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Speed Skating at the 1992 Albertville Winter Games:

Women's 500 metres

Speed Skating at the 1992 Winter Games: Previous Winter Games ▪ Next Winter Games

Events:

Host City: Albertville, France
Venue(s): Olympic Oval, Albertville
Date Started: February 10, 1992
Date Finished: February 10, 1992

Gold: USA Bonnie Blair
Silver: CHN Ye Qiaobo
Bronze: GER Christa Rothenburger-Luding

Summary

Based on season results, it seemed likely that [Bonnie Blair] (USA) would retain her Olympic 500 m title. She had won all three World Cup races in which she participated. In addition, she had broken the world record in the sprint combination at test races in Davos in January, skating well below 40 seconds on both 500 metres. But competition was to be expected from China's [Ye Qiaobo], the runner-up at the 1991 World Sprint Championships and winner of a World Cup race in Albertville, and the Netherlands' [Christine Aaftink], who had twice been runner-up at World Cups. The German women were also not to be forgotten, notably [Christa Luding-Rothenburger] (the 1988 Olympic 1,000 m champion), [Angela Hauck-Stahnke], and [Monique Garbrecht-Enfeldt], World Sprint Champions of 1990 and 1991, respectively.

Skating in the first pair, Aaftink's medal chances were slashed after a poor final curve and 40.66. That time was promptly beaten by Ye with 40.51. She might have done better, as she appeared to be obstructed by pairmate [Yelena Tyushnyakova], but no re-skate was allowed. Despite better openers than the Chinese, both Luding and Garbrecht failed to beat Ye's final time, clocking 40.57 and 40.63. The fifth pair then saw Blair pull away from Hauck, beating her easily and winning the race in 40.33. For Blair, it was her second gold medal in a career that would eventually earn her five Olympic titles. Ye's silver medal was notable as it was China's first ever Olympic medal at the Winter Olympics. Four years earlier, she had missed the Olympics due to a doping offense at the World Sprint Championships. In Albertville she declared this was due to drugs given to her by the team doctor, whom she had trusted

View a Phase of this Event • Final Standings

Final Standings

Rank Athlete Age Team NOC Medal T 1c
1 Bonnie Blair 27 United States USA Gold 40.33 10.71
2 Ye Qiaobo 27 China CHN Silver 40.51 10.95
3 Christa Rothenburger-Luding 32 Germany GER Bronze 40.57 10.74
4 Monique Garbrecht-Enfeldt 23 Germany GER 40.63 10.78
5 Christine Aaftink 25 Netherlands NED 40.66 10.98
6 Susan Auch 25 Canada CAN 40.83 10.76
7 Kyoko Shimazaki 20 Japan JPN 40.98 10.97
8 Angela Stahnke-Hauck 26 Germany GER 41.10 10.87
9 Yu Seon-Hui 25 South Korea KOR 41.28 11.02
10 Anke Baier-Loef 19 Germany GER 41.30 10.90
11 Herma Meijer 22 Netherlands NED 41.31 10.91
12 Seiko Hashimoto 27 Japan JPN 41.32 11.02
13 Xue Ruihong 23 China CHN 41.47 10.95
14 Catriona Le May Doan 21 Canada CAN 41.59 11.09
15 Nataliya Polozkova 19 Unified Team EUN 41.61 11.25
16 Oksana Ravilova 24 Unified Team EUN 41.73 11.17
17 Kristen Talbot 21 United States USA 41.77 11.21
18 Shelley Rhead-Skarvan 26 Canada CAN 41.83 11.10
19 Liu Yuexi 23 China CHN 41.85 11.12
20 Edel Therese Høiseth 26 Norway NOR 41.89 11.25
21 Mihaela Dascălu 21 Romania ROU 41.90 11.17
22 Peggy Clasen 22 United States USA 41.95 11.20
23 Noriko Toda 26 Japan JPN 41.97 10.97
24 Yoko Fukazawa 23 Japan JPN 42.18 11.22
25 Song Hwa-Son 23 North Korea PRK 42.23 11.37
26 Michelle Kline 23 United States USA 42.41 11.25
27 Chong Chang-Suk 17 North Korea PRK 42.45 11.28
28 Kim Chun-Wol 17 North Korea PRK 42.47 11.28
29 Yelena Tyushnyakova 29 Unified Team EUN 42.65 11.23
30 Cerasela Hordobeţiu 23 Romania ROU 42.68 11.53
31 Lyudmila Prokashova 23 Unified Team EUN 43.19 11.43
32 Krisztina Egyed 15 Hungary HUN 43.39 11.45
AC Sandra Voetelink 21 Netherlands NED 10.98 DNF/fall
AC Wang Xiuli 26 China CHN DNF/fall