# Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Women's 5000 metres

The Women's 5000 metres at the 2000 Summer Olympics as part of the athletics programme was held at Stadium Australia on Friday 22 September, and Sunday 25 September 2000. The top four runners in each of the initial three heats automatically qualified for the final. The next three fastest runners from across the heats also qualified. There were a total number of 50 participating athletes.
The winning margin was 0.23 seconds which as of 2023 is the only time the women's 5,000 metres has been won by less than 0.4 seconds at the Olympics.

## Records

| World Record | 14:28.09 | Jiang Bo | China | Shanghai, China | 23 October 1997 |
| Olympic Record | 14:59.88 | Junxia Wang | China | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | 28 July 1996 |

## Medals

| Gold: | Silver: | Bronze: |
| Gabriela Szabo, Romania | Sonia O'Sullivan, Ireland | Gete Wami, Ethiopia |

## Results

All times shown are in seconds.
* Q denotes qualification by place in heat.
* q denotes qualification by overall place.
* DNS denotes did not start.
* DNF denotes did not finish.
* DQ denotes disqualification.
* NR denotes national record.
* OR denotes Olympic record.
* WR denotes world record.
* PB denotes personal best.
* SB denotes season best.

### Heats

Heat 1 of 3 Date: Friday 22 September 2000 :
| Place | Place | Athlete | Nation | Lane | Time | Qual. | Record |
| Heat | Overall | Athlete | Nation | Lane | Time | Qual. | Record |
| 1 | 1 | Sonia O'Sullivan | Ireland | 12 | 15:07.91 | Q | SB |
| 2 | 4 | Jo Pavey | Great Britain | 6 | 15:08.82 | Q | PB |
| 3 | 5T | Gete Wami | Ethiopia | 2 | 15:08.92 | Q | |
| 4 | 7 | Lydia Cheromei | Kenya | 8 | 15:09.32 | Q | |
| 5 | 9 | Daniela Yordanova | Bulgaria | 3 | 15:10.08 | q | NR |
| 6 | 17 | Benita Willis | Australia | 13 | 15:21:37 | | PB |
| 7 | 19 | Elva Dryer | United States | 9 | 15:23.99 | | |
| 8 | 23 | Rosemary Ryan | Ireland | 17 | 15:33.05 | | |
| 9 | 24 | Nora Leticia Rocha | Mexico | 5 | 15:38.72 | | |
| 10 | 33 | Michiko Shimizu | Japan | 16 | 15:48.20 | | |
| 11 | 36 | Dulce María Rodriguez | Mexico | 15 | 15:54.17 | | |
| 12 | 39 | Yamna Belkacem | France | 11 | 16:08.49 | | |
| 13 | 40 | Helena Javornik | Slovenia | 7 | 16:09.60 | | |
| 14 | 42 | Elisa Cobañea | Argentina | 14 | 16:16.58 | | |
| 15 | 44 | Nebiat Habtemariam | Eritrea | 4 | 16:30.41 | | NR |
| 16 | 47 | Maysa Hussain Matrood | Iraq | 1 | 17:17.58 | | |
| | | Restituta Joseph | Tanzania | 10 | DNS | | |
Heat 2 of 3 Date: Friday 22 September 2000 :
| Place | Place | Athlete | Nation | Lane | Time | Qual. | Record |
| Heat | Overall | Athlete | Nation | Lane | Time | Qual. | Record |
| 1 | 12 | Rose Cheruiyot | Kenya | 7 | 15:13.18 | Q | |
| 2 | 13 | Ayelech Worku | Ethiopia | 4 | 15:13.26 | Q | |
| 3 | 14 | Olga Yegorova | Russia | 10 | 15:14.34 | Q | |
| 4 | 15 | Irina Mikitenko | Germany | 5 | 15:14.76 | Q | |
| 5 | 16 | Susanne Pumper | Austria | 2 | 15:16.66 | | |
| 6 | 20 | Roberta Brunet | Italy | 16 | 15:27:32 | | |
| 7 | 21 | Amy Rudolph | United States | 12 | 15:28.91 | | |
| 8 | 25 | Sonja Stolic | FR Yugoslavia | 13 | 15:38.96 | | |
| 9 | 26 | Megumi Tanaka | Japan | 15 | 15:39.83 | | |
| 10 | 27 | Marta Dominguez | Spain | 3 | 15:45.07 | | |
| 11 | 30 | Hrisostomia Iakovou | Greece | 6 | 15:46.48 | | |
| 12 | 31 | Samukeliso Moyo | Zimbabwe | 14 | 15:47.76 | | |
| 13 | 37 | Zhor El Kamch | Morocco | 8 | 16:02.50 | | |
| 14 | 38 | Anne Cross | Australia | 1 | 16:07.18 | | |
| 15 | 41 | Andrea Whitcombe | Great Britain | 9 | 16:15.82 | | |
| 16 | 43 | Maggie Chan Man Yee | Hong Kong | 11 | 16:20.43 | | |
Heat 3 of 3 Date: Friday 22 September 2000 :
| Place | Place | Athlete | Nation | Lane | Time | Qual. | Record |
| Heat | Overall | Athlete | Nation | Lane | Time | Qual. | Record |
| 1 | 2 | Gabriela Szabo | Romania | 14 | 15:08.36 | Q | |
| 2 | 3 | Worknesh Kidane | Ethiopia | 4 | 15:08.62 | Q | |
| 3 | 5T | Tatyana Tomashova | Russia | 15 | 15:08.92 | Q | |
| 4 | 8 | Jeļena Čelnova-Prokopčuka | Latvia | 11 | 15:09.45 | Q | |
| 5 | 10 | Vivian Cheruiyot | Kenya | 9 | 15:11.11 | q | PB |
| 6 | 11 | Olivera Jevtić | FR Yugoslavia | 17 | 15:11:25 | q | NR |
| 7 | 18 | Yoshiko Ichikawa | Japan | 10 | 15:23.41 | | SB |
| 8 | 22 | Beatriz Santiago | Spain | 3 | 15:31.94 | | |
| 9 | 28 | Kate Anderson-Richardson | Australia | 1 | 15:45.34 | | |
| 10 | 29 | Inga Juodeškienė | Lithuania | 12 | 15:46.37 | | |
| 11 | 32 | Anne Marie Letko | United States | 6 | 15:47.78 | | |
| 12 | 34 | Ebru Kavaklioglu | Turkey | 16 | 15:49.15 | | |
| 13 | 35 | Breda Dennehy-Willis | Ireland | 8 | 15:49.58 | | |
| 14 | 45 | Diane Nukuri | Burundi | 2 | 16:38.30 | | PB |
| 15 | 46 | Catherine Chikwakwa | Malawi | 5 | 16:39.82 | | PB |
| 16 | 48 | Priscilla Mamba | Swaziland | 7 | 17:30.04 | | NR |
| 17 | 49 | Baatarkhüügiin Battsetseg | Mongolia | 13 | 18:22.98 | | SB |

