by RBR Admin
Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service ([email protected])
This Day in Track & Field—August 29
1954–Two World Records were set at the European Championships in Bern, Switzerland. Vladimir Kuts won the 5000 in 13:56.8 to set the 1st of his 4 WRs in the event, and fellow Soviet Mikhail Krivonosov set the 1st of his 6 WRs in the Hammer with his winning throw of 207-10 (63.34).
WR Progressions
5000: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5000_metres_world_record_progression
HT(conversions are unofficial): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men%27s_hammer_throw_world_record_progression
1964–Bob Schul set a World Record of 8:26.4 for 2-miles in L.A. The previous record of 8:29.6 was set by France’s Michel Jazy in 1963. Finishing a distant 2nd to Schul was one Billy Mills (8:45.6). Schul and Mills would win Olympic gold in the 5000 and 10,000, respectively, in Tokyo later in the year.
http://www.garycohenrunning.com/Interviews/Schul.aspx
1982–Bob Roggy set his 3rd American Record of the year in the javelin (“old” implement) by throwing an amazing 314-4 (95.20m) in Stuttgart. Roggy died in a tragic accident in 1986.
Accident
http://articles.latimes.com/1986-08-04/sports/sp-1104_1_javelin-thrower
Elliott Denman Remembers Roggy
http://www.runblogrun.com/2012/06/bob-roggy-column-by-elliott-denman-note-by-larry-eder.html
1984 Johnny Gray ran 1:42.96 in Koblenz, Germany, to set his 4th American Record of the year (3rd in just 6 days!)
Gray’s ARs
1:43.74 Los Angeles June 19, 1984
1:43.28 Brussels August 24, 1984
1:43.28 Cologne August 26, 1984
1:42.96 Koblenz August 29, 1984
1:42.60 Koblenz August 28, 1985
(Broken by Donavan Brazier, who ran 1:42.34 in 2019)
Hall of Fame Bio: https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/johnny-gray
1986–Heike Drechsler ran 21.71 to win the Women’s 200 at the European Championships in Stuttgart, tying the World Record she already shared with fellow East German Marita Koch, who also ran 21.71 twice.
This was just one of four World Records set in Stuttgart (WJT-Fatima Whitbread-254-1 [77.44]), W400h-Marina Stepanova-53.32, MHT-Yuriy Syedikh-284-7 [86.74]).
WR Progression: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women’s_200_metres_world_record_progression
1987—After setting a World Record of 75-2 (22.91 in the Shot Put earlier in the month, Allessandro Andrei was hoping to treat Italian fans to a gold medal performance on the opening day of the 2nd World Championships in Rome. But it was not to be, with Switzerland’s Werner Günthör coming out on top with his winning throw of 72-11 1/4 (22.23). It was the 1st of his 3 consecutive world titles. Andrei, in danger of not even winning a medal, moved from 5th to 2nd with his 5th-round throw of 71-9 ½ (21.88) and went home with the silver medal. American John Brenner, who briefly held the lead with his 2nd round toss of (71-4 ¼ [21.75]), won the bronze medal. All 3 men bettered the winning marks from the 1983 Worlds and all previous Olympic Games!
Günthör’s medal was stolen from his Rome hotel room, but he was given a replacement by the IAAF!
Kenya’s Paul Kipkoech (27:38.63) won the 10,000-Meters over Italy’s Francesco Panetta (27:48.98) and East Germany’s Hansjörg Kunze (27:50.37)
Portugal’s Rosa Mota (2:25:17), 4th at the 1st Worlds in Helsinki, won the Women’s Marathon by more than 7 minutes over the Soviet Union’s Zoya Ivanova (2:32:38). France’s Jocelyn Villeton (2:32:53) won the bronze medal.
Medalists/Results: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1987_World_Championships_in_Athletics
Videos: M10k MSP WMar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59kGqp2QKAc
1991—Ukraine’s Sergey Bubka, competing for the Soviet Union, won his 3rd World Championship in the Pole Vault in Tokyo, but not without difficulty.
Getting pain-killer injections for a bruised heel before and during the competition, the World Record holder cleared his opening height of 18-8 ¼ (5.70) on his first attempt, but then missed once at 19-4 ¼ (5.90), a height cleared by Hungary’s (and George Mason’s) István Bagyula, who had won the 2nd of his 3 NCAA titles in June.
Knowing a clearance at 19-4 ¼ would still leave him in 2nd place, Bubka passed to 19-6 ¼ (5.95), missing on his 1st attempt. Faced with the prospect of finishing 7th if he missed on his final remaining attempt, the Master cleared the bar and retained his title when Bagyula missed all 3 of his attempts. As Bagyula said, “It’s not possible to beat Sergey at the moment”. Finishing 3rd and 4th were two other Soviets (Russians), Maksim Tarasov and Rodion Gataullin, both of whom cleared 19-2 ¼ (5.85). Bubka would win again at the next 3 World Championships (1993-1995-1997).
