| | Event type

High Jump, Women

Date	1 – 3 August 1996
Status	Olympic
Location	Centennial Olympic Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Participants	32 from 24 countries

Stefka Kostadinova had been the world’s top high jumper since 1986 but had failed badly in both 1988 and 1992 in her attempt to win Olympic gold. She had set three world records, and her mark of 2.09 (6-10¼) from 1987 still stood (and stands thru 2019), and had cleared 2.05 metres (6-8¾) 20 times, a mark cleared only five times by other women. She was World Champion in 1987 and 1995. Thru 2.01 (6-7) metres in the final round, three jumpers survived – Kostadinova, Inha Babakova (UKR), and Greece’s Niki Bakogianni – but Kostadinova and Babakova led as they were perfect to that point. But Babakova went out at 2.03 (6-7¾), while Bakogianni had a surprise clearance at that height on her third attempt. However, Kostadinova still led, and was still perfect. She cemented the gold medal by jumping 2.05 metres (6-8¾).

Pos	Nr	Athlete	NOC	Qualifying Round	Final Round
1	3110	Stefka Kostadinova	BUL	1.93 (=1)	2.05 (1)	Gold	OR
2	3387	Niki Bakogianni	GRE	1.93 (=1)	2.03 (2)	Silver
3	3789	Inha Babakova	UKR	1.93 (=1)	2.01 (3)	Bronze
4	3684	Yelena Gulyayeva	RUS	1.93 (=1)	1.99 (4)
=5	3340	Alina Astafei	GER	1.93 (=1)	1.96 (=5)
=5	3549	Nelė Savickytė-Žilinskienė	LTU	1.93 (=1)	1.96 (=5)
=5	3702	Tatyana Motkova	RUS	1.93 (=1)	1.96 (=5)
8	3609	Hanne Haugland	NOR	1.93 (=1)	1.96 (8)
=9	3737	Britta Bilač	SLO	1.93 (11)	1.93 (=9)
=9	3880	Tisha Waller	USA	1.93 (=1)	1.93 (=9)
=11	3209	Zuzana Kováčiková	CZE	1.93 (13)	1.93 (=11)
=11	3557	Olga Bolşova	MDA	1.93 (12)	1.93 (=11)
13	3509	Svetlana Zalevskaya	KAZ	1.93 (=1)	1.93 (13)
14 r1/2	3081	Tatsiana Khramava	BLR	1.90 (14)	–
15 r1/2	3768	Kajsa Bergqvist	SWE	1.90 (15)	–
16 r1/2	3310	Lea Haggett	GBR	1.90 (16)	–
17 r1/2	3200	Ioamnet Quintero	CUB	1.90 (17)	–
18 r1/2	3876	Connie Teaberry	USA	1.90 (18)	–
=19 r1/2	3320	Debbie Marti	GBR	1.85 (=19)	–
=19 r1/2	2143	Yuliya Lyakhova	RUS	1.85 (=19)	–
=19 r1/2	3750	Sieglinde Cadusch	SUI	1.85 (=19)	–
=19 r1/2	3810	Vita Stopina	UKR	1.85 (=19)	–
23 r1/2	3559	Inna Gliznuţa	MDA	1.85 (23)	–
=24 r1/2	3767	Alica Javadová	SVK	1.85 (=24)	–
=24 r1/2	3819	Amy Acuff	USA	1.85 (=24)	–
26 r1/2	3783	Natasha Alleyne	TTO	1.85 (26)	–
27 r1/2	3219	Juana Rosario Arrendel	DOM	1.80 (27)	–
28 r1/2	3890	Svetlana Munkova	UZB	1.80 (28)	–
=29 r1/2	3116	Venelina Veneva	BUL	1.80 (=29)	–
=29 r1/2	3118	Irène Tiendrébéogo	BUR	1.80 (=29)	–
AC r1/2	3032	Alison Inverarity	AUS	– (AC)	–
AC	3437	Antonella Bevilacqua	ITA	[1.93] (AC)	[1.99] (AC)		DQ
DNS	3465	Coralea Cline	IVB	– (DNS)	–
DNS	3051	Sigrid Kirchmann	AUT	– (DNS)	–

Qualifying Round (1 August 1996)

Top 12 and ties and all those clearing 1.95 metres advanced to the final.

