5000 metres at the Olympics

5000 metres
at the Olympic Games

The 2012 Olympic men's 5000 m final

Overview
Sport| Athletics
Gender| Men and women
Years held| Men: 1912–2024
Women: 1984–2024
Olympic record
Men|  Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) 12:57.82 (2008)
Women|  Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN) 14:26.17 (2016)
Reigning champion
Men|  Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR)
Women|  Beatrice Chebet (KEN)

The 5000 metres at the Summer Olympics has been contested since the fifth edition of the multi-sport event. The men's 5000 m has been present on the Olympic athletics programme since 1912. The 3000 metres was the first women's Olympic long-distance track event, making its initial appearance at the 1984 Olympics, and this distance was extended to match the men's event from 1996 onwards. It is the most prestigious 5000 m race at elite level. The competition format typically has two qualifying heats leading to a final between fifteen athletes.

The Olympic records for the event are 12:57.82 minutes for men, set by Kenenisa Bekele in 2008, and 14:26.17 minutes for women, set by Vivian Cheruiyot in 2016. At the inaugural 1912 Olympic 5000 metres, Hannes Kolehmainen set the first official IAAF world record for the event. However, this remains the only time that the 5000 metres world record has been broken in Olympic competition. The best time recorded for the women's Olympic 3000 m was 8:26.53 minutes by Tetyana Dorovskikh (then Samolenko) at the 1988 Seoul Olympics; the world record for that event was not improved during an Olympic race.

Only three athletes have won multiple titles in the event. Lasse Virén became the first with his back-to-back wins in 1972 and 1976, while Meseret Defar became the first woman to win two titles in 2012, having previously won in 2004. Mo Farah became the third person with multiple titles, and the second with back-to-back wins, in 2012 and 2016. Three athletes have reached the podium on three occasions: Defar was also the 2008 bronze medallist, Tirunesh Dibaba won medals from 2004 to 2012, and Paavo Nurmi won medals in the period from 1920 to 1928. Historically, athletes in this event have also had success in the 10,000 metres at the Olympics. The winner of the men's Olympic 5000 m has completed a long-distance track double on nine occasions, the most recent being Farah at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Tirunesh Dibaba is the only woman to complete this double, having done so at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Ethiopia is the most successful nation in the event, having taken six gold medals and fifteen medals in total. The next most successful nation, depending on definition, is either Finland or Kenya. In terms of gold medals, Finland is equal with Ethiopia at six, but has a total of twelve overall medals to Ethiopia's 15. Finland's period of great success in the 1920s and 1930s led to the wide usage of the nickname the Flying Finns; Kaarlo Maaninka was the last Finnish athlete to medal over 5000 m, in 1980. Kenya have won fourteen medals in the 5000 m, second only to Ethiopia in total medals in the event, although John Ngugi and Vivian Cheruiyot are the only Kenyans to have won Olympic gold.

## Medal summary

[edit]

### Men

[edit]

Games  | Gold  | Silver  | Bronze

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edit

1912 Stockholm
details | Hannes Kolehmainen
Finland | Jean Bouin
France | George Hutson
Great Britain
1920 Antwerp
details | Joseph Guillemot
France | Paavo Nurmi
Finland | Eric Backman
Sweden
1924 Paris
details | Paavo Nurmi
Finland | Ville Ritola
Finland | Edvin Wide
Sweden
1928 Amsterdam
details | Ville Ritola
Finland | Paavo Nurmi
Finland | Edvin Wide
Sweden
1932 Los Angeles
details | Lauri Lehtinen
Finland | Ralph Hill
United States | Lauri Virtanen
Finland
1936 Berlin
details | Gunnar Höckert
Finland | Lauri Lehtinen
Finland | Henry Jonsson
Sweden
1948 London
details | Gaston Reiff
Belgium | Emil Zátopek
Czechoslovakia | Willem Slijkhuis
Netherlands
1952 Helsinki
details | Emil Zátopek
Czechoslovakia | Alain Mimoun
France | Herbert Schade
Germany
1956 Melbourne
details | Vladimir Kuts
Soviet Union | Gordon Pirie
Great Britain | Derek Ibbotson
Great Britain
1960 Rome
details | Murray Halberg
New Zealand | Hans Grodotzki
United Team of Germany | Kazimierz Zimny
Poland
1964 Tokyo
details | Bob Schul
United States | Harald Norpoth
United Team of Germany | Bill Dellinger
United States
1968 Mexico City
details | Mohammed Gammoudi
Tunisia | Kipchoge Keino
Kenya | Naftali Temu
Kenya
1972 Munich
details | Lasse Virén
Finland | Mohammed Gammoudi
Tunisia | Ian Stewart
Great Britain
1976 Montreal
details | Lasse Virén
Finland | Dick Quax
New Zealand | Klaus-Peter Hildenbrand
West Germany
1980 Moscow
details | Miruts Yifter
Ethiopia | Suleiman Nyambui
Tanzania | Kaarlo Maaninka
Finland
1984 Los Angeles
details | Saïd Aouita
Morocco | Markus Ryffel
Switzerland | António Leitão
Portugal
1988 Seoul
details | John Ngugi
Kenya | Dieter Baumann
West Germany | Hansjörg Kunze
East Germany
1992 Barcelona
details | Dieter Baumann
Germany | Paul Bitok
Kenya | Fita Bayisa
Ethiopia
1996 Atlanta
details | Vénuste Niyongabo
Burundi | Paul Bitok
Kenya | Khalid Boulami
Morocco
2000 Sydney
details | Million Wolde
Ethiopia | Ali Saïdi-Sief
Algeria | Brahim Lahlafi
Morocco
2004 Athens
details | Hicham El Guerrouj
Morocco | Kenenisa Bekele
Ethiopia | Eliud Kipchoge
Kenya
2008 Beijing
details | Kenenisa Bekele
Ethiopia | Eliud Kipchoge
Kenya | Edwin Soi
Kenya
2012 London
details | Mo Farah
Great Britain | Dejen Gebremeskel
Ethiopia | Thomas Longosiwa
Kenya
2016 Rio de Janeiro
details | Mo Farah
Great Britain | Paul Chelimo
United States | Hagos Gebrhiwet
Ethiopia
2020 Tokyo
details | Joshua Cheptegei
Uganda | Mohammed Ahmed
Canada | Paul Chelimo
United States
2024 Paris
details | Jakob Ingebrigtsen
Norway | Ronald Kwemoi
Kenya | Grant Fisher
United States

