The 23 competitors first raced in three heats. The top finisher in each heat moved directly to the final, and the next 6 finishers in each heat qualified for the two semifinal races. Therefore, only two kayakers were eliminated in the heats. The heats were raced on August 24.
Sergeyeva was disqualified for not keeping her boat in the automatic starting system, delaying the race start by five minutes. She was also disqualified for starting outside of the automatic starting system.
Semifinals
The top three finishers in each of the two semifinals qualified for the final. Fourth place and higher competitors were eliminated. The semifinals were raced on August 26.
Wallechinsky, David and Jamie Loucky (2008). "Canoeing: Women's Kayak Singles 500 Meters". In The Complete Book of the Olympics: 2008 Edition. London: Aurum Press Limited. p. 492.