Pos	Athlete	NOC	Height	Misses	Total Misses
=1	Stefka Kostadinova	BUL	1.93	0	0	q
=1	Alina Astafei	GER	1.93	0	0	q
=1	Niki Bakogianni	GRE	1.93	0	0	q
=1	Svetlana Zalevskaya	KAZ	1.93	0	0	q
=1	Nelė Savickytė-Žilinskienė	LTU	1.93	0	0	q
=1	Hanne Haugland	NOR	1.93	0	0	q
=1	Yelena Gulyayeva	RUS	1.93	0	0	q
=1	Tatyana Motkova	RUS	1.93	0	0	q
=1	Inha Babakova	UKR	1.93	0	0	q
=1	Tisha Waller	USA	1.93	0	0	q
11	Britta Bilač	SLO	1.93	1	1	q
12	Olga Bolşova	MDA	1.93	1	2	q
13	Zuzana Kováčiková	CZE	1.93	2	4	q
14	Tatsiana Khramava	BLR	1.90	0	0
15	Kajsa Bergqvist	SWE	1.90	0	1
16	Lea Haggett	GBR	1.90	1	2
17	Ioamnet Quintero	CUB	1.90	2	2
18	Connie Teaberry	USA	1.90	2	3
=19	Debbie Marti	GBR	1.85	0	0
=19	Yuliya Lyakhova	RUS	1.85	0	0
=19	Sieglinde Cadusch	SUI	1.85	0	0
=19	Vita Stopina	UKR	1.85	0	0
23	Inna Gliznuţa	MDA	1.85	0	1
=24	Alica Javadová	SVK	1.85	1	1
=24	Amy Acuff	USA	1.85	1	1
26	Natasha Alleyne	TTO	1.85	2	3
27	Juana Rosario Arrendel	DOM	1.80	0	0
28	Svetlana Munkova	UZB	1.80	2	2
=29	Venelina Veneva	BUL	1.80	2	4
=29	Irène Tiendrébéogo	BUR	1.80	2	4
AC	Alison Inverarity	AUS	–	–	–	NH
AC	Antonella Bevilacqua	ITA	[1.93]	0	0	qDQ
DNS	Coralea Cline	IVB	–	–	–
DNS	Sigrid Kirchmann	AUT	–	–	–

Qualifying Round, Group A (1 August 1996 — 9:30)

Pos	Athlete	NOC	Height	Misses	Total Misses	1.75 m	1.80 m	1.85 m	1.90 m	1.93 m
=1	Stefka Kostadinova	BUL	1.93	0	0	-	o	o	o	o
=1	Niki Bakogianni	GRE	1.93	0	0	-	o	o	o	o
=1	Svetlana Zalevskaya	KAZ	1.93	0	0	-	o	o	o	o
=1	Yelena Gulyayeva	RUS	1.93	0	0	-	o	o	o	o
=1	Inha Babakova	UKR	1.93	0	0	-	-	o	o	o
=1	Tisha Waller	USA	1.93	0	0	o	o	o	o	o
7	Olga Bolşova	MDA	1.93	1	2	-	o	xo	o	xo
8	Connie Teaberry	USA	1.90	2	3	o	xo	o	xxo	xxx
=9	Debbie Marti	GBR	1.85	0	0	o	o	o	xxx	–
=9	Sieglinde Cadusch	SUI	1.85	0	0	o	o	o	xxx	–
11	Natasha Alleyne	TTO	1.85	2	3	o	xo	xxo	xxx	–
12	Juana Rosario Arrendel	DOM	1.80	0	0	o	o	xxx	–	–
13	Svetlana Munkova	UZB	1.80	2	2	o	xxo	xxx	–	–
14	Irène Tiendrébéogo	BUR	1.80	2	4	xxo	xxo	xxx	–	–
AC	Antonella Bevilacqua	ITA	[1.93]	0	0	-	o	o	o	o	DQ
DNS	Coralea Cline	IVB	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
DNS	Sigrid Kirchmann	AUT	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

