Maricica Puică won the women’s 3,000 metres at its first Olympic final in 1984.
Representing Romania, Puică won at the Los Angeles Olympics in 8:35.96. The race is remembered not only for the inaugural Olympic title but also for the fall involving American favorite Mary Decker after contact with South Africa’s Zola Budd. Puică continued and won the gold medal.
The women’s 3,000 metres was part of the Olympic program in 1984 and 1988. It was replaced by the women’s 5,000 metres at the 1996 Atlanta Games, as international athletics moved toward a program more closely aligned with the men’s long-distance events.
Puică also won the 1984 Olympic 1,500-metre bronze medal. Her 3,000-metre victory is distinct from the later Olympic women’s 5,000-metre championship, which began in 1996.