American Greg Foster was also a 3-time winner, finishing 1st in the 110-Meter Hurdles in a photo-finish with teammate Jack Pierce, with both timed in 13.06 (Foster had been charged with one false start). The two still didn’t know who won after watching a slo-mo replay on the stadium screen. Said a gracious Foster after he was confirmed as the winner, “As far as I’m concerned, we finished in a dead-heat and we’re both gold medalists. I would have been just as happy with 2nd”. Winning the bronze medal was Great Britain’s Tony Jarrett (13.25).
The Soviet Union’s (and Belarus’s) Tatyana Ledovskaya won the Women’s 400-Meter Hurdles, holding off the late rush of Great Britain’s Sally Gunnell (53.16) and setting a Championship Record of 53.11. Americans took the next 3 slots, with Janeene Vickers (53.47) getting the bronze medal over teammates Sandra Farmer-Patrick (53.95) and Kim Batten (53.98). Farmer-Patrick was in medal contention when she landed awkwardly after clearing the 10th hurdle and brushing arms with Gunnell, the future Champion in 1993. Batten would also go on to win the World title in 1995.
American Antonio Pettigrew (44.57) won the Men’s 400-Meters over Great Britain’s Roger Black (44.62) and U.S. teammate Danny Everett (44.63).
Medalists/Results: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991_World_Championships_in_Athletics
IAAF Coverage:
1993 Czech Jan Železný set the 4th of his 5 ratified World Records in the Javelin with his toss of 313-10 (95.66) in Sheffield, England. He also had a throw of 312-9 (95.34/#6 performance all-time) in his series
Železný’s WRs
287-07(87.66) Nitra, Slovakia May 31, 1987
294-02(89.66) Oslo, Norway July 14, 1990
313-05(95.54) Pietersburg, South Africa April 6, 1993
313-10(95.66) Sheffield, England August 29, 1993
323-01(98.48) Jena, Germany May 25, 1996 (Current Record)
WR Progression: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men%27s_javelin_throw_world_record_progression
1999—A U.S. lineup of Jon Drummond, Tim Montgomery, Brian Lewis, and Maurice Greene won the Men’s 4×100 on the final day of the World Championships in Seville, Spain. Great Britain set a European Record of 37.73 in 2nd and Brazil set a South American Record of 38.05 in 3rd. It was the 3rd gold medal of the Championships for Greene, who had earlier won the 100 and 200.
The U.S. wasn’t as successful in the Women’s 4×100, finishing 4th (42.30) behind the Golden Girls from the Bahamas (41.92), France (42.06), and Jamaica (42.15).
The Women’s 4×400 was an exciting race from the start. Suziann Reid (51.4) and Maicel Malone (49.9) had kept the U.S. in front after the first two legs, but Russia then moved into the lead, thanks to Olga Kotlyarova’s 50.3 split. Anja Rücker ran 49.6 to bring Germany closer, but they still trailed the U.S. by about 10-meters.
Germany’s Grit Breuer, who had anchored the winning team in Athens in 1997, caught up to the U.S.’ Jearl Miles-Clark, running her 5th WC 4×400 final, at the end of the backstretch and both were right behind Russia’s Natalya Nazarova as they came off the final turn. As she moved wide to make her final push, Miles-Clark was inadvertently clipped from behind by Breuer, slowing each runner just a tad. Nazarova (50.2) held on to give Russia the win (3:21.98), and Miles-Clark (49.8) kept the U.S. in 2nd (3:22.09), with Breuer (49.0) bringing Germany (3:22.43) across the line in 3rd.
The U.S., with a lineup of Jerome Davis (45.2), Antonio Pettigrew (43.9), Angelo Taylor (43.9), and new 400-meter World Record holder Michael Johnson (43.5) finished 1st in the Men’s 4×400, running a quick 2:56.45, but they were later stripped of the title due to Pettigrew’s subsequent doping violations. Moving into 1st was Poland (2:58.91), followed by Jamaica (2:59.34) and South Africa (3:00.20).
Russia’s (Spanish-based) Svetlana Masterkova (3:59.53), the silver medalist in the 800 earlier in the week, won the Women’s 1500 over American Regina Jacobs (4:00.35/PB) and Ethiopia’s Kutre Dulecha (4:00.96). Portugal’s Carla Sacramento (4:01.29), the defending champion, finished 5th
Denmark’s Wilson Kipketer (1:43.30), the World Record holder, held off South Africa’s Hezekiel Sepeng (1:43.32) to win the Men’s 800. The bronze medal went to Algeria’s Djabir Saïd-Guerni (1:44.16).