Qualifying Round, Group B (1 August 1996 — 9:30)

Pos	Athlete	NOC	Height	Misses	Total Misses	1.75 m	1.80 m	1.85 m	1.90 m	1.93 m
=1	Alina Astafei	GER	1.93	0	0	-	o	o	o	o
=1	Nelė Savickytė-Žilinskienė	LTU	1.93	0	0	-	o	o	o	o
=1	Hanne Haugland	NOR	1.93	0	0	-	o	o	o	o
=1	Tatyana Motkova	RUS	1.93	0	0	o	o	o	o	o
5	Britta Bilač	SLO	1.93	1	1	-	o	o	o	xo
6	Zuzana Kováčiková	CZE	1.93	2	4	o	o	xo	xo	xxo
7	Tatsiana Khramava	BLR	1.90	0	0	-	o	o	o	xxx
8	Kajsa Bergqvist	SWE	1.90	0	1	o	o	xo	o	xxx
9	Lea Haggett	GBR	1.90	1	2	-	xo	o	xo	xxx
10	Ioamnet Quintero	CUB	1.90	2	2	-	o	o	xxo	xxx
=11	Yuliya Lyakhova	RUS	1.85	0	0	-	o	o	xxx	–
=11	Vita Stopina	UKR	1.85	0	0	-	o	o	xxx	–
13	Inna Gliznuţa	MDA	1.85	0	1	o	xo	o	xxx	–
=14	Alica Javadová	SVK	1.85	1	1	-	o	xo	xxx	–
=14	Amy Acuff	USA	1.85	1	1	o	o	xo	xxx	–
16	Venelina Veneva	BUL	1.80	2	4	xxo	xxo	xxx	–	–
AC	Alison Inverarity	AUS	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	NH

Final Round (3 August 1996 — 18:30)

Pos	Athlete	NOC	Height	Misses	Total Misses	1.80 m	1.85 m	1.90 m	1.93 m	1.96 m	1.99 m	2.01 m	2.03 m	2.05 m	2.10 m
1	Stefka Kostadinova	BUL	2.05	1	1	-	o	o	o	o	o	o	o	xo	xxx	OR
2	Niki Bakogianni	GRE	2.03	2	5	o	o	xo	o	o	xo	xo	xxo	xxx	–	=OR
3	Inha Babakova	UKR	2.01	0	0	-	o	o	o	o	o	o	xxx	–	–
4	Yelena Gulyayeva	RUS	1.99	1	2	-	o	o	o	xo	xo	xxx	–	–	–
=5	Alina Astafei	GER	1.96	0	0	-	o	o	o	o	x-	xx-	–	–	–
=5	Nelė Savickytė-Žilinskienė	LTU	1.96	0	0	o	o	o	o	o	xxx	–	–	–	–
=5	Tatyana Motkova	RUS	1.96	0	0	-	o	o	o	o	x-	xx-	–	–	–
8	Hanne Haugland	NOR	1.96	0	3	-	o	xxo	xo	o	xxx	–	–	–	–
=9	Britta Bilač	SLO	1.93	0	0	o	o	o	o	xxx	–	–	–	–	–
=9	Tisha Waller	USA	1.93	0	0	o	o	o	o	xxx	–	–	–	–	–
=11	Zuzana Kováčiková	CZE	1.93	1	2	o	xo	o	xo	xxx	–	–	–	–	–
=11	Olga Bolşova	MDA	1.93	1	2	o	o	xo	xo	xxx	–	–	–	–	–
13	Svetlana Zalevskaya	KAZ	1.93	2	3	o	o	xo	xxo	xxx	–	–	–	–	–
AC	Antonella Bevilacqua	ITA	[1.99]	0	0	o	o	o	o	o	o	xxx	–	–	–	DQ