 5 | 2 | Aleen Bailey | Jamaica | 0.208 | 11.05 | |
| 6 | 5 | Sherone Simpson | Jamaica | 0.164 | 11.07 | |
| 7 | 8 | Debbie Ferguson | Bahamas | 0.177 | 11.16 | |
| 8 | 7 | LaTasha Colander | United States | 0.183 | 11.18 | |