1500 metres at the Olympics
The 1500 metres at the Summer Olympics has been contested since the first edition of the multi-sport event. The men's 1500 m has been present on the Olympic athletics programme since 1896. The women's event was not introduced until over seventy years later, but it has been a permanent fixture since it was first held in 1972. The Olympics final and the World Athletics Championships final are the most prestigious 1500 m races at an elite level. The competition format comprises three rounds: a heats stage, semi-finals, then a final typically between twelve athletes.
| 1500 metres at the Olympic Games | |
|---|---|
The 2012 Olympic women's 1500 m heats | |
| Overview | |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Gender | Men and women |
| Years held | Men: 1896 – 2021 Women: 1972 – 2021 |
| Olympic record | |
| Men | 3:28.32 Jakob Ingebrigtsen (2021) |
| Women | 3:53.11 Faith Kipyegon (2021) |
| Reigning champion | |
| Men | Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR) |
| Women | Faith Kipyegon (KEN) |
The 1500 meters was one of four individual events documented exclusively by Olympic documentary filmmaker Bud Greenspan.
The Olympic records for the event are 3:28.32 minutes for men, set by Jakob Ingebrigtsen in 2021, and 3:53.11 minutes for women, set by Faith Kipyegon in 2021. The 1500 metres world record has been broken several times at the Olympics: the men's record was beaten in 1900, 1936, and 1960, while the women's record was improved in 1972 (three times) and in 1980.
Only three athletes have defended the Olympic 1500 m title: Tatyana Kazankina became the first person to win two gold medals in the event in 1980 (repeating her 1976 win) and, soon after, Sebastian Coe became the first man to do so in 1980 and 1984. Faith Kipyegon is the latest athlete to accomplish the feat, by following up her gold medal in 2016 with another at Tokyo 2020. No athlete of either sex has won more than two medals. Historically, athletes in this event have also had success in the 800 metres at the Olympics. Kelly Holmes was the last athlete to win both events at the same Olympics in 2004. 2012 1500m gold medalist Taoufik Makhloufi made both podiums without winning gold in 2016.
Kenya is the most successful nation in the event, having won seven gold medals. Great Britain has the next highest number of gold medals, with six. The United States is the only nation to have swept the medals in the event, having done so in St. Louis in 1904, albeit in a final between seven Americans and two foreigners.