#### Overall Results Semi-Finals

Semi-Finals Overall Results :
| Place | Athlete | Nation | Heat | Lane | Place | Time | Qual. | Record |
| 1 | Sonia O'Sullivan | Ireland | 1 | 12 | 1 | 15:07.91 | Q | SB |
| 2 | Gabriela Szabo | Romania | 3 | 14 | 1 | 15:08.36 | Q | |
| 3 | Worknesh Kidane | Ethiopia | 3 | 4 | 2 | 15:08.62 | Q | |
| 4 | Jo Pavey | Great Britain | 1 | 6 | 2 | 15:08.82 | Q | PB |
| 5 | Tatyana Tomashova | Russia | 3 | 15 | 3 | 15:08.92 | Q | |
| 5 | Gete Wami | Ethiopia | 1 | 2 | 3 | 15:08.92 | Q | |
| 7 | Lydia Cheromei | Kenya | 1 | 8 | 4 | 15:09.32 | Q | |
| 8 | Jeļena Čelnova-Prokopčuka | Latvia | 3 | 11 | 4 | 15:09.45 | Q | |
| 9 | Daniela Yordanova | Bulgaria | 1 | 3 | 5 | 15:10.08 | q | NR |
| 10 | Vivian Cheruiyot | Kenya | 3 | 9 | 5 | 15:11.11 | q | PB |
| 11 | Olivera Jevtić | FR Yugoslavia | 3 | 17 | 6 | 15:11.25 | q | NR |
| 12 | Rose Cheruiyot | Kenya | 2 | 7 | 1 | 15:13.18 | Q | |
| 13 | Ayelech Worku | Ethiopia | 2 | 4 | 2 | 15:13.26 | Q | |
| 14 | Olga Yegorova | Russia | 2 | 10 | 3 | 15:14.34 | Q | |
| 15 | Irina Mikitenko | Germany | 2 | 5 | 4 | 15:14.76 | Q | |
| 16 | Susanne Pumper | Austria | 2 | 2 | 5 | 15:16.66 | | |
| 17 | Benita Willis | Australia | 1 | 13 | 6 | 15:21.37 | | PB |
| 18 | Yoshiko Ichikawa | Japan | 3 | 10 | 7 | 15:23.31 | | SB |
| 19 | Elva Dryer | United States | 1 | 9 | 7 | 15:23.99 | | |
| 20 | Roberta Brunet | Italy | 2 | 1 | 6 | 15:27.32 | | |
| 21 | Amy Rudolph | United States | 2 | 12 | 7 | 15:28.91 | | |
| 22 | Beatriz Santiago | Spain | 3 | 3 | 8 | 15:31.94 | | |
| 23 | Rosemary Ryan | Ireland | 1 | 17 | 8 | 15:33.05 | | |
| 24 | Nora Leticia Rocha | Mexico | 1 | 5 | 9 | 15:38.72 | | |
| 25 | Sonja Stolic | FR Yugoslavia | 2 | 13 | 8 | 15:38.96 | | |
| 26 | Megumi Tanaka | Japan | 2 | 15 | 9 | 15:39.83 | | |
| 27 | Marta Dominguez | Spain | 2 | 3 | 10 | 15:45.07 | | |
| 28 | Kate Anderson-Richardson | Australia | 3 | 1 | 9 | 15:45.34 | | |
| 29 | Inga Juodeškienė | Lithuania | 3 | 12 | 10 | 15:46.37 | | |
| 30 | Hrisostomia Iakovou | Greece | 2 | 6 | 11 | 15:46.48 | | |
| 31 | Samukeliso Moyo | Zimbabwe | 2 | 14 | 12 | 15:47.76 | | |