Jong Song-Ok (2:26:59) made history by becoming the first athlete from North Korea to win a World title, finishing 1st in the Women’s Marathon. 2nd and 3rd were Japan’s Ari Ichihashi (2:27:02) and Romania’s Lidia Șimon (2:27:41), who would win at the 2001 Worlds.
The medals in the Women’s High Jump were decided on fewer misses, with Ukraine’s Inha Babakova winning gold over the Russian duo of Yelena Yelesina and Svetlana Lapina (all 3 cleared 6-6 ¼ [1.99]).
Medalists in the Men’s Javelin were Finland’s Aki Parviainen (293-8 [89.52]), Greece’s Konstantinos Gatsioudis (292-7 [89.18], and Czech legend Jan Železný (287-7[87.67])
Medalists/Results: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_World_Championships_in_Athletics
Videos: M800 W1500 MJT(winning throw) M4x100(race at 4:45) W4x100 M4x400 W4x400
2003—Competing in chilly and wet conditions, American Dwight Phillips (27-3 ¾ [8.32]) edged Jamaica’s James Beckford (27-2 [8.28]) to win the 1st of his 4 World Championships titles in the Men’s Long Jump in Paris/St.Denis. 3rd was Spain’s Yago Lamela(26-11 ¾[8.22]).
The U.S. got a 1-2 finish in the Men’s 200 from John Capel (20.30) and Darvis “Doc” Patton (20.31). Winning the bronze medal was Japan’s Shingo Suetsugu(20.38).
From the IAAF report: Three years ago in the cavernous Olympic Stadium in Sydney, John Capel’s world crumbled around him. One of the most promising sprinters in the world, the young American froze in the blocks, and literally put his career on ice (he finished last).
“A lot of people thought that I couldn’t do it again,” he said last night after claiming the World title in the 200 metres in 20.30. “That after Sydney, that my head was too messed up to come back and be able to compete at this level. To be blessed and to do it again, it’s tremendous feeling.”
The Dominican Republic’s Félix Sánchez celebrated his 26th birthday a day early by winning his 2nd straight World title in the Men’s 400-Meter Hurdles, with American Joey Woody (48.18) edging Greece’s Periklís Iakovákis (48.24) to take the silver medal. Sánchez’s winning time of 47.25 would remain his personal best throughout his career, which lasted until 2015 and included two Olympic titles (2004, 2012). Sánchez, a native New Yorker, was the 2000 NCAA Champion while at USC,
Medalists/Results: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_World_Championships_in_Athletics
(Jim) Dunaway’s Worlds: https://www.worldathletics.org/news/news/dunaways-worlds-5
2004–A week after Deena Kastor won the bronze medal in the women’s race at the Athens Olympics, fellow American Meb Keflezighi (2:11:29) won the silver medal in the Men’s Marathon as the Games came to a close.
The first to enter Panathinaiko Stadium, the site of the first Modern Olympics in 1896, was Italy’s Stefano Baldini (2:10:55), who had finished 3rd at the two previous World Championships (2001,2003).
Winner of the bronze medal was a happy Vanderlei de Lima of Brazil (2:12:11), who at one point had a 47-second lead on Baldini and Keflezighi. A commendable performance, considering what happened to him late in the race.
Shortly after reaching the 22-mile mark, a bizzarely-dressed man, later identified as Neil Horan, a defrocked Irish priest, ran onto the course, shoving de Lima into the crowd lining the course. Spectators came to de Lima’s aid, pulling him away from Horan and steering him back into the race.
de Lima lost about 20 seconds of his lead, and was soon overtaken by Baldini and Keflezighi. We’ll never know how well he might have done if not for his unfortunate race interruption. He was selected to light the Olympic flame durinng the Opening Ceremony at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
Fading to 10th after being with Baldini and Keflezighi with less than 2-miles to go was Kenya’s Paul Tergat (2:14:45). The field had to deal with one of the hottest days ever for an Olympic marathon (high of 86F [30C])
Medalists/Results: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_2004_Summer_Olympics
IAAF Coverage: https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/olympic-games/28th-olympic-games-6913163
Meb Looks Back: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0RXCPQeKj4
Vanderlei Incident
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics_2004/athletics/3610598.stm
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1HBw70CH1E
(Jim) Dunaway’s Athenian Column
2007— Overcoming stomach issues that had bothered him since the U.S. Nationals, Bernard Lagat began his quest for a 1500-5000 double at the World Championships in Osaka, Japan, by overtaking Kenya’s Asbel Kiprop in the homestretch to win the shorter race in 3:34.77. Bahrain’s Rashid Ramzi (3:35.00), the defending champion, finished 2nd, and 3rd was Kenya’s Shedrack Korir (3:35.04). Kiprop (3:35.24) faded to 4th, while Alan Webb (3:35.69), who was in medal contention coming off the final turn finished 8th.