#### Multiple medalists

[edit]

Rank  | Athlete  | Nation  | Olympics  | Gold  | Silver  | Bronze  | Total

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1 | Mohamed Farah |  Great Britain (GBR) | 2012–2016 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2
2 | Lasse Virén |  Finland (FIN) | 1972–1976 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2
3 | Paavo Nurmi |  Finland (FIN) | 1920–1928 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3
4 | Ville Ritola |  Finland (FIN) | 1924–1928 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2
5 | Lauri Lehtinen |  Finland (FIN) | 1932–1936 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2
6 | Emil Zátopek |  Czechoslovakia (TCH) | 1948–1952 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2
7 | Mohammed Gammoudi |  Tunisia (TUN) | 1968–1972 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2
8 | Dieter Baumann |  Germany (GER) | 1988–1992 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2
9 | Kenenisa Bekele |  Ethiopia (ETH) | 2004–2008 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2
10 | Paul Bitok |  Kenya (KEN) | 1992–1996 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2
11 | Eliud Kipchoge |  Kenya (KEN) | 2004–2008 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2
12 | Edvin Wide |  Sweden (SWE) | 1924–1928 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2

#### Medals by country

[edit]

Map of countries' best results – Men's 5000 metres Rank  | Nation  | Gold  | Silver  | Bronze  | Total

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1 |  Finland (FIN) | 6 | 5 | 2 | 13
2 |  Ethiopia (ETH) | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7
3 |  Great Britain (GBR) | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6
4 |  Morocco (MAR) | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4
5 |  Kenya (KEN) | 1 | 5 | 4 | 10
6 |  United States (USA) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6
7 |  Germany (GER)[nb] | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4
8 |  France (FRA) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3
9= |  Czechoslovakia (TCH) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2
9= |  New Zealand (NZL) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2
9= |  Tunisia (TUN) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2
12= |  Belgium (BEL) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1
12= |  Burundi (BDI) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1
12= |  Soviet Union (URS) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1
12= |  Uganda (UGA) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1
12=  | Norway (NOR)  | 1  | 0  | 0  | 1
17 |  West Germany (FRG) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2
18= |  Algeria (ALG) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1
18= |  Canada (CAN) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1
18= |  Switzerland (SUI) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1
18= |  Tanzania (TAN) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1
22 |  Sweden (SWE) | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4
23= |  East Germany (GDR) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1
23= |  Netherlands (NED) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1
23= |  Poland (POL) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1
23= |  Portugal (POR) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1

* nb The German total includes teams both competing as Germany and the United Team of Germany, but not East or West Germany.

### Women's 3000 metres

[edit]

Games  | Gold  | Silver  | Bronze

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1984 Los Angeles
details | Maricica Puică
Romania | Wendy Smith-Sly
Great Britain | Lynn Williams
Canada
1988 Seoul
details | Tetyana Samolenko
Soviet Union | Paula Ivan
Romania | Yvonne Murray
Great Britain
1992 Barcelona
details | Yelena Romanova
Unified Team | Tetyana Dorovskikh
Unified Team | Angela Chalmers
Canada

#### Multiple medalists

[edit]

Rank  | Athlete  | Nation  | Olympics  | Gold  | Silver  | Bronze  | Total

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1 | Tetyana Dorovskikh |  Soviet Union (URS)
Unified Team (EUN) | 1988–1992 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2

#### Medalists by country

[edit]

Rank  | Nation  | Gold  | Silver  | Bronze  | Total

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1= |  Romania (ROU) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2
1= |  Unified Team (EUN) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2
3 |  Soviet Union (URS) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1
4 |  Great Britain (GBR) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2
5 |  Canada (CAN) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2

