| 2021 | ||||
| (Tokyo, August 4) | ||||
| 1. | Peruth Chemutai (Uganda) | 9:01.45 | ||
| 2. | Courtney Frerichs (USA) | 9:04.79 | ||
| 3. | Hyvin Kiyeng (Kenya) | 9:05.39 | ||
| 4. | Mekides Abebe (Ethiopia) | 9:06.16 | ||
| 5. | Gesa-Felicitas Krause (Germany) | 9:14.00 | ||
| 6. | Marusa Mismas-Zrimsek (Slovenia) | 9:14.84 | ||
| 7. | Beatrice Chepkoech (Kenya) | 9:16.33 | ||
| 8. | Wondimagegn Zerfe (Ethiopia) | 9:16.41 | ||
| 12. | Val Constien (USA) | 9:31.61 | ||
| dq. | Emma Coburn (USA) | |||
| 2016 | ||||
| (Rio de Janeiro, August 15) | ||||
| 1 | Ruth Jebet (Bahrain) | 8:59.75 | ||
| 2 | Hyvin Jepkemoi (Kenya) | 9:07.12 | ||
| 3 | Emma Coburn (USA) | 9:07.63 | ||
| 4 | Beatrice Chepkoech (Kenya) | 9:16.05 | ||
| 5 | Sofia Assefa (Ethiopia) | 9:17.15 | ||
| 6 | Gesa-Felicitas Krause (Germany) | 9:18.41 | ||
| 7 | Madeline Hills (Australia) | 9:20.38 | ||
| 8 | Colleen Quigley (USA) | 9:21.10 | ||
| 11 | Courtney Frerichs (USA) | 9:22.87 | ||
| 2012 | ||||
| (London, August 6) | ||||
| 1 | Yuliya Zaripova (Russia) | 9:06.72 | ||
| 2 | Habiba Boudraa (Tunisia) | 9:08.37 | ||
| 3 | Sofia Assefa (Ethiopia) | 9:09.84 | ||
| 4 | Milcah Chemos (Kenya) | 9:09.88 | ||
| 5 | Hiwot Ayalew (Ethiopia) | 9:12.98 | ||
| 6 | Etenesh Diro (Ethiopia) | 9:19.89 | ||
| 7 | Antje Möldner-Schmidt (Germany) | 9:21.78 | ||
| 8 | Gesa-Felicitas Krause (Germany) | 9:23.52 | ||
| [Emma Coburn (USA) 9th 9:23.54] | ||||
| [Bridget Franek (USA) 14th 9:45.51] | ||||
| 2008 | ||||
| 1 | Gulnara Galkina (Russia) | 8:58.81 | ||
| 2 | Eunice Jepkorir (Kenya) | 9:07.41 | ||
| 3 | Yekaterina Volkova (Russia) | 9:07.64 | ||
| 4 | Tatyana Petrova (Russia) | 9:12.33 | ||
| 5 | Cristina Casandra (Romania) | 9:16.85 | ||
| 6 | Ruth Bisibori (Kenya) | 9:17.35 | ||
| 7 | Zemzem Ahmed (Ethiopia) | 9:17.85 | ||
| 8 | Wioletta Frankiewicz (Poland) | 9:21.76 | ||
| [9 | Jenny Simpson (USA) 9:22.26] | |||
| [10 | Anna Pierce (USA) 9:25.63] | |||
| [Lindsey Anderson (US) 8th in heat] | ||||
| [Galkina 9:15.17 OR {heat}, 8:58.81 WR, OR; Simpson 9:22.26 AR] | ||||
| 2004 | ||||
| (not contested before 2008) |