# Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Women's 5000 metres

These are the official results of the Women's 5000 metres at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. There were a total of 48 competitors from 35 countries. The women's event was increased from 3000 meters in 1992 to 5000 meters in 1996 to match it with men's 5000 meters.

## Results
### Heats

Qualification: First 4 in each heat (Q) and the next 3 fastest (q) qualified to the final.
| Rank | Heat | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | 3 | Pauline Konga | Kenya | 15:07.01 | Q, OR |
| 2 | 1 | Sonia O'Sullivan | Ireland | 15:15.80 | Q, OR |
| 3 | 1 | Elena Fidatov | Romania | 15:17.89 | Q |
| 4 | 1 | Lynn Jennings | United States | 15:19.66 | Q |
| 5 | 1 | Anita Weyermann | Switzerland | 15:19.91 | Q |
| 6 | 1 | Sara Wedlund | Sweden | 15:20.61 | q |
| 7 | 3 | Ayelech Worku | Ethiopia | 15:21.59 | Q |
| 8 | 3 | Amy Rudolph | United States | 15:21.90 | Q |
| 9 | 1 | Anne Hare | New Zealand | 15:22.31 | q |
| 10 | 2 | Roberta Brunet | Italy | 15:22.58 | Q |
| 11 | 3 | Yelena Romanova | Russia | 15:23.37 | Q |
| 12 | 2 | Michiko Shimizu | Japan | 15:23.56 | Q |
| 13 | 2 | Paula Radcliffe | Great Britain | 15:23.90 | Q |
| 14 | 2 | Wang Junxia | China | 15:24.28 | Q |
| 15 | 2 | Rose Cheruiyot | Kenya | 15:26.87 | q |
| 16 | 2 | Claudia Lokar | Germany | 15:28.35 | |
| 17 | 3 | Wei Li | China | 15:33.49 | |
| 18 | 3 | Silvia Sommaggio | Italy | 15:33.63 | |
| 19 | 1 | Petra Wassiluk | Germany | 15:37.73 | |
| 20 | 1 | Yang Siju | China | 15:40.41 | |
| 21 | 1 | Roseli Machado | Brazil | 15:41.63 | |
| 22 | 3 | Gabriela Szabo | Romania | 15:42.35 | |
| 23 | 2 | Kathy Butler | Canada | 15:47.50 | |
| 24 | 2 | Merima Denboba | Ethiopia | 15:48.35 | |
| 25 | 3 | Cristina Petite | Spain | 15:48.63 | |
| 26 | 1 | Lydia Cheromei | Kenya | 15:49.85 | |
| 27 | 1 | Harumi Hiroyama | Japan | 15:50.43 | |
| 28 | 3 | Zohra Ouaziz | Morocco | 15:55.03 | |
| 29 | 3 | Katy McCandless | Ireland | 15:55.66 | |
| 30 | 2 | Nina Christiansen | Denmark | 15:56.38 | |
| 31 | 2 | Ana Dias | Portugal | 15:57.35 | |
| 32 | 3 | Irina Mikitenko | Kazakhstan | 15:57.67 | |
| 33 | 2 | Stela Olteanu | Romania | 15:58.28 | |
| 34 | 3 | Yoshiko Ichikawa | Japan | 15:58.90 | |
| 35 | 2 | Jeļena Čelnova | Latvia | 15:59.00 | |
| 36 | 2 | Marie Davenport | Ireland | 15:59.12 | |
| 37 | 1 | Isabel Martínez | Spain | 15:59.42 | |
| 38 | 3 | Sonia McGeorge | Great Britain | 16:01.92 | |
| 39 | 1 | Luchia Yishak | Ethiopia | 16:04.29 | |
| 40 | 2 | Natalie Harvey | Australia | 16:06.45 | |
| 41 | 1 | Kate Anderson | Australia | 16:17.83 | |
| 42 | 3 | Robyn Meagher | Canada | 16:24.49 | |
| 43 | 1 | Alison Wyeth | Great Britain | 16:24.74 | |
| 44 | 3 | Marta Portoblanco | Nicaragua | 18:42.78 | |
| 45 | 1 | Rachida Mahamane | Niger | 19:17.87 | |
| | 2 | Gwen Griffiths | South Africa | DNS | |
| | 3 | Carolyn Schuwalow | Australia | DNS | |

### Final

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| | Wang Junxia | China | 14:59.88 | OR |
| | Pauline Konga | Kenya | 15:03.49 | |
| | Roberta Brunet | Italy | 15:07.52 | |
| 4 | Michiko Shimizu | Japan | 15:09.05 | |
| 5 | Paula Radcliffe | Great Britain | 15:13.11 | |
| 6 | Yelena Romanova | Russia | 15:14.09 | |
| 7 | Elena Fidatov | Romania | 15:16.71 | |
| 8 | Rose Cheruiyot | Kenya | 15:17.33 | |
| 9 | Lynn Jennings | United States | 15:17.50 | |
| 10 | Amy Rudolph | United States | 15:19.77 | |
| 11 | Sara Wedlund | Sweden | 15:22.98 | |
| 12 | Ayelech Worku | Ethiopia | 15:28.81 | |
| 13 | Anne Hare | New Zealand | 15:29.11 | |
| 14 | Anita Weyermann | Switzerland | 15:44.40 | |
| | Sonia O'Sullivan | Ireland | DNF | |