The Kenya-born Lagat, competing for the first in a U.S. uniform, would complete his double by winning the 5000-meters 4 days later.
The Bahamas’ Donald Thomas, a former basketball player who only took up the event a year earlier on a dare, won the Men’s High Jump on misses over Russia’s Yaroslav Rybakov and Cyprus’s Kyriakos Iannou, with all 3 clearing 7-8 ½ (2.35).
Thomas, who transferred from Lindenwood University to Auburn after the 2006 season, was the 2007 NCAA Indoor Champion. 39 at the time, he competed in his 9th World Championships in Budapest in 2023 (didn’t make the final). Now 41, he has qualified to compete in his 10th in Tokyo next month!
Germany’s Franka Dietzsch won her 3rd World title in the Women’s Discus with a throw of 218-6 (66.61/also won in 1999 and 2005). 2nd & 3rd were Russia’s Darya Pischalnikova (215-10 [65.78]) and Cuba’s Yarelis Barrios (209-8 [63.90]).
Four women were just about even coming off the final barrier in the Women’s 100-meter hurdles, with American Michelle Perry (12.46) having the best run-in as she captured her 2nd straight World title. Winning silver and bronze were Canada’s Perdita Felicien (12.49) and Jamaica’s Delloreen Ennis-London (12.50), both of whom went past Sweden’s Susann Kallur (12.51) in the final strides.
The Women’s 400 provided the closest finish the event had ever seen at the Worlds with Great Britain’s Christine Ohuruogu (49.61) edging teammate Nicola Sanders (49.65) and Jamaica’s Novlene Williams (49.66).
Medalists/Results: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_World_Championships_in_Athletics
IAAF Coverage:
IAAF Recap: https://worldathletics.org/news/news/osaka-2007-highlights-day-5
2008—Fresh from her win at the Beijing Olympics, 18-year old Pamela Jelimo of Kenya won the Women’s 800 in Zürich in 1:54.01 (#3 All-Time), the fastest time in the world in 25 years, and still the World Junior Record.
All-Time Top 5
1:53.28 Jarmila Kratochvílová (Czechoslovakia) 7/26/83
1:53.43 Nadezhda Olizarenko (Soviet Union) 7/27/80
1:54.01 Pamela Jelimo (Kenya) 8/29/08
1:54.25 Caster Semenya (South Africa) 6/30/18
1:54.44 Ana Quiros (Cuba) 9/09/89
2010–For the 2nd time in a week, Kenya’s David Rudisha set a World Record for 800-meters, running 1:41.01 in Rieti, Italy. His previous mark of 1:41.09 was set in Berlin. Once again, Sammy Tangui, his training partner, served as the rabbit, taking Rudisha through the first 400-meters in a lightning-fast 48.20. Jackson Kivuva was right with Wangui, then kept the fast pace going through 500-meters before Rudisha took over.
2nd in the race was Boaz Lalang (1:42.95), and 3rd was Nick Symmonds, who ran 1:43.76, a personal best at the time. Rudisha set his 3rd World Record in 2012, running 1:40.91 to win Olympic gold in London.
Bernard Lagat finished a close 2nd to Ethiopia’s Tariku Bekele (7:28.70) in the 3000-meters, his time of 7:29.00 breaking Bob Kennedy’s 12-year old American Record of 7:30.84 (Now #3-U.S. 5th was Chris Solinsky (7:34.32/#10 All-Time U.S./in-out) and a distant 14th was Galen Rupp (7:50.46).
Videos
800: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYfNElHP0OY
3000:
…
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Preview YouTube video 10,000m Final Men – World Athletics Championships, Rome 1987Preview YouTube video Men’s Shot Put 1987 World ChampionshipsPreview YouTube video Rosa Mota – Women’s Marathon – 1987 IAAF World ChampionshipsPreview YouTube video Men’s 110m hurdles | World Championships Tokyo 1991Preview YouTube video 1999 World Championships Men’s 800m FinalPreview YouTube video Aki Parviainen Javelin World Champion 1999Preview YouTube video Meb Keflezighi relives the 2004 Athens Marathon | Olympic RewindPreview YouTube video The Story of Vanderlei de Lima, The Man Who Lit the Rio 2016 Olympic CauldronPreview YouTube video #tbt Women’s 400m, Osaka 2007Preview YouTube video Women’s 100m hurdles – Osaka 2007 – 50 fpsPreview YouTube video 2007 World Championships – Track 1500mPreview YouTube video 2007 World Championships, Mens High JumpPreview YouTube video Rieti 2010 M-800m David Rudisha New World Record 1:41.01!
