Medalists
| Gold |
Tirunesh Dibaba
Ethiopia (ETH) |
| Silver |
Elvan Abeylegesse
Turkey (TUR) |
| Bronze |
Shalane Flanagan
United States (USA) |
Records
| World Record |
Wang Junxia (CHN) |
29:31.78 |
Beijing, China |
8 September 1993 |
| Olympic Record |
Derartu Tulu (ETH) |
30:17.49 |
Sydney, Australia |
30 September 2000 |
| Date |
Event |
Name |
Nationality |
Time |
OR |
WR |
| 15 August |
Final |
Tirunesh Dibaba |
Ethiopia |
29:54.66 |
OR |
|
Results
| Rank |
Name |
Nationality |
Result |
Notes |
| 1 |
Tirunesh Dibaba |
Ethiopia |
29:54.66 |
OR |
| 2 |
Elvan Abeylegesse |
Turkey |
29:56.34 |
AR |
| 3 |
Shalane Flanagan |
United States |
30:22.22 |
AR |
| 4 |
Linet Chepkwemoi Masai |
Kenya |
30:26.50 |
WJ |
| 5 |
Mariya Konovalova |
Russia |
30:35.84 |
PB |
| 6 |
Inga Abitova |
Russia |
30:37.33 |
SB |
| 7 |
Lucy Kabuu Wangui |
Kenya |
30:39.96 |
PB |
| 8 |
Lornah Kiplagat |
Netherlands |
30:40.27 |
SB |
| 9 |
Kimberley Smith |
New Zealand |
30:51.00 |
|
| 10 |
Kara Goucher |
United States |
30:55.16 |
PB |
| 11 |
Kayoko Fukushi |
Japan |
31:01.14 |
SB |
| 12 |
Joanne Pavey |
Great Britain |
31:12.30 |
PB |
| 13 |
Sabrina Mockenhaupt |
Germany |
31:14.21 |
PB |
| 14 |
Ejegayehu Dibaba |
Ethiopia |
31:22.18 |
|
| 15 |
Hilda Kibet |
Netherlands |
31:29.69 |
|
| 16 |
Zhang Yingying |
China |
31:31.12 |
SB |
| 17 |
Yoko Shibui |
Japan |
31:31:13 |
|
| 18 |
Penninah Arusei |
Kenya |
31:39.87 |
|
| 19 |
Tatyana Khmeleva-Aryasova |
Russia |
31:45.57 |
|
| 20 |
Yukiko Akaba |
Japan |
32:00.37 |
|
| 21 |
Bai Xue |
China |
32:20.27 |
|
| 22 |
Anikó Kálovics |
Hungary |
32:24.83 |
|
| 23 |
Kate Reed |
Great Britain |
32:26.69 |
|
| 24 |
Nathalie De Vos |
Belgium |
32:33.45 |
SB |
| 25 |
Preeja Sreedharan |
India |
32:34.64 |
|
| 26 |
Amy Begley-Yoder |
United States |
32:38.28 |
|
| 27 |
Dulce María Rodríguez |
Mexico |
32:58.04 |
|
| 28 |
Dong Xiaoqin |
China |
33:03.14 |
|
| 29 |
Isabel Checa |
Spain |
33:17.88 |
|
| DNF |
Mestawet Tufa |
Ethiopia |
|
|
| DNF |
Asmae Leghzaoui |
Morocco |
|
|
| DNS |
Nataliya Berkut |
Ukraine |
|
|
AR Area record | CR championship record | NR national record | OR Olympic record | PB/PR personal best/record | SB seasonal best | WL world leading (in a given season) | WR world record
DNF = did not finish | DNS = did not start | DQ = disqualification | NM = no mark (i.e. no valid result) | Q = qualification by place in heat | q = qualification by overall place |