| 32 | Anne Marie Letko | United States | 3 | 6 | 11 | 15:47.78 | | |
| 33 | Michiko Shimizu | Japan | 1 | 16 | 10 | 15:48.20 | | |
| 34 | Ebru Kavaklioglu | Turkey | 3 | 16 | 12 | 15:49.15 | | |
| 35 | Breda Dennehy-Willis | Ireland | 3 | 8 | 13 | 15:49.58 | | |
| 36 | Dulce María Rodriguez | Mexico | 1 | 15 | 11 | 15:54.17 | | |
| 37 | Zhor El Kamch | Morocco | 2 | 8 | 13 | 16:02.50 | | |
| 38 | Anne Cross | Australia | 2 | 1 | 14 | 16:07.18 | | |
| 39 | Yamna Belkacem | France | 1 | 11 | 12 | 16:08.49 | | |
| 40 | Helena Javornik | Slovenia | 1 | 7 | 13 | 16:09.60 | | |
| 41 | Andrea Whitcombe | Great Britain | 2 | 9 | 15 | 16:15.82 | | |
| 42 | Elisa Cobañea | Argentina | 1 | 4 | 14 | 16:16.58 | | |
| 43 | Maggie Chan Man Yee | Hong Kong | 2 | 1 | 16 | 16:20.43 | | |
| 44 | Nebiat Habtemariam | Eritrea | 1 | 4 | 15 | 16:30.41 | | NR |
| 45 | Diane Nukuri | Burundi | 3 | 2 | 14 | 16:38.30 | | PB |
| 46 | Catherine Chikwakwa | Malawi | 3 | 5 | 15 | 16:39.82 | | PB |
| 47 | Maysa Hussein Matrood | Iraq | 1 | 1 | 16 | 17:17.58 | | |
| 48 | Priscilla Mamba | Swaziland | 3 | 7 | 16 | 17:30.04 | | NR |
| 49 | Baatarkhuu Battsetseg | Mongolia | 3 | 13 | 17 | 18:22.98 | | SB |
| | Restituta Joseph | Tanzania | 1 | 10 | | DNS | | |

### Final

Date: Monday 25 September 2000 :
| Place | Athlete | Nation | Lane | Time | Record |
| | Gabriela Szabo | Romania | 10 | 14:40.79 | OR |
| | Sonia O'Sullivan | Ireland | 7 | 14:41.02 | NR |
| | Gete Wami | Ethiopia | 11 | 14:42.23 | |
| 4 | Ayelech Worku | Ethiopia | 14 | 14:42.67 | |
| 5 | Irina Mikitenko | Germany | 1 | 14:43.59 | SB |
| 6 | Lydia Cheromei | Kenya | 15 | 14:47.35 | PB |
| 7 | Werknesh Kidane | Ethiopia | 2 | 14:47.40 | PB |
| 8 | Olga Yegorova | Russia | 12 | 14:50.31 | |
| 9 | Jeļena Čelnova-Prokopčuka | Latvia | 6 | 14:55.46 | |
| 10 | Daniela Yordanova | Bulgaria | 5 | 14:56.95 | NR |
| 11 | Rose Cheruiyot | Kenya | 13 | 14:58.07 | |
| 12 | Jo Pavey | Great Britain | 3 | 14:58.27 | PB |
| 13 | Tatyana Tomashova | Russia | 4 | 15:01.28 | |
| 14 | Vivian Cheruiyot | Kenya | 8 | 15:25.67 | |
| | Olivera Jevtić | FR Yugoslavia | 9 | DNF | |