Athletics at the 1996 Summer Games: Previous Summer Games ▪ Next Summer Games
Host City: Atlanta, United States
Venue(s): Centennial Olympic Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Date Started: July 31, 1996
Date Finished: July 31, 1996
Format: Top six in each heat and next six fastest advanced to the semi-finals.
| Gold: | Svetlana Masterkova |
| Silver: | Gabriela Szabo |
| Bronze: | Theresia Kiesl |
| Rank | Athlete | Age | Team | NOC | T(A) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Theresia Kiesl | 32 | Austria | AUT | 4:09.24 | QU |
| 2 | Svetlana Masterkova | 28 | Russia | RUS | 4:09.88 | QU |
| 3 | Hassiba Boulmerka | 28 | Algeria | ALG | 4:09.96 | QU |
| 4 | Carmen Wüstenhagen | 22 | Germany | GER | 4:10.06 | QU |
| 5 | Sinéad Delahunty | 25 | Ireland | IRL | 4:10.20 | QU |
| 6 | Gwen Griffiths | 28 | South Africa | RSA | 4:10.80 | QU |
| 7 | Anna Brzezińska | 25 | Poland | POL | 4:11.06 | QC |
| 8 | Leah Pells | 31 | Canada | CAN | 4:13.17 | QC |
| 9 | Frédérique Quentin | 26 | France | FRA | 4:15.95 | |
| 10 | Juli Henner | 26 | United States | USA | 4:27.14 | |
| 11 | Khin Khin Htwe | 33 | Myanmar | MYA | 4:30.64 |
| Rank | Athlete | Age | Team | NOC | T(A) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lyudmila Borisova | 30 | Russia | RUS | 4:13.29 | QU |
| 2 | Naomi Mugo | 19 | Kenya | KEN | 4:13.35 | QU |
| 3 | Carla Sacramento | 24 | Portugal | POR | 4:13.57 | QU |
| 4 | Cătălina Gheorghiu | 27 | Romania | ROU | 4:13.82 | QU |
| 5 | Blandine Bitzner-Ducret | 30 | France | FRA | 4:13.83 | QU |
| 6 | Maite Zúñiga | 31 | Spain | ESP | 4:14,05 | QU |
| 7 | Sylvia Kühnemund | 21 | Germany | GER | 4:14.35 | QC |
| 8 | Natasha Dukhnova | 30 | Belarus | BLR | 4:14.75 | QC |
| 9 | Vicki Huber | 29 | United States | USA | 4:14.82 | |
| 10 | Sonia O'Sullivan | 26 | Ireland | IRL | 4:19.77 | |
| 11 | Petya Strashilova | 31 | Bulgaria | BUL | 4:26.66 |
| Rank | Athlete | Age | Team | NOC | T(A) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gabriela Szabo | 20 | Romania | ROU | 4:07.32 | QU |
| 2 | Kelly Holmes | 26 | Great Britain | GBR | 4:07.36 | QU |
| 3 | Regina Jacobs | 32 | United States | USA | 4:07.41 | QU |
| 4 | Marg Crowley | 29 | Australia | AUS | 4:07.51 | QU |
| 5 | Małgorzata Rydz | 29 | Poland | POL | 4:07.51 | QU |
| 6 | Lyudmila Rogachova | 29 | Russia | RUS | 4:07.61 | QU |
| 7 | Kutre Dulecha | 17 | Ethiopia | ETH | 4:07.69 | QC |
| 8 | Malin Ewerlöf | 24 | Sweden | SWE | 4:09.06 | QC |
| 9 | Marta Domínguez | 20 | Spain | ESP | 4:15.00 | |
| 10 | Paula Schnurr | 32 | Canada | CAN | 4:29.67 |