### Women's 5000 metres

[edit]

Games  | Gold  | Silver  | Bronze

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edit

1996 Atlanta
details | Wang Junxia
China | Pauline Konga
Kenya | Roberta Brunet
Italy
2000 Sydney
details | Gabriela Szabo
Romania | Sonia O'Sullivan
Ireland | Gete Wami
Ethiopia
2004 Athens
details | Meseret Defar
Ethiopia | Isabella Ochichi
Kenya | Tirunesh Dibaba
Ethiopia
2008 Beijing
details | Tirunesh Dibaba
Ethiopia | Meseret Defar
Ethiopia | Sylvia Kibet
Kenya
2012 London
details | Meseret Defar
Ethiopia | Vivian Cheruiyot
Kenya | Tirunesh Dibaba
Ethiopia
2016 Rio de Janeiro
details | Vivian Cheruiyot
Kenya | Hellen Obiri
Kenya | Almaz Ayana
Ethiopia
2020 Tokyo
details | Sifan Hassan
Netherlands | Hellen Obiri
Kenya | Gudaf Tsegay
Ethiopia
2024 Paris
details | Beatrice Chebet
Kenya | Faith Kipyegon
Kenya | Sifan Hassan
Netherlands

#### Multiple medalists

[edit]

Rank  | Athlete  | Nation  | Olympics  | Gold  | Silver  | Bronze  | Total

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1 | Meseret Defar |  Ethiopia (ETH) | 2004–2012 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3
2 | Tirunesh Dibaba |  Ethiopia (ETH) | 2004–2012 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3
3 | Vivian Cheruiyot |  Kenya (KEN) | 2012–2016 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2
4 | Hellen Obiri |  Kenya (KEN) | 2016–2020 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2

#### Medalists by country

[edit]

Map of countries' best results – Women's 5000 metres Rank  | Nation  | Gold  | Silver  | Bronze  | Total

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|
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1 |  Ethiopia (ETH) | 3 | 1 | 5 | 9
2 |  Kenya (KEN) | 2 | 6 | 1 | 9
3  |  Netherlands (NED) | 1  | 0  | 1  | 2
4= |  China (CHN) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1
4= |  Romania (ROU) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1
6 |  Ireland (IRL) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1
7 |  Italy (ITA) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1

## References

[edit]

Participation and athlete data

* Athletics Men's 5000 metres Medalists. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-07.
* Athletics Women's 5000 metres Medalists. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-07.
* Athletics Women's 3000 metres Medalists. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-02-07.

Olympic record progressions

* Mallon, Bill (2012). TRACK & FIELD ATHLETICS – OLYMPIC RECORD PROGRESSIONS. Track and Field News. Retrieved on 2014-02-07.

Specific

## External links

[edit]

* IAAF 5000 metres homepage
* Official Olympics website
* Olympic athletics records from Track & Field News

* v
* t
* e

5000 metres at the Olympic Games

Summary

Men|

* 1912
* 1920
* 1924
* 1928
* 1932
* 1936
* 1948
* 1952
* 1956
* 1960
* 1964
* 1968
* 1972
* 1976
* 1980
* 1984
* 1988
* 1992
* 1996
* 2000
* 2004
* 2008
* 2012
* 2016
* 2020
* 2024

Women|

* 1912
* 1920
* 1924
* 1928
* 1932
* 1936
* 1948
* 1952
* 1956
* 1960
* 1964
* 1968
* 1972
* 1976
* 1980
* 1984
* 1988
* 1992
* 1996
* 2000
* 2004
* 2008
* 2012
* 2016
* 2020
* 2024

NB: Women's events from 1984–1992 were over 3000 metres

* v
* t
* e

Athletics at the Summer Olympics

Editions|

* 1896
* 1900
* 1904
* 1906 (Intercalated)
* 1908
* 1912
* 1920
* 1924
* 1928
* 1932
* 1936
* 1948
* 1952
* 1956
* 1960
* 1964
* 1968
* 1972
* 1976
* 1980
* 1984
* 1988
* 1992
* 1996
* 2000
* 2004
* 2008
* 2012
* 2016
* 2020
* 2024

Events|

| Track|

* 100 m
* 200 m
* 400 m
* 800 m
* 1500 m
* 5000 m
* 10,000 m
* 4 × 100 m relay
* 4 × 400 m relay
* Sprint hurdles
* 400 m hurdles
* Steeplechase

|

Field|

* Shot put
* Discus throw
* Hammer throw
* Javelin throw
* Pole vault
* High jump
* Long jump
* Triple jump

Others|

* Combined events
* Marathon
* Race walking

Defunct|

* Cross country
* Team races
* 60 metres
* Weight throw
* Wheelchair racing
* Professional events
* Handicap events

* List of medalists
* men
* women
* Records
* Venues
* Medal sweeps

*[ETH]: Ethiopia
*[KEN]: Kenya
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*[e]: